Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-03-20

sons into that vortex Of temptation, where
respectable men coolly, deliberately, and for
a very slight compensation, deal out poison
to their fellows not iguorantly, o no-but
after having demonstrated its nature aud ef-
fects upon the human system. A victim of
this murderous cupidity, O'Brien was beeom-
ing out Of doors what is termed a "rowdy,"
while in his own family he seemed little
changed. He was an excellent mechanic,
and though he worked irregularly, his earn-
iAgs suliced to supply the simple wants of a
small family. Mary O'Brien, noting the in
creased irritability Of her husbands temper,
added to her own patience and eqnanimity,
while she SO far concealed his faults from
Nora, that she treated him with all confidence
and affection due to the best Of fathers. She
had entered her thirteenth year. Her con-
tinued flial piety added lustro to her other
charms in the eyes of parents, while the
children loved her for the same reason that
they loved the sunshine and flowers.
In the autumn Of 1928, the farmers of N
decided that there must be a squirrel hunt
:" squirrel hunt ~ exclaims some modern
schocl-boy, "what can that be :" | will try
to describe it. 1t often happens that when
the Indian corn begins to ripen, that long be-
fore it is fit for the granary of the farmer, that
the provident squirrel family commence gath
ering their winters store. The farmer deems
their conduct objectionable. He frets and
fumes while these industrious little people,
day by day, fill their sack-like cheeks with
the golden grains, and away over fence and
field, deposite them in their tiny store rooms.
What is to be done? A council Of war is
called, at which the farmers preside. "These
aggressors," say they, " must be punished,
the wrong ledressed, our dignity sustained"
or else these squirrels, because they can run
the fastest, might think themselves the larg-
est and the bravest people. "Come, let $
fight them, let s kill them," exclaim these
friends of national honor, the lovers of sport,
of glory and revenge. Hostilities being de-
termined upon, a day is set for the attack,
companies formed, and preparations for a
good supper for the victors duly made, A
day or two intervenes, in which all the old
firearms are summoned from their repose, bur-
nished and put in readiness for the coming
action. The earliest dawn of the appointed
day reveals parties of men and boys in hos
tile array, securing the country in every di-
rection. The sharp note of the rifle soon re-
sounds through all the green chambers of
the forest.
1t was at the close of a days sport COM
menced in this manner, that James O'Brien
got into a dispute about some trifing matter,
with a Dutchman named Vceder. O'Brien
had drank enough to make him furious, while
Veeder was indebted to his %favorite beer for
a large share Of his s;ubbcrnness and stupid
ity. The dispute ran high: O'Brien seized
his rifle, Che had been shooting all day.) his
finger touched the trigger poor Veeder fell
hteless. All eyes were now turned to the
scene. Men of ordinary sensibility stood
petrihed. O'Brien pressed his hand against
his burning forehead, as if to determine what
he had done; until a gentleman presiding in
one corner Of the room, behind a few rows of
shelving, garnished with an array of bright
glass bottles, called out, Seize him, seize
the murderer" Poor James O'Brlen was
accordingly hurried away to the county seat,
duly deposited in Jail, and there left to his
own reflections. The news of James o.
Brien's crime and confinement spread through
the neiglrsorhood with characteristic rapidly.
But among all the lovers of the horrible,
there was not ono Of sufficient nerve to ap-
prise Mrs. O'Brien and her daughter of their
dread calamity. The next morning Miss
Huldah was selected as the most suitable
person to perform this unpleasant duty. She
therefore broke the news to them as gently
as the case admitted. Mrs. O'Brien. being a
proficient in the school Of endurance, bore
the intelligence better than had been expect
While 10 Nora, the shock was doubly
severe, revealing the extent of her fathers
dissipation with its awful close.
The first wild paroxysm of grief being
passed, her fine constitution and grateful
spirits enabled her to rally, and ia a few
days she resumed her place in school, and
seemed to study with her usual interest
But the bright rose color had left her cheek,
and her glad laugh no longer enlivened our
sports. The scholars manifested the deepest
sympathy for her, though they never men
toned the cause of her sorrow. There was
the kindly greeting, the waving of rights
and privileges in her behalf, among those of
" age while the little ones divided
with her their treasure of nuts and apples.
Nora was at school, as usual, on the day
OF her fathers trial. AS the day waned her
lace became expressive of the deepest ankle
~. Ii happened that l walked home with
n era that evening-it was mid-winte'. This
last rays of the sun fingered upon the snow
clad hills. Just as we reached Deacon Jones'
house, a sleigh, in which was seated the
good deacon and several of his neighbors,
up from the opposite direction, and
drove into the farm-yard. The thought pain
July struck me that they had just returned
rom attending the trial, but hoped that Nora
lid not SO understand it. We passed. the
a few rods, when Nora stopped sud-
and turning to me, said, Helen,
hose men are just from l.. They must
inow the result of my fathers trial. Do,
Helen, go In and find out all about ii, for
dying of suspense. Do go, that's a kind,
good girl, and l will stay here" So shifting
he action to the word, she threw herself up
m a snow bank that formed a graceful slope
rom the fence to the path where we were
standing. To the excuse which l offered,