The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-09-01
CIDER.
A TALE OF THE MARTYRS.
By the Ettrick Shepherd.

Red Tam Hardness came into the farm
house of Garrick, in the parish of Closeburn,
one day, and began to look about Cor place to
hide in, when the goodwife, whose name was
Jane Fitzpatrick, said to him in great alarm,
What's the matter, what's the matter, Tam
Hardness"
" Hide me, or else I'm dead man. that IS
the present matter, goodwife, said he But
yet, when have time, if ever hae MAR time,
have heavy news for you. For mercys sake
hide me, Jane, for the killers are hard at hand"
Jane Fitzpatrick springing to her feet, but
she was quite bonumbed and powerless She
ran to one press, and opened it, and then ran
TO another but there was not room to stuff
clog into either of them. She looked into a
bed a.; there was no shelter there, and her knees
began to plat under her weight with terror
The voices of the troopers were by this time
heard fast approaching, and Hardness had no
other shift, but in one moment to conceal him
self behind the outer door, which stood open,
yet the place where he stood was quite dark.
He heard one of them say to another, " | fear
the scoundrei is not here after all. Guard the
outhouses."
On that three or four of the troops rushed by
aim, and began to search the house and inmates.
Hardness that moment slid out without being
observed, and tried to escape up narrow glen,
called KinrIvvah, Immediately behind the house;
another chase, there met him in the face.
When he perceived them he turned and ran to
the eastward on which they both fired, which
raised the alarm, and instantly the whole pack
were after him. 1t was afterwards coniectured
that one of the shots had wounded him, for
though he with others, had been nearly sur
rounded that morning, and twice waylaid, he
had quite outrun the soldiers; but now it was
observed that some of them began to gain
I ,,nI fho,, 80 ,1,fs e.
| ing. till at length he fell in kind of slough,
east from the farm house Of Lockerben, where
! they came up with him, and ran him through
I with their bayonets. The spot is called Red
Tam's Gutter to this day.
Jane Fitzpatrick was one of the first who
went to his mangled corpse,-a woful sight
lying in the slough, and sore did she lament the
loss Of that poor and honest man. But there
was more; she came to his corpse by sor: oil
yearning impotence to learn what was the wo
full news he had to communicate to her. But
alas the intelligence was lost, and the man tc
whose bosom alone il had haply been confidec
was no more yet Jane could scarcely prevail
on herself to have any fears fo- her own hus
band, for she knew him to be in perfectly safe
hiding in Glen Gorar, in Crawford muir Tc
satisfy herself, she repaired to that place, ant
arrived there at eleven o'clock on Sabbath
evening. Tho family being at prayers when
she went, and the house dark, she stood still
behind the Italian, and all the time was convin
ced that the voice of the man that prayed was
the voice of her husband, John Weir. All the
time that fervont prayer lasted, tho tears oil
Joy ran from her eyes, and her heart beat with
gratitude to her Maker as she drank into hel
soul every sentence of tho petitions of thanks
giving. Accordingly, when worship was end
cd, and the candle lighted, she went iorwart
with light heart and joyous countenance, he
sister embraced her, though manifestly embar
raised and troubled at seeing her there at sucl
a time. From her she flew TO embrace her hus