The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-05-18
From the Mechanics Free Press.
AN ADVENTURE

VIZ PioSSh WHICH VIII DTlnq fOrth talent
strength, courage, and ingenuity, which him
self and others deemed totally at variance witt
his nature. am one whose life has been a,
undlsturbed scene of peace and quietness. N,
quarrel or dispute ever rendered it necessary
Tor me to call forth my moral or physica
strength, both of which now | am inclined Il
think possess; at least the reader will bea,
me out, when have related the following ad
venture:
was on my way to P, in the fall o.
rs; 1t was towards a cold evening, in the
hrst tall month, when my horse suddenly stop
pea before respectable house, about four miles
'tom ": There was something strange
andremarkable in this action of nv horse nor
would he move step in spite of all nv exer-
tlons to move him on. determined to gratify
ms whlm, and.at the same time a strange pre-
sentiment which came over me-a kind of su.
! pernatural teeling indescribable seemed to urqe
me to enter Having knocked sand.reouestinp
to be conducted to the lady or gentleman of the
! mouse, was ushered into a neat sitting room.
! where sat beautiful girl of about twenty wears
Oh age She rose at my entrance, and seemed
lIttie surprised at the appearance of perfect
Stranger. In few words | related to her the
strange conduct of my horse, his stubborn on
position to my mind. | am not, | observed.
| suPerstltlous, nor inclined on the side of the
metaphysical doctrines OF those who SUPPORT
them; but the strange unaccountable feeling
thdt crept over me In attempting to pass your
mouse, induced me to solicit lodgings for the
night. -'' '"0
8 We are not" she replied, " well guarded,
us true but in this part of the country we
nave little to fear from robbers, for we never
heard OF any being near us; we are surrounded
oy good nelghbors, and | fatter myself we are
at peace with them all. But this evening, in
consequence Of cal p -
usually lonesome, and if it were not BORDERING
on the superstitious, | might reason as Won have
ana say consent to your staying, for similar
leelhgs nave been mine ere you arrived from
what cause | cannot imagine"
Inc evening passed delightfully."- awav. INV
young hostess was intelligent and lovely. tbe
hours flew so quick, that on looking At nv
watch, was surprised to find it was eleven
O'Clock. This was the signal for retiring, and
oy Twelve every inmate Of the house was prob.
ably asleep save myself. l could not sleep-
strange visions t1oated across my brain, and
lay turning and twisting on the bed, in all the
agony of sleepless suspense. The clock struck
one-lts last vibrating sound had scarcely died
away, when the opening of a shutter, and the
raising OF sash in one of the lower apartments.
convinced me some one was entering the house,
a noise followed as of a person jumping from
the window sill 10 the floor and then followed
the light and almost noseless step of one as
cendlng the stairway. | slept in the room ad-
Joining the one occupied by the lady; mine
was next the staircase; the step came alonp
the gallery: slow and cautious. had seized nv
pistol, and slipped on part Of my clothes, deter
mined to watch or listen to the movements
seemingly mysterious or suspicious the sound
one as of applying the ear to The key hole, and
low breathing convinced me the villain was
lsz1a I al G
grasped. Not muscle moved, nor a nerve
was slackened, for felt as if heaven had select
ed me out as the instrument to effect its pur-
pose. The person now slowly passed on, ard
cautiously approached the door of my cham
Der. l now went by instinct rather by the
conveyance of sound for as soon as | heard his
hand grasp the latch of one door mine seized
on the other-a deep silence followed this move
ment it seemed as if he heard the sound and
awaited the repetltion-it came not-all was
still he might have considered it the echo Of
his own noise. heard the door open softly
| also opened mine, and the very moment
stepped into the entry | caught glimpse of
tall man enter the lighted chamber ofthe young
lady. | softly stepped along the entry, and ap-
preached the chamber through the half open
ed door glanced my eyes into the room. No
object was visible save the curtained bed, with
in whose sheets lay the intended victim to a
midnight assassin, and he-gracious heaven
A NEGRo!! For at that moment a tall fierce
looking black approached the bed; and never
was Othello and Desdemona more naturally
( represented; at least that particular scene of
the immortal berds conception. l was now all
suspense my heart swellsd into my throat al
most to sufocation, my eyes to cracking as |
made q bound into the room. The black vii
lain had ruthlessly dragged part of the cover
ing off the bed, when the sound of my foot
caused him TO turn. He started and thus con-
| fronted we stood gazing on each other few
seconds his eyes shot fire-fury was depicted
in his countenance. He made spring towards
me and the next moment lay corpse on the
floor The noise of the pistol aroused the fair
sleeper; she started in the bed, and seemed an
angel OF the white clouds emerging from her
! downy bed to soar up TO the skies.
The first thing that presented itself to her
view, was myself standing near her, with a pis.
tol in my hand.
"Oh do not murder me take all; you can
not, will not kill me, sir!
The servants now rushed in, all was explain
ed. The wretch turned out to be vagabond,
supposed to be a runaway slave from Virginia !;
had the providential opportunity of rescuing
one from the worst of fates, whe in after years
called me husband, and related TO OUT children
her miraculous escape from the bold attack of a
midnight assassin.
MATERNAL TENDERNESS. The superiorit,