The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-04-19

o'otHCi Dut Suc was pdiutu W uiSCoNSi q
| mong the pursuers her own false lover, who
seeing her at distance, refined up his horse
and turned aside, hoping to escape her no
r tice. When she saw this, she resolved she
would not only Danish him from her heart
but from her thoughts. But the resolution:
, of a maiden in Iove,are made only to be bro
ken, especially when the lover is the Object
of them.
1t was about eight o'clock, the evening
of the battle, when Annette was seated in
her door listening to every footstep, expec.
ting her father and brother. 1t was pleas.
ant night, but the time was sad one. She
fancied the winds waited to her the means
Of the dying and wounded, from the woods
and fields around where the fight had been,
and her heart was full of forebodings of e.
vii 10 those so dear to her. All at once she
heard the approach of horses feet, and star
ted up with solicitous expectation-for she
knew neither her father nor brother we're
mountcd--she waited nervously the adj
vance of the horsemen along the road. He
came at a slow pace, and as he drew nea.
rer, she discovered by the light of the moon
that he was an officer, and that his horse
was wounded. Instead of passing the
house towards the town, he turned up to the
door, and rode toward her. She was too
familiar with scenes of danger and the in.
cidents of those warlIke times to feel alarm,
and waited quietly his approach TO the door,
stone.
Good evening, Maiden, he said, with
foreign accent; | pray thee give me your
hospitality brief space-I and my horse
are both wounded, and he will carry me no
farther, fear
There was something in the gentle tones
of the voice of the stranger, as we'll as in
his noble figure and engaging address, that
Immediately interested Annette in him
and without asking him whether he was
friend or foeman, she invited him to alight
and enter the dwelling. With some diff
Guilty he got TO the ground, for his leg was
stiff with his wound. She assisted him, and
received his grateful thanks. He then ex-
amined first his horses wound, and with
her aid dressed it, and had him put into the
shed and protected fIom the night air, with
plenty of hay. When this was done, he
went with her into the house, and submitted
his foot and ankle, which had been shat.
tered by cannon shot, to the skill of the
mother and daughter. Annette then pro-
yided him with refreshments, and tried to
make him as comfortable as possible, with.
out knowing whether he was one Of her
country's invaders or defenders; but his
foreign accent led her 10 suspect that he
was the former. But Annette was a Chris.
nd Oh Il al
Injunction of our Saviour if thine enemy
hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him
drink
The ensuing morning. the grateful stran-
ger was about to leave. His horse was at
the door much improved as well as his mas.
ter.
MY sweet ma:d,' said the officer, YOU
must take gold, for can repay thy hosp-
tality in no other way
Cease 10 fight against my country, is all
ask, SIR she said warmly.
The officer smiled, and SAID, Have you
then regarded me as foe, and still done all
this for me?'
Il have done my duty, SIR
you are a noble girl and am happy TO
let you know you have not thrown your
hospitality away upon one undeservlng OF
it. | am an officer under Washington
The stranger then remounted his horse
and was about taking leave of her, and An
nette had it on her tongue TO ask him who
he was, when two men made their appear>
ance before the house with guns and KNAPP
sacks.
Father and brotherp cried she, joyfully
receiving their embraces. as they FASTENED
towards her. what officer is this! He
says he is under Washington
The young men glanced at his face, (which
had been turned from them, and answered
with pride and pleasure, Do you moi know
him? 1t is the young French Lafayette.
They then went towards him, and paid
their respects, informing him that there had
been fears he had been slain.
No, no. he said, my brave men, heed
lessly wandered from my staff after night
and coming TO this house, was Hospitality
entertained by the maiden, who mistook mt
for an English officer yet did nothing lacl
, in her charities. You are honored mon
, sieur, having so generous child
Thus speaking, the young French soldie
made his adieu, and rode away.
: After congratulating each other upoI
their safety, the brother told her that they
r had only come to see her for few hours
and were to return to the army the SAM
r night. They told her also that the column
which had pursued their right wing alon.
: the road past the cottage had afterward
g; been met by General Knyphausen. and hat
!, been compelled 10 give up much ofthe van
t tage ground 1t had gained, with the loss Q
a great many men slain and taken prison
ers. Annette recollected that George wa
a in this division, and she would have aske
: for intelligence of him, but her pride KEEP
S her silent. At length her brother and ia
Their went into the house, and as she wa
t, following them, young man who had bee
), a rival of George Lees. rode up to the doc
e alighted, and called in high tone Of voIc
}, to her brother
It sHol Reuben, did you hear the news