The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1845-04-19

there amid all The loneliness of a glorious
summer day, lay tina, young boy. feasting
over few worn and dirty pages Of an old
Spectator Tears were standing on his
pale but intelligent face though his lip was
wrea,hed with smile, and on a small hand
as it lay on the grass, grasped nervousIy the
tlowers, while mis- large beautiful eye turn
ed rapidly and eagerly from side to side oI
the mach loved page. He was w,apt in a
world Of ideal, but bliss(ul feeling, and the
sight might have moved almost any heart
to love and admiration for the boy, but i,
lonly served to increase the fathers rage.
George! George!
mo answer
What are you here for. you young good
iorno'hing scape grace. when you ought 10
be in the turnip field 10 workl III teach
you better, sir; get up quick, and come
here!
SliIl there was no answer. The boy
was smiling and weeping i. ecstacy, and
heard not a syllable of his fa,heI's words
He approached step nearer, brandshiag
the whip.
Halo! | say. wha, are you about sir!
You had better mind your father, can tel
ye.'
i Mr.. Damer was now within few steps
of his son, but so wrap, was the boy in tina
dirty scrap of book which one in lei
thousand modern readers would scarce,
dare 10 look upon, much less TO read-sNcl
a luxury was i. 10 that poor child 10 have
the mind Of thought and feeling laid opol
10 him, by the master pen oi.Adison, which
young as he was, he could appIehend, bu
the outer world was entirely forgotten, ant
he continued to read unconscious of the ap
proach OF his father.
II A heavy cutting, terrible blows, descend,
ed quick as fash of lightning, or his al
uosl uncovered shoulder. for his acke
was thrown aside from the heat OF the day
| He leapeI 10 his feet, and with horror
behelG his father with horse whip a aoov,
lhim.
oh, lslher'
You rascal! you dog! shouted tie maj
with fury, as if all the demons ef he'll were
ct loose in his heart. The blows descend
ID .hlck and fast upon his shoulders anC
back OF the innocent child; but after the
i.sl shrek, after the first exclamation, he
was passive and gentle as martyr. His
lips were pale, qniserng. but no. another
lear touched his cheeks, and those large
black, expansive eyes were raised and fix.
ed with singular look upon his father.
That look was the precursor of the MAN,
the spiIil of the man working in The child,
and seemed 10 say; DO your utmost.
can bear and lriu nph over all. Not an ex-
preston Of pain no. a murmuring word
ESCAPED him, through the whole terrible
dageIaIion, mingled as il was with ,Ae oalhs
and curses Of the father, and continued iii
the blood oozed from the laceraled
skin; spolting his shirt and ,rowsers, and
uickling down upon his naked leet.
Then The whip was thrown aside, hall
from exhaustion, half from wonder al thu
singular aud manly lorIilude of the boy, lo
even Spartan mother might have looked
with admiration upon The brave little lel'
low.
But as the merciless instrument Of torture
was thrown on The ground The boy
spoke.
you wiH be sorry for this, father! then
lhe eyelids closed, the long black lashes
dropped over his pale cheeks, he stepped
back and tainted, There he lay among
the blossomirg flowers, his cheeka pressed
70 ,he cold grass, and his book hugged 10
his bosom even in his insensibIily.
Poor George did not come home ill
nighlfal. Then he stole away very softly
10 his oed in the gane1, for he wished TO
escape observation, not from any Graz en-
fear, but because he would not pain hi:
motheI&his little sister whom he lovedlwilt
5 all his heart. But few moments after, the
3 door was softly opened and George
7 George! repeated low, sweet voice. |
!. was his mother, and as The pooI fellow
-