Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-05-24

t'lere lay MS paradise. IL was MOI IO1S Ue-
fore Mr.. Damer discovered the child stretch
ed at full length on a grassy mound beneath
tree. A brook ran puring and laughing
at his feet-a thousand birds we're singing
around and above him-lhu green turf be-
spanged W it'll flowers, filling the air with
their delicious fragrance, and there amid all
the loveincss of "A glorious summer day, lay
that young boy, feasting over few dirty
pages of an old Spectator! Tears were
standing on his pale but intelligent face, tho
his lip was wrealhed with smile. and one
small hand. as it lay on the grass, grasped
nervousy the flowers, while his large, beau
tful eyes turned rapidly and eagerly from
side to side of the much loved page. He
was wrapt in world of ideal, but blissful
feeling, ard the sight might have moved al
most any heart to love and admiration for the
boy, but ii only served to increase his fath-
cr's rage.
George! George!' No answer.
'What are you here for, you young good
for-nothIng scape-grace, when you ought to
be in the turnp field to work I'll teach
you better, sir; get up quick, and come
here y
Still there was no answer. The boy was
smiling and weeping in ecstacy, and heard
not syllable of his fathers words. lie APP
preached step nearer, and brandishlng the
whip.
Hallow | say, what are you about,
sn ? You had better mind your father,
can tell ye.
Mr.. Damer was now within few steps of
his son, bat SO wrapt was the boy in that dir
~ scrap of "a book that onesin ten thousand
of modern readers would scarcely dare to
look upon, much less to read-such luxury
was it to that poor child to have the mind of
thought and feeling laid open to him, by the
master pen Of Addison, which, young as he
was, he could comprehend, that the outer
world was entirely forgotten, and he conin-
ued to read, unconscious Of the approach of
his father
A heavy, cutting, terrible blow, descended
quick as a flash Of lightning, on his almost
uncovered shoulders, for his jacket was
I lrnwn aside from the heat of the day. He
eaped to his feet, and with horror behcld his
father with the horse-whip above him.
'Oh Father"
'You RASCAL! you dog = shouted the man
with fury, as if all the demons of hell were
let loose in his heart. The blows descended
thick aud fast upon the shoulders and back
of the innocent child, but after the first
shrek, after the first exclamation, he was
passive and calm as martyr. His lips were
pale, quverlng, but not another tear touched
his cheek, and those large, black, expansive
eyes were raised aud fixed with singular
! look upon his father. That look was the
precursor of the MAN, the spirit Of the man
working in the child, and seemed to say,
Do your utmost, can bear, and triumph
over all Not an expression of pain, not a
murmuring word esca ped him, through the
whole terrible flagellation, mingled as it was
with the oaihs and curses of the father, and
continued I'LL the blood oozed from the lace
rated skin, spotling his shirt and trowsers,
and trickling down upon his naked feet.
Then the whip was thrown aside, half from
wonder at the singular and manly forttude
Of the boy, for even Spartan mother might
have looked with admiration upon the brave
little fellow.
But as the merciless instrument of tor.
ture was thrown on the ground, the boy
spoke.
You WILL DE SORRY FOR THIS FATHER =
then the eye-llds closed, the long black
lashes dropped over his pale cheeks, he STEP
ped back and tainted. There he lay among
the blossoming flowers, his cheeks pressed to
the cold grass, and his book Rugged to his
bosom even in his insensibiliy.
Poor George did not come home till night
fall. Then he stole away softly to his bed in
the garnet, for he wished to escape observa.
ton, not from any craven fear, but because
he would not pain his mother and his little
sister, whom he loved with all his heart
But few moments after, the door was softly
opened, and George = George!' was re-
pca,ed in a low sweet voice. 1t was his
mother, and as the poor fellow heard the
kind gentle tones of that ailrclionate parent,
he set up in bed and began to sob for the
first time since his father so brutay beat him
Mrs. Dinner had brought up the supper, no.
ping to find him there, and yet almost fear
ing and trembling to see him. She sat down
her plate of bread and butter and casped
r her boy in her arms and wcpt with him. He
was her fdvorile child, always gentle and af.
feclionate, where he could be so, he was
nevertheless ill-lreaed by the father, and of
course the more doatrd upon-ihe more low
ed by the mother. When he found she was
crying, the brave little fellow, with desper-
; ate effort, forced back his tears, and winding
his aceralcd arms around her neck, he kiss
ed her and tried to soothe her.
Don't cry mother, dear mother am
not much hurt said he, looking into her face
and trying to smile, but the wet eye-lids
dropped, and he laid his face in her bosom.
You do not deserve this, my noble boy !
she mnrmured, kissing his forehead, your
father will be sorry for it some day; YES, my
child, God will bless you, and when Won are
man, such as my heart tells me you will be
HE will think of this and weep, and tremble,
and pray for II to his very grave
know it, mother, | told him so,' said
the boy, raising his hands, his eye sparkling
with an unearhly light but am glad of il
now; it has opened new world to me-a
light broke on me even while was standing
there, with the whip playing like scorpion
apout my shoulders mother. mother, it al
most dazzled me with brilliancy-the mighty