The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-10-29

"Once, only; but remained there some twen,
years.
"Maybe you know the old road between Wind
sor and Woodstock J"
every WELL"
"You remember the long two-mile hill, just be
fore you reach the Green:'"
YES"
"rIl tell you how it happened, 1t was many
years ago, my friend: was then boy of fifteen
In company with my father, | had been to Wind
sOr. Our horse was stout our-year-old, jus
broke, rather skiltish, and as quick in his motion,
as any horse that ever travelled. We rode in an
old fashioned country wagon. 1t was on our re-
turn. Night came upon us before we reached the
| top of the hill 1t was cloudy; not star was to
be seen and the darkness was So pal pable it SEEM
ed as though we could feel it. We were about
half way down the hill, my father driving with
great caution, when we heard some vehicle coming
up Peerng through the thick gloom, we could
just perceive the outlines Of an Ox-cart occupying
the middle of the road. "Turn out" cried my
father, but his warning was unheeded; it was a
cart and team without the driver, We had Just
time to turn to the right in order to avoid collision,
but the remedy was worse than the disease, There
was ditch by the road side four or five feet deep,
the wheels upon the right side fell, over we went,
Wagon. | happened 10 be clinging to the seat
and did not fall. 1t was but the work oian instant.
Quick as lightning was that horse Before the
Wagon was fairly upset, he had passed the cart
and jumped into the middle Of the road, bringing
The vehicle, to the seat of which had chung. upon
It's four wheels again. Talk Of speed! As though
mounted upon one of Joves own hunderholls,
and pursued by demons, the frightened horse start
ed down the hill could not describe that ride
whenever think Of it the sweat stands in cold
drops upon my body. After the first frantic cry of
terror, my tongue Glove to the roof of my mouth
buried my slender fingers into the hard wood to
which they had fastened, with n horrid energy of
despair, Never was mile more quickly devour-
edit seemed but a second before the bottom Of
the hill was reached-he lights of two or three
dwellings flew by US as swiftly as the stats fall
from heaven. ! have often wondered that we were
not all dashed to pieces dozen times, in that ter
rifle ride, but horse and wagon and driver arrived
at the foot of the hill together. Scarcely rod
from a short turn in the road, where the vehicle
would have been thrown into atoms, the strong
lines with which the horse had been driven, and
which had fallen from my fathers hands to the
bottom of the wagon, dropped upon the hub of the
left forc-wheel, were caught by lis quick revolu-
ton. and almost nstonaneously the horse was
stopped. Ills head was drawn round aud fastened
to his own side, and he could not move an inch!
People laugh ut the idea Of special nerpoSilion
Of Providcnce They might as well laugh ut the
philosophy Of orsancl lie! | jumped from the
Wagon nnnnred and inSlincliycly started up the
hill, in pursuit of my father, leaving the horse
vainIy struggling in his bondage. An hour after
wards, was found beside The body of my father.
lie had been thrown upon his head, crushing his
skull, aud when reached him he was stone dead.
The light Of the lanterns fell upon his pale and cold
counlennnce, and fell yet on stranger spectacle.
In single moment Of terror, the hair of the slrck-
en- and deSola,e boy had changed from raven black
to while''