The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1845-02-06

| S'S'j Iai CyVHu Hio iCdCil.
The next morning after MervaIe receiv
ed his sentence, he awoke from relres h
ing sleep, infinitely better, in health an,
spirits Grief soon subsidies, and the high
er its flow the sooner it GIBBS. Mcrval
began to comprehend his situation, h.
though t over the scenes of the day before
and when he remembered tha, he wa
doomed to die on the morrow, his feeling
experienced shock, that even the sen
tence of Van Loan had failed to give them
All this argued the return Of healthy
state of mind, as well as body. When his
guard presented himself at his bedside il
the morning, to release HIM from the
cords that secured him to the posts Of the
bed, he preferred request for writing ma
terials, saying that he wished in a measure
to arrange his business, previous to his fl
nal exit from the stage of action, but fear
lul of some plan for escape, or the danger
of suffering him to Communicate with any Of
his parlsans, this favor was refused him
and he was again conducted TO his little
dpdIlIDCllt.
Here he was left TO himself, and although
he often thought of Alice and could scarce
sppress the tears when her remembrance
occurred, yet more than once, he detected
himself planning some method of escape,
or wondering if Jacob Dash would not al
tempt his rescue. In fact he could not
think of dying without shudder, and he
determined in fact, that he would make a
desperate effort for his life.
In the afternoon, he was visited by the
priest O. the settlement, who came to ad-
minister to the prisoner, the spiritual COM
forts Of the gospel The worthy ndividu-
al was himselfa tory, and talked to Mer-
vale for long time, upon the horror Of
treason, and the objectionable sin Of re-
belling against the government of the
Lords anoin,ed. Matters assumed to
Mervale, more serious aspect than they
had ye, seemed to wear. When the preach.
err announced his Grand, it seemed to
bring death and himself in lrighiul prox-
unity. There was something ineXpressi-
bly, chilling 10 his feelings in coldIy setting
about making preparations for his final
departure. He knew the preparation for
so important an event was highly necessa-
ry, but despite all his efforts, he could
not bring his mind to think calmly upon
the subject. The worthy divine left him,
expressing his fears that his latter end
would be worse than the first.
Early the next morning Van Loan, was
in the settlement, busily making prepara-
ton for the execution. which was appoint
ed to take place, early in the evening,
just after the setting of the sun. How
he came to designate this unusual hour,
as the time for the uEhalow ed sacrifice he
intended to make, he could not tell; yet he
could hot bring himself to perpelrate the
diabolical deed with Gods fair sun, a wit
ness to the transactions. He "loved dark
ness rather than light, and it was undoub,-
eddy, because his "deeds were evil"
The Tory's Guard, were under arms, and
stood in groups around the inn and the
spot where the laborers where erecting a
gallows. The spot selected for the execu-
ton, was just outside the compact portion
of the settlement, on the side Of little
hill, that gently rose from the banks of "a
small streamlet. The topof,his emnence
was covered with a growth Of heavy forest
trees, which in fact streached away for
many mile to the south. Below the
summit all was cleared to the banks of the
river.
A few wings were also mingled with va
rious tory groups, and they were easily to
be distinguished from the friends of the
king, for they looked gloomy and discon-
tented, and talked in whispers, whilst their
opponents seemed to regard it as a gala
day-one that every good Ioyaists ought
to respect. The wings were unarmed to
all appearances, yet any one at al' acqualn-
ted with human passions; would have told
readily, that they we're prepared for some
undertaking which willed no good to their
opposers.
A rough, demonstrated gallows was de-
clared to be in state of readiness, little
past noon. Some twenty of the Tory's
Guard, were stationed around it, immed-
atey on completion, TO prevent its desrnc-
ton by the wings, who openly threatened
it. The remainder of Van Loans troop,
we're stationed around the inn, where
Mervale was confined.
Slowly to the expectant tories, but quickly
to Mervale did the day wear away. His
mind was in so perturbed a state that he
found it impossible to concert any con-
gruous plan, for hestilI determined to make
desperate effort to escape, or at the
worst he was determined to die by other
process than hanging. He was fully de-
termined that al least one tory should pay
for his life, and he determined that if such
a thing could be brought about, that one
should be Van Loan.
An hour before the setting of the sun,
one of his captors entered his room, and
bid him prepare 10 march Immediately tc
the place of execution. Mervale obeyed
and when he emerged from the inn, the
armed tories filed into square leaving hin
in the centre, and then led by Van Loan
bent their steps slowly TO the little hill ,upor
which the gallows was erected A large
concourse had collected here, to wines:
the approach Of the condemned. A pass
age was cleared by the guards on the arri,