The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-06-05

they covered had once been living and
breathing man. Our hereditary family
tomb was here a strange, old, gloomi-
ly fantastic pile, largely furnished, by
some rural sculpture, with angels and
cross-bones and armorial bearings. II
was the last place ! had visited when I
lef, home and ] sat down on one of
the projecting angles, and unused OH the
chances which had befallen me since
then A snbhath-like calm pervaded
the scene nothing was heard save the
slight breeze rustIing the clumps of
withered hemIock, or at intervals, the
sweet wild murmur of the humble-bee
gathering its treasures from lhe butter
cups and blue-bells. No one can resist
the sympathies Gf nature altogether, aud
my mind soon grew calm and tranquil
as the scene around me.
While ! thus sat in my musing mood
heard some one behind me repeat
those noble words of inspiration "Bles-
sed are the dead who die in the Lord :"
and on turning round beheld an old
man, a peasant, leaning on his staff
and gazing on little grave almost con-
cenled by the charnel herbage which en-
cIrcled it on every side. "Ay," he con-
tinued, as If unaware of my presence,
"blessed indeed are they who die in the
Lord (; but The wicked man and the per-
secuter has no bonds in his death he
may flourish for season as green bay
tree /; he may enlarge his bounds. and
cast forth his arms in his pride but
the time shall come when they will
seek him but shall not find him. and the
place which knew him once shall know
him no more for ever:
For why the way Of godly men
Unto the Lord is known;
Whereas the way ofwicked men
Shall quite be overthrown.'
So saying he began to clear away the
grass aud weeds from the little stone
ard having done SO, he sal down, as if
musing on those who slept below.
Absorbed as was with my own
thoughts, my curiosity at last prevailed,
and l said to him, "Good morrow, old
man see you are like myself, a visit
or of the dead may ask whose rest
ing place you contemplate with such an
interest ~
He now for the first time seemed n
ware of my presence, and, looking up,
and tOnchiDg his broad blue bonnet, he
replied "They who sleep here, sir,
were those of whom the world was not
worthy. "ln word," he continued,
"they who sleep here are two martyrs,
who wrote their testimony against the
defections of the land, and the breaking
of the covenant, even in the precious
letters Of their blameless blood. They
fell unknown, unlamented, and unre-
venged, by world lying in sin but
there is One above before whom even a
sparrow cannot fall to the ground un-
marked and He will .avenge the inno-
cent blood even in His own good time
for the blood of his saints are precious
in his eyes"
My curiosity being excited by this ex-
ordixm, requested him to tell me the
story to which he referred. "ll's sim
pie tale," he SAID, sand little different
from hundreds of other passages which
our land had the misfortune to see when
the bloody giant of prelacy triumphed
in his pride and cruelty but ye are
young man, and who knows but God, in
Providence may yet call you to act in
defence of his laws and prerogative, e.
ven as they did Surely all these
things were given as an example to us,
to act as they did, if ever the stern ne
|cessity of the times demand which
may gracious God in his Providence
lorfend %.
1he Story OF john Craig and IsobcI Ross.
1t was in those days when the bloody
Prosecutor of Gods saints, Charles the
SScond, was striving to root out all re
liGon from our land, and when the
boSted and spurred apostles of prcacy
webt about like roaring lions seeking
whAm they might devour, that John
Craig, singular godly youth, did take
TO vi ife Isobel Ross, a maiden fair, as to
worthy externals, but, what was far
bettet, Of an enlightened and sober pie
ty, MT in any way tainted with the de-
fectiops Of errors which then so rifely
prevailed. They loved and were below
ed more than usually falls to the lot of
his poor shreds /; and, not without rea-
son, they promised themselves many,
many days of happiness and joy. But
continuance of prosperity is not tu be
looked for in this vale of sorrow and
tears 4; every month the persecution
grew more and more hitter, and honest
men burst no more worship God after
the manner Of their fathers, but were
compelled TO pray among glens and the