Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-12-25

WIS tne scene, lnat met the eyes oil the Wdr
worn and bleeding fugitive, when. having toed
up the hill, he parted the screen Of the weeping
birches. and gazed unseen upon the little group
before the door.
The cottage was low white washed building
Of single story, with matched roof projecting
in little porch before the door, and mantled by
the foliage and sweet scented clusters Of wood.
bine, which climbed the rustic pillars, and over.
ran the caves, enclosing the small diamond. paned
easements with a thick verdant curtain. On
either side the porch was = narrow strip OF gar.
den decked with sweet peas, and blue and yell
low upnes, and bush or two of wild rose and
sweet brar, and before it a space perpaps ten
yards in width, fenced in by the tall oaks, and
here and there a beech or ash, and carpeted with
short and messy greensward, softer and Of richer
hue than the most costly velvets Of Genoa. At
one end OF the cottage was a matched shed,
from over the half door Of which pfotruded the
mild face OF a sleek well fed COW, end at the
other, noble stack of faggots, larger than the
cottage which it sheltered from the northeastern
winds, and like it, provided with matched
roof quite overgrown with lichens and the yellow
Powered stonecrop. Under the shade of this lay
she goat, with two kids sporting round her,
and the little cur, whose merry bark had been
heard Just before, peaceably sleeping by her side.
little way in front Of the hut forming the fore.
ground as it were of this lovely rural picture,
stood young girl Of seventeen or eighteen years
at most busily engaged in hanging some sheets
OF spotIess linen upon a cord which was at.
tached to two OF the large trees-while few
PAGES to her left sat a sweet little fairy child,
with great blue eyes glancng out Of the proluse
faxen curls, which fell at every movement over
its bright and laughing features playing with an
enormous black and tan bloodhound Of the old
Talbot breed, which basked in the sun lazily be.
side the babe, occasionally giving its huge tail
flap upon the grass, or-raisng its great tawny
muzzle to lick the chubby hands which were be-
decking it with wreaths Of butercups and daisies
A little way from these upon the green, was
fair boy of some twelve years, practising with
bow and arrow at a mark set up against the bole
Of an enormous oak at sixty PAGES distance
which his shaft, needless though it was failed
not to strike at each successive shot, and ever
and anon when he had struck his bulls eye,
raising shrill and joyous shout, which was re.
echoed by the growing laughter Of his young sis.
ter, and listened to with calm, well-pleased
smile, by the elder maiden. And beautiful ex-
ceedingly was that young maiden. her form so
slight yet so Voluptuously rounded, with snow
white swelling arms and straight slender ANGLE,
revealed by the short sleeves and somewhat brief
proportions Of her plain russell frock; her long
and swan.like neck gracefully rising from the
blue kerchef that yelled her struggling bosom;
her dark and CLASSY hair folded in simple brads
around her broad, smooth brow-her soft, bright,
hazel eye, full ruddy lip, and delicate complex
on-and, even more than these, her tiny hands,
and feet that scarce seemed equal to support her
sylph.Iike frame, seemed to betoken rather some
scion Of proud, time honored race than poor
woodmans daughter. Such was the picture on
which the young man gazed with wistful eyes for
brief space, through the boushs Of the birchen
thichet which yelled it on the southern side; but
so great and so imminent was his peril that he
might not expend much time in feeding his eyes
or his imagination upon a scene, SO sweet to fill
a poets day dream. He gazed, tits true, for &
minute wistluliy; but, though his mind was
fraught with many a, touch Of poesy and wild
romance, and though his eye was one which
loved to dwell on all varieties OF natural beauty
it was not poesy nor admiration Of the beautiful
that fixed his eye or his mind now. 1t was a
wandering, restless, scrutinzing glance, which
he cast into every nook and angl Of the domes
! tic scene before him; until convinced, as il
would seem, that he had taken every feature OIL
the picture, satisfied that there were no other per.
sons present than those whom he had seen al.
ready, and that they were Of no formidable char.
acer, he drew the gIed branches quite asunder,
and stepped at once, though with quiet unob
trusive air, into full view. ...
BE not alarmed fair maid be said, seeing she
was not little startled at his sudden appearance
BE not alarmed am alone, fugitive help.
less and wounded-and in search Of safety.
My enemies-the avengers of blood, are close
upon my heels-the blood of my two brothers
and my fathers is red upon their hands and weap
ons-and mine will flow, unless you can conceal
me. II you would not look on my Slaughter
conceal me. if you can, for one shot hour. 50
shall thank you for my life, AMI 50 shall you
win favor before God. For am guItlass Of all
wrong unless adherence to the faith Of ny faith
ers, and loyalty to my king, be sin as the Pnri
} tans avouch. There is no time to lose for lhel
were scarcely mile distant, when looked bacI
3 from the last hilltop
S The blood which had ebbed from her cheeks
as he appeared, returned at his words, and al
5 though fattered slightly and somewhat Iremulous
v she answered 10 a clear and distinct voice. :
t can conceal you sir-happy AN | to say it
, where all the malice OF your enemies wolll in
vain strive to fnl you. But you must pronis
3, me- she added, never by word, or sign, or token
1 whether for good or evil, to dvuge the secret c
3. the hiding place which will show you. This mus
, you vow upon your plighted honor as gentle
e man and solder--Ior ruin would come Of it, al
) perhaps bloodshed, if you should fail in thl.
d Moreover, see what you may, or hear, you mu
g rest satisfied and ask no questions.
e BE it so,' he replied instantly; and layia
1t his hand on his heart, he made the promise st