The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-05-20


"--Foul deeds will rise,
Tho all tho earth o'erwAelm them, to mems eyes"
RICHARD III.
THE traveller who passes, during the summer
or autumn months ollhe year, through the states
Of our Union that lie west Of the Ono river
Indiana and Illinois in parlcular---wl often
pause in his journey, with feelings of iIrcpresslbe
admiration, To ghze upon the ten thousand beauties,
which nature has spread through those regions with
an uncommonly liberal hand The meslc noun
tuin upholdint the heavens on lis cloudy top does
not, to be sue, arrest his asOnsled eye;-and the
roaring cataract, dashng from dizzy heig Int, and
laundering down into whiting depth below, then
rising again in upward showers forms no part OF
the character, Of their quiet scenes. But the wide
spread prairie, evei us some waveiess lake, iIom
whose fertile soil the grass springs up with luxn-
rance unparalleled IN any other part OF our country,
the beautiful green Of which is btSprln lied with
myrads and myrilds Of flowers, ravsillng the
sight with their ovelincss, and filling the air with
their sweels-and, ug,in, on either side Of these
immense savanuas, standing arrayed "liie host
TO host opposed, The leaIy forests; whose silence
has not often been broken By the voice Of man ,and
through whose yerdant rccesSes the deer stalks in
herds, with the boldHess Of primeyal naure-lheSe
nre some of the scenes that call forth passing lr-
butte of praise from every behoJer. Such is lhe
summer aspect, but when winter "has taken an
grlly his waste inheritance" not even the painters
pencil can convey ust conception Of the bleak
ness and desOlalon of the change Then those
extensive plains, lately covered with the infinitely
diversified charms OF nature, become one white
UNMARRIED waste of snow. through The yiSias of The
naked trees nothing meets the glance but snow:
and if from the chilly monotony of earth, the
weared eye looks up to heaven, thick and heav,
II, ,,,,l
charged to bust with the same fgid element
II was during the latter season that the incidents
of the following story tUok place.
About the middle Of Decuhcr, some twelve
or fifteen wears ago, before Illinois was udmltled
sister state into tho Union, on the afternoon Of II
day that had been unromm0nly mild, and during
the morning of which there had occurred ghl iu
Of snow, tAo persons might hive been seen riding
along one Of the Immense prlireS, in n northern
direction The eldest seemed advanced in wears,
and was dressed in the habllm !n,s cr the country
he wore cap made OF the otter, and II huntin.
shirt Of blue inscy -woolscy covered his body de.
sccndn. nearly TO The knees, and trimmed with
red wooden fringe. II was fastened round the
waist, by sirdle Of buck ,kln,, 10 which was up.
pended Il buIlc-pouch, made Of the same material
as the cap Ills feet were covered with bucksln
mocca,ins, and lcsgins ofsloul cloth were wrapped
several times round his legs fastened above the
knee and At the ancle with strings of green wOrS.
ted The horse he beslrode was 50 small that the
riders feet almost dragged on the around, and he
had that artificial gait which is denomnaled rack
ing The Old mans hair fell III long and unconl-
bed locks beneath his cap, and was white with the
frosts of many winters; while the slllowness Of his
complexion gave prooior long risi!ence in those
uncul,vated paris OF the counlry, where the ex-
cessive vegetable decay and The slagnaton Of large
bodies Of water, produce perennial agues
Ills CO mp inloa was Young man, dressed nc
cordng TO the prevailing fashion of the cities Of the
eastern States; and his rosy cheeks and bright blue
eyes evnced that he hld not suffered from The el-
f.c,s of climate. lie was mounted on spirited
horse, and carried in his hand heavy looking RI
he, the bnii Of which rested on his toe
well, Doctor ivin,,un,' sad the elder person,
Il should no more hi looked to one Of kuur
Yankees, io.ing about wi you rail Kenluck rife
than should ha thought I'd be riding myseIfwith.
out one. III didn't see il in your hands, could
almos, swear that It's jim BuGkhorn's."
'Yon have guessed correctly, Mr. Silversigh,,'
replied the Young physician; Il believe YOU know
almost every rife in his part of The territory.
'Why, I've handled power Of 'cm in my time,
Doctor, said the Cd man, 'and there ani many
good ones, ntwiN Sanglmo and the MisSis,ip, tlm,
don't know the valy on. | reckon now, that
same rifle seems 10 you but a clumsy sort of Il
shooting iron; but it has bro't down smart chase
of deer first and last. That lock 5 rail Kreamer.
and there amt ruer bore--exc mine. that |
left down in the settlement TO get a new siyh to-
no, not twiN this and Major Nlarkhnrn's II car
ries st ninety -four, and mine si over ninety. eight
10 the pound. jim has used my bullets often when
we've been out hunting Together.
Il was unucquninted with the worth Of the gun. >
H. ION Lat,
cuEsniih's this morning heard him txpres, reyre,
that he had missed a ch,nGc of sending it out 10
= Jenny Buckhofn $3.50, intending to come this way
! offered to take charge of il III, self In this Wild
prness country we must stand ready to DO such liz
le Offices of friendship, Mr. Silversight'
''rwas no dol bt kindly meant Doctor. and Jim
will ba mDnslrou' glad 10 git his piece again: said
the hunter. But my wonderrnant il, and dom
mean no harm by it, how that tinker would trust
such Krelmer as that 'crc, with yankee Doe
tor. DO give it 10 me; can't bde seeing a good
rifle in a D.ans hand that don't know the vay
ont
Dprtor r ving'on resigned the weapon with n
good humorei sInIle;.for he had been some time in
the country, and partly understood The love which
n hunter always fees for piece, of the character
Of thu, he had been carrying; he knew too. though
the old mans manners were rough, that there w,s
nothing like roughneS' in his heart, Indeed IN.
very person who was lolih 10 trust this young ron-
pnnion with gun, nlrnsically worth but little.
would neserheless, as we shlll see, have unhesi.
taiingly placed in his charge, without witness or
receipt, an uncouned or unlimited amount Of
money. The term Yankee, which we have heard
him applying, in rather a con,emptuous manner,
was thea, and for years after, used unfortunately
in reference to all such as emigratcd from the
States east Of the Alleshany mounlains. Handing