Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-04-03

Vate Tile, Wnen Inc neaTt meeS 's
sacrifice uu2rompied by the hope OIL ec'at ano
unsustaiped by the certainty OF fame.
A case came under my Observation iast week
which for lis display OF patent ior"'uae' un-
firing perseverance, and deep aud cruel suffer-
ing. as we'll a. the u,elanchol interest which
it excited, has few or no parallels. The tale is
not long, and if you choose, Mr.. Editor, you
may tell it al-the subjects ofit well deserves
such praise as we can give them.
Two brothers, whose wives also were sisters,
resided near Glasgow, in Scotland, and on the
fruits of their industry in their lucrative ana
respectable occupation, (they were Calico Prin.
,ers) supported their families in comior' and
ease, and were enabled to give their eight
children all the advantages oil men'ai ana reh,
eous instruction for which the better class OF
tradesmen particularly are so distinguished In
that country The distress, however, "nleh
for years has pervaded the manufacturing dis-
,ricts of Great Brit ain extended at last TO them
and continued its risitalions until their pros
poets were destroyed, and their perseverance
exhausted. Denied all hopes OF better tunes,
they resolved in despair to abandon an occupa-
ton which no longer repaid their toll, and In
June last they embarked with their 'am''ies Tor
Canada, with The purpose Of purchasing and
cu!iivaling land.
They settled in the town OF Ramsay, 200
miles above Montreal, and there soon fouEd
in the task of building thei" log hut, and clear.
ing their heavily timbered new land, that lhey
were entirely unified for, and unequal to the
duties and labors Of their new vocation. Fro
visions were dear and srsrce, the climate was
severe and their fund Of money was almost ex>
haus,ed; hard winter was before them, and
looking on their wives aud children, who had
thus far endured their privations paucn'ly,h not
cheerfully-they resolved with the advice oil
their few neighbours, 10 cross into "the States,
and seek there employment IN some OF the new
manufacture They started on the 18Th NO
vember, expecting TO send in a short time Tor
the families which they were leaving but slen-
derby provided. 1t was not, however Until the
10th ofTebruary that a letter reached It's anx'
ious expectants, stating that they had at length
found employment at Fall River in Massachu.
sets, and would send for their families as soon
as they had earned the means.
But for This their families could not wait
they were sinking under the pressure OF evils
among which the "hope DELAYED" counted but
as ,riHing. The sum Of money which the hus-
bands had been able 10 leave them was but
small, and the scarcity Of provisions prevailing
in the incipient settlement was shared by them
even 10 extremity-to absolute hunger. The
creyices and seams Of their log hut wert but
partially closed, and admitted the snow at eve
r, blast of the wistcr wind. Amid hunger &
cold s he cries Of their children, their thoughts
often turned 10 their own pleasant home by the
Water Of Leyen. The few aud distant neigh
bors gave them no assistance, for they did not
know their wants" We hadn't any means
o'repaying obelegations." said one Of them 10
me, lana sac we didna like 10 ask them!''-aud
these two women, who in their own country
had perhaps never seen an axe, were Obliged,
standing 10 The knees. in snow, 10 cut down
with their own hands trees from which they
obtained fuel for the fire around which their
| children shivered.
This could no, endure longer, and in good
time had the letter arrived. They knew then
where their husbands we're, and they resolved
to 90 to them. A sleigh was engaged, and
their little preparations soon madc.-But the
snow threatening to break up, the man dared
not venture upon the long journey, and refused
to go! This was a cruel stroke; the cup OF
their Affections bad long been full, and this last
drop might well have caused its waters OF Bit
terness to ove,flow-for no pangs cut as sorely
as those of disappointed hope. They had now
no choice but to endure as they had endured, or
TO attempt the journey on foot. The first
seemed impossible, ard besides these children
and their mothers 6ued the fathers and hus-
bands from whom they were separated. The
prospect of the latter also might well appal the
soutest heart-the distance wus nearly 500 miles
winter was al its depth; Of money they had
bu, four dollars, and there in the woods their
clothing would sell for nothing, their furniture
had been chiefly left at Montreal-& TO crown
the whole, they had eight children, of whom
the eldest had not reached her tenth year.
IN despite however Of these fearful Difficult.
lies these two heroic females bent up their
hearts to the undertaking, and on the 18th OF
February commenced on foot their toilsome
Journey. Each carried an infant at the breast,
with bundle Of cIothing-the eldest girl, Sa-
rah, carried on her shoulders her sister Of
eighteen months, and The other three girls and
two boys aged from three 10 eight years, ,rudged
along as well as their little feet could carry
them. From The 18th Feb. to the 18th March,
when they arrived in this place, the weather
had been peculiarly inclement-many days
were severely cold, there were two deep falls
Of snow, and cons'aut high winds, and for the
two last days they had come under cold rain.