The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-09-13
Vol. H..
wooDsFIELD, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, No

babe her uncle farewell with manly and dignifed
coolness, bene6ttng one, who in the course Of war
then progressing, had executed many signal and
ennobling exploits. II was a period when the
storms of the revolution were gathering darkIy
in all quarters Of the horizon. The winged fleets
Of the enemies of freedom were buoyed upon the
waters Of the Chesapeake, the Delaware, and the
Elk; and the thunders on the field of Brandywine
had scarcely ceased to vibrate over the fair regions
around. The father of Juliette Perciyal had been
for long time an officer under Colonel Stewart
He had been advantageously engaged with the
troops of Sir William Howe at Brandywine; and
for the purpose of conveying his young daughter
to Nazareth from Wilmington, then small hamlet
about half league from the Delaware, he had OBJ
tained General Washington's leave of absence
from the army for three days. u..st
The emotion of the father andhis child, as they
proceeded out of the city to the north, were of
different, though equally sober kind. Captain
Percival was pondering on the situation Of belo-
we'd country, and family whose existence was
dearer than his own. On whatsoever side be tur
ned his eye, the land was endangered. To the
South, the smoke Of the recent battle seemed all
most to hang over the blue highlands of Christena;
Philadelphia was in peril. and the enemy was near.
Congress was on the point of penetrating farther
into the est, where they could deliberate togeth-
er without an apprehension that their debates
would suddenly be broke up by the thrill Of martial
trumpets, or the clash of opposingswords. From
the city, when they once set their feet firmly in
the streets, the kings troops might sally out into
the adjacent country, lay waste the fields then rea-
dy for the harvest and massacre the inhabitants by
the light Of their blazing dwellings. Julette sat
with her eyes fixed thoughtfully upon the land
scape over which they were journeying The
scene was beautiful AS the city and its suburban
trees faded from their view, the road rounded in
graceful and continuous stretch along the western
shore of the Delaware. The sun had descended,
and the moon touched the river with an inconstant
shower Of silver, shedding an uncertain light on
their way. A silence ensued between the trav-
ellers as il the spirit of the scene which surroun-
ded them was impressed upon each By degrees
yielding to the enquiries Of her father. who ques.
toned her respecting her sadness and silence, the
jentle Juliette disclosed the history of the survei
lance of the Hessian, the threats OF constancy III
pursuing her which he had, made; and the fears
which his menaces had awakened. She confessed
that full of forebodngs, she had wrttan to Leslie,
who having been wounded only few days before,
W IS lying i'll at Chester. He had returned most
tender and affections answer, implorlng her to be
prudent and promising that he should not proceed
to Nazareth, until hsrestoration, after which Pc
rod he hoped to act as her defender.
The next evening found the travellers in the bo-
rough of Easton on the Delaware. AT that period
the place was diminutive and OF little importance,
consisting only of few scattered dwellings, of
various aspects and dimensions; and some of wood
Drowned by the weather; Others of brick, with
spotted ends In the middle Of the road and near
the end of the borough, stood decent public ed
ifice, apparently church; beyond it rolled the
Delaware, and an abrupt hill rose on the opposite
shore. As they approached the church juIieue
remarked that mile board stood near it, on which
she had before noticed the words eight miles to
Nazareth She was just opening her lips to men,
ton the pleasing thought of being so near home,
when, as they wheeled by the edifice, her eyes be-
came rivited on figure which was peerng out
from an angle in the building. 1t vas broad moon
hight; she grasped instinctively the arm Of her fa-
ther, and pointed at the object 1t was the Hes
sian Soldier, to whose uncouth and almost brutal
m Ill ofto,,o ,taJ Har
sed his hand over his face as if to cast its shadows
on his austere brow aud repuIsive visage, and ga
zing ntently for an instant, he skulked abruptly
around corner of the building and disappeared
from their view. .H
%a1-EIs 49, -
1t was nearly month after these circumstances,
that Captain Percival with his daughter Julette
and her young sister, then in childhood, were sea-
ted around cheerful hearth in their cottage at
Nazareth. The afternoon was closing, and as the
sun broke out among the cloudy drsperies of the
west and sprnklng his golden smiles into the little
parlor, Juliette arose ana gazed with earnestness
from the window, The day., for the most part,
had been one Of wind and storm; but the winds
had retired to their caverns, and through the tears
Of clearing heaven, the sunset poured itself aslant
upon the hills and clouds in an unusual beauty
The scene was spell upon the heart of Juliette.
II induced contented reliance on that God in
whose infinite sight are unfolded the cares of the
children OF men. She looked across the eminence
or undulatiDg ridge upon which her fathers cot
tage was situated to another near half a mile dis
tant. 1t was low, white mansion, before whose
doors. poplars and oaks, with other ornamental
trees stood waving like winged raDbows in western
air. and clothed in all the colors which accompany
the American forest in the autumn season. In that
cottage lay her adored and honored George Leslie.
| There she had administered to his wants and sick