Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-02-09

Nor harm nor ueachefy tearing
Come elm, come mermaid, coss sprits,
Aud dance on the waters SO light;
Gomez, clad in your terrors, l dare ye,
For discontinue base now prepare ye-
Fair play ye shall have ia the ~wrangIe,
Yen find il an ignobls fangle.
fMethinks those boasts would sit more
becomingly OH more aged lips than thine,
vain YOUTH said a voice behind me. In
voluntarily l turned round and beheld a
figure that caused me 10 part suddenly
with my Wanted courage. and struck me
with dread. Though could not class
aim with any of those ideal beings with
which J had been holding converse, yet
at first l. had most heart-rending fears
he had been sent all ambassador to in
fllct on me condign punishment for my
scepticaI mockery oil his constituents
Re%solutely | placed my hands on my
distended pockets, heroically resolving
that no mischance should deprive me OF
my treasured shells, and cast a look of
wistful agony towards the boat, but saw
no symptoms Of its return. Finding as
sistance GU, Of the question, l again
looked the figure in the face, and like
most of the troubles that beset us in this
life, found on examination less cause Tor
alarm than at first. Though not prepos-
sessing in his appearance, there still was
that s~anctity in his manner which old
age seldom fails to confer, and his snow
white locks hung from beneath a chip
hat that had probably seen the mildew OF
several His tottering steps
were supported by a stick, and his feet
were entirely bare-his c%ountenance,
though hidden by a beard that told that
the razor seldom gained a harvest there,
still exhibited traits OF vivacity and good
nature not often discoverable in those
who have attained to his years, and a
harmless meaning spoke in his aged eye
as he again addressed me. 'Son, are
you declaiming to the unconscious wa
terf-venling your warlike feelings I'M
heedcds Beware he continued. how
you suffer such passions to have sway In
your heart-had you lived even no long
err than myself, you would have seen
enough of the miseries OF life to drive
such m%addening fancies from your BRAIN
Such gcntleness spoke even in his reproof
that | 10Y no longer feared him, but
looked on HIM as a relic of the past age
spared TO recount to his successors the
tales Of other times. eff you fear me
not he resumed, Il cnn relate a histo-
nv, the principal events of which happen
vd near this very pond, and | love to re-
late 1t, as it was often told me, for l have
but a faint recollec tion Of some Of the
incidents.' Gratided to be so amused,
| appropriated to the old man my former
seat, and with an attentive ear listened
to the Legend Of Whalum.
Tina: yon can realize my story
said the old man, you must carry your
thoughts back to the time when the X
Of the settler had but just begun to sound
in this vicinity. This undisturbed and
almost UNEMPLOYED portion ~ofcountry had
been scarcely visited save by the wan
de,ing Indians, who padded the white
canoe over wat was known to them
as Unshse Walum. The venturesome
and hardy white mar was gradually ell
cros ching on the natives, and redeeming
the soil from its uncultlvated waste,
erecting his log hut and clearing a little
spot for cultivation. At Lancaster, how
ever, a few mics from here, they had
made a considerable settlement, which
was tho scene Of bloody sp%oliation TO
the Indians. Families were also scatter
ing in every direction, each band Of
n%eighbors uniting in common defence
against the natives, and erecting a gar
rison, where in case of danger they fled
for mutual safety. and protection. MI
merous as were the cold .blouded MUIR
ders perpetrated by the ruthless savage,
still it is a matter Of wonder that they
were not more general, for he knew no
nobler spirit than revenge; and the white
was i%ntruding, driving him step by step
from the forest through which he had
hunted with his fathers. However Ok
cusable the Indians might be for the
atrocities they committed, it does not
lessen the heart .agonizing scenes OF
destruction in which they we're engaged
and which have been handed down in
histories ofthose days But by looking
at things in a mass, we do not consider
them so Justly as when a single instance
is presented; and the eye that could
heedlessly read of the total destruction
| ola village, might learn to weep over the
relation of the sufferings of a single in
| dividual.
I'm those days it was customary for
a young nan TO select a spot to locate
himself, then marry some fearless maid.
Ell from the more populous towns near
the sea ports, who was less timid than
the race that would now be found there.
A few necessary articles Of household
furniture were provided. of the chean-