The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1836-06-08


but; in fairy-land, in desert; no matter
where--only with hm-him she had
chosen to live and die with, and her cup
was full.
The circumstances which led noe to their
acquaintance were peculiar, and such as
entwined me into their best feelings. They
had been married about four summers, and
the fruits Of their union, was little, crow
ing, curly headed boy, sweet as his mothers
beauty. was hunting on the side Of the
Mississippi, one warm afternoon, when l OBJ
served something floating at "a. distance,
which by the means of my dog, was brought
to land /; and, to my surprise, were present
ed the lifeless, yet still warm features of this
same little fellow. 1t seemed that playing
near the river, he had fallen in, and was
near about breathing his last.-Taking him
in my arms, hurried home, and just in
time TO save him. From that hour, they
loved me as a brother.
My story now leads me little from the
straight track, have kept thus far-but
It's necessary to turn aside little, for the
sake of the dark catastrophe, which brought
sorrow and death into this Eden-dwelling |
have described.
There was one Nat. Ralle, dwelling
about half way between Natchez. and the
plantation of my friend. Ills was one Of
those dark -browed, malicious couutenan-
ces, which made one, in spite 0f himself,
think of the devil, whenever he met him.
lie never spake like other men. If you
met him in The woods of n morning, his
was in low, sury tone, which
made you doubtful as to its nature and
after he had passed you for forty or fifty
yards, you might observe him stopping and
looking back, as if he felt himself suspec-
ted by every body. This devil-for such
he was, and such will he appear before have
done with him-more than once, had beent
seen prowling about the dwelling Of Glen
ming; and once being met suddenly, he
turned and ran away into the woods, like
one of the wild beasts he so much in dis
position rcsembled.
There was as custom, which yet, ] be-
lievc, exists in the south western new settle
ments, for man to claim the exclusive priv
ilege of hunting on certain extent Of
ground in the vicinity of his habitations.
This right is as much insisted on, in certain
parts of those states which have visited,
as are tho game laws in England; and every
one, even strangerhmnter, observes it, and
the right 10y quitting the grounds,
SO soon as informed that an individual holds
reasonable claim TO them. This Ralle had
in open defence of that knowledge, and
against the reiterated, yet polite admonition,
of Glenning, trespassed on his lands and
once shot tame doe which Glcnnng had
kept for two or three years, the care Of
which had devolycd on, and was source
of amusement to Isabel--and on that ac-
count it seemed double injury.
Gcnning, as cool man rs ever laid claim
to the qualities of honor and honesty, at
this, rode down to the plantation of RalIe,
and mildly, yet earnestly, expostuatod with
him, on what was esteemed a breach of faith
careful at the same time to express his be-
ief that the shooting of his tame animal ;
vas undesigned, yet requesting for fear of
similar occurrence, that he would hunt
elsewhere in future, which thing he could I
10 without incommoding himself.
To this midncss in Genning. Rale {
opposed the remark That he would do .
IS he pleased that the woods were free, t
md that he should hunt towards the north
II south, without asking leaf of Yankee in t
erlopers. {
This remark struck on the temper of
ilennng, at an unlucky moment. The
cry consciousness of rectitudc on his own :.
,art, made the insult fasten and rankle |
md gave to it a barb which, perhaps, in !
my other circumstances, would not have '
'ained him. Glenning, have said, was |
Gentlemen. He was such, fthere ever was !
ne--a man of good morals, charitable in
lis disposition, and could not bear to inflict
ain, even on dumb beast. But there is,
within the human heart-and philosophy
nay reason it over till doomsday, without
EXPLAINING it--a something to quiet con-
cience, even in the best men, at times, and
orcc them to acts, which in other circum-
tances they would shudder at. Dueling
5 one of them. Duelng Gleuning despis-
al from his soul. | have heard him say so
, thousand times, and sternly express his
,bhorrence of the man who could stain his
lands with fellows blood. He even rose
,nce, aud left an agreeable company, be-
,ausc he was told that such gentleman
present was duelst. With such notions !
and they were not mere talk with him
t is a thing cannot explain, that he so
ar forgot himself ms to hurl back the insult
ne had received, and in manner calcula-
ed to lead to SO sad termination. He
lid so, however, and retort calling forth re-
ort, they both lost their tempers-when,
Ralc springing forward with knife, Glen
ling knocked him down with the butt of his
Whip lie then turned and rode home. {
isabel met him at the door, and it needed ,