Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1845-07-17

of whom j have before told you, who
has so often accosted and annoyed me
lin his prowlings about Wilmington d /
have, not yet mentioned these things to
my yfather, least they might increase his
solicitude. None had Witnessed him
but myself npursuanceofa threat
and an oath, which he l6rced me to
hear, he has discovered the secret of
all my walks and journey with my fa-
ther. and has followed me from VII
mingtoh to Nazareth ] hither He avoids
pie bY day, YET hunts me III the dark
ness like an evl and mysterious spirit;
The turks about our dwelling in country
and in town, and sometimes pulls away
THE vines from my window, to gaze
upon me with the indiscribable hideous-
nessof a fierce eye and talks of"pas-
sions." "Yet," she added,."I do not
fear him: | trust in that power which
doth all things we'll, and my fears are
resolved into praise for the past good
ness of God" 'ia airt@5s7 7aili2. 'a"
There was blending Of disguised
fear in the deep flow Of youthful afiec-
tion, in the separation ofthe maid from
her uncle, which ordinary, occasions
would by no means have excited. Her
father bade her uncle farewell with a
manly and digni6ed coolness, be6tting
one who in the course Of war then pro-
crossing, had executed many signal and
cnnobling exploits. 1t was a period
when the storms of the revolution were
gathering darkly in all quarters of the
horizon. The winged fleets of the en-
emies offreedom were buoyed upon the
waters ofthe Chesapeake,th the Delaware,
and the Elk; and the thunders on the
field ofBrandy wine had scarcely ceased
to vibrate over the fair regions around.
The father of Juliette Perclval had
been for long time an officer under
Colonel Stewart. Hehad been advan-
,ageously engaged with the troops Of
Sir William How of Brandywine; and
for the purpose Of conveying his young
daughter Nazareth from Wilmington,
then small hamlet about half league
from the Delaware, he had obtained
General Washington's leave Of absence
from the army for three days. b. u
The emotions of the father and his
child, as they proceeded out of the city
to the north, were of a different, though
equally sober kind. Captain Percival
was pondering on the situation of a
beloved country, and family whose
existence was dearer than his own.
On whatsoever side he turned his eye,
the land was endangered. To the
South the smoke of the recent battle
seemed almost to hang over the blue
highlands of Christienne; Philadelphia
was in peril and the enemy was near.
Congress was on the point Of penetra'
ting farther into the west where they
could deliberate together without an
apprehension that their debates would
suddenly be broken up by the thrill OF
martial trumpets, or the clash of oppo-
sing swords. 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
in fields then ready for the harvest;
and massacre the inhabitants by the
light Of their blazing dwellings. Ju-
liette sat with her eyes fixed thought
fully upon the landscape over which
they were journeying. The scene
was beautiful. As the city and its sab
urban trees faded from their vew, the
road rounded ina graceful and contin-
1uous stretch along the western shore o1
the Delaware. The sun had descend.
ed, and the moon touched the river
with an inconstant shower of silver
shedding an uncertain light on their
way. A silence eus,ed between the
travellers, as if the spirit of the scene
which surrounded them was impressed
upon each. By degrees yielding te
the enquiries Of the father, who ques-
toned her respecting her sadness and
silence, the gentle Juiette disclosed
the history of the surveillance Of the
/ Hessian, the threats Of constancy ir
pursuing her which he had made, and
the fears which his menace had ava
1kened.-She confessed, that, full Q
forebodings, she had written to Leslie
who having been wounded only few
| days before, was lying i'll at Chester
He had returned a most tender ane
lafectionate answer, inploring her (
lbe prudent and promising that he should
not proceed 10 Nazareth until his re
storation, during which period he hopet
toact as her defender, .g. /,
The next evening found the travel
Hers in The borough Of Easton on tn
Delaware. At that period the >plac'
was diminutive and Of little importance
consisting only Of a few scattere,
dwellings, of various aspects and di-
/. & a' 54