Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-01-05

troth that had been plighted to one who ha
proved false TO himself and his country p
And thus speaking, the spirited girl TOOK
from her finger the betrotha ring, and cast
it at his feet.
The young tory lover gazed upon her
with surprise and anger, which, as he saw
her re-entering the dwelling, without even
casting glance upon him, instantly chang.
ed into one of entreaty.
"Stay, Annette, do not leave me thus
You are not surely in earnest. Come back
and let me talk with thee. If you can thus
idly break your troth, love you too well to
do so myself.
"You love me, George Lee l' she repeat
ed with scorn; 'you love me when you
are now ready to go forth and draw your
weapon and aim your rifle at the hearts OF
my father and brother, who are in the ranks
of Washington, ready to do and die for
their country Out upon such love will
have none of it Go, traitor to love and
honor fight for thy tyrant, King George,
and be his slave as he is thy master"
With these spirited words, the young girl
entered the house, and closed the inner
door, thus shutting out all further speech
with her unworthy and recreant lover. The
young volunteer of toryism stood for mo-
ment looking both mortified and angry, and
happening TO see the ring az his feet, in the
sudden and bitter feeling of the moment, he
ground ii into the earth with his iron heel.
''Yes, let it and her perish, if they will
| am fool to have rebels daughter, and
rebels sister !"
Tins cnaaLin v ha otro1o r,onJ,I,, - .ko
elm before the door, where his caparisoned
horse was standing, and vaulting into the
saddle, spurred at full speed away, in the d.
rectlon of the British army.
The following day, the country for miles
around the cottage, was echoing with artl-
lery and the roar Of musketry. Two con-
flicting armies were engaged in deadly con-
test, close at hand; and in the scene of
death and terror, Annette had a father a
brother, aud-shall we say It lover for
though her patriotic feelings made her cast
him off, her affection still retained his image
in her heart. On all sides columns we're
charging, engaging, retreating, and the tide
of battle now rolled this way and that, and
still came in the direction of the road that
led past the cottage.
Annette was part of the time fearfuly
watching the clouds of smoke that marked
the progress of the combatants, ard part of
the time on her knees in prayer for those
she loved and was George Lee excluded
from that petition Let each maiden's own
heart answer
Nearer and nearer came the sound of ar
tillery, and the roar of battle. She stood
with her aged mother and gathered neigh
bors, upon the green beneath the elm, in
painful expectation. The smoke of the
battle field rolled onward, and now they
could hear the shouts of the soldiers in lie
fight Their position commanded a view of
mile along the road, and soon they beheld
scattering troops flying across it, at its ex-
tremity and disappearing in the woods
Then came squadron of horse, broken and
retrealing; and then artillery drawn at full
gallop came in the road. The American
flag flew from stats stuck on the gun car
riages, and Annette knew her countrymen
were defeated. Louder and more fearful
wood, and regiment after regiment, broken
and terrified, filled the road and were re-
treating along it towards Chester, and past
the cottage. Annette's anxiety for her
countrymen, and for her father and brother,
would not let her quit her post aud the
tide of battle came rolling past her-a ter
rifle spectacle. The Dragons galloped by,
each horseman riding by himself, with his
relEs thrown upon his saddle bows then
came the artillery laundering along, follow
ed by multitude of soldiers without order,
Hvinr M tho tor, IF THAR onaad
"Oh, shame, shame" she cried with hot
tears in her eyes; "Oh that were man,
and in the saddle, methinks my single arm
would retrieve the day Where is Wash
ington He certainly cannot hy?"
As she spoke, she heard on her right,
down the road, loud, commanding voice,
calling on the retreating men to rally She
turned and beheld Washington himself, who,
hearing of the giving way the right wing,
had come up at the head of regiment to
sustain it. His voice and presence now in
stiled new life into the flying soldiery, and
they soon rallied in the road, and presented
a front to the columns of Britain that were
pursuing Gen. Howe, seeing this demon
stration of resistance, and knowing Wash
ington to be there in person, withdrew from
pursuit. satisfied with having routed the
wing. The American troops then slowly
retreated in good order towards strong po-
sition on the heights not far off
Annette was delighted to see that among
those who fled were neither her father nor
her brother, but she was panied to discover
among the pursuers her own false lover
who seeing her at distance, refined up his
horse and turned aside, hoping to escape her
notice. When she saw this, she resolved
she would not only Danish him from her
heart, but from her thoughts. But the res
olutions of a maiden in love, are made only
to be broken, especially when the lover is
the object of them.