Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-09-11

sitting in one corner, a man who. from his dress
AMI appearance, appeared one of the many Poles
who hal taken refuge in the United States
Quiet, unobtrusive, and silent, he joined neither
in the song nor the maddcning games which
served to murder tima; bnt with a modest glas
before him, which remained almost untouched
intnrfered with no one. Atlength n fellow cali
ID on him to ioin the comanv, and be soci tble
The Pole. with a mild bow. that snemad to speak
his sorrow at his situation, replied that he n oyer
drank or gamblcd. TIE fellow, irritated a.
what he chose to consider a cover: sheer. won'f
have qnarrclled with tn, old m,n: but Ben in
~terfrr,d, and declared that, before the Pole
should be injured, they must take his llte.-
There was q fire in the s1natter's eve that silenc-
ed the bully, and the Pole re,n,inad unn,lested
BIT time pissed, an Den drank deep an played
deep: and on retiring TO bed, money, rifle. and
everything but the most necessary articles OF
clothing, had changed owners.
Morning can,, and the boriarer felt that his
expedition in search Of a wife had had n bad be-
ginning. There was something, he was sure.
radically wrong but. before he could arrive at
any satisfactory conclusion as to where the err
ror lay, his companions had Joined him. and
without much difficulty persuaded him to endea-
vor a redemption of his evil fortune. To spare
ourselves the pain of n~arrating the fall of our
hero, we may at once state that, at the end of a
forth ght, he had become an accomplished specl-
/ men of a Southern l%oafer. as oilers are called in
the United States. One afternoon, at the eXpi-
ration of this time, reduced to beggiry. without
the arms which might supply him with food, Ben
walked through the well-laid-out town of Little
Rock in search of the refreshing influence of the
open air. But he was no longer the sturdy
backwoodsman, who could fell an OK, AMI eat
him too. in no very consid cradle period; and As
he strollcd along. he grew faint and weary
Looking round for a shady spot where to rest his
eaSily-fttiguel limbs. the slultter discover a
pile of logs. close by an uninhlbited house. and
opposite toone which was occupied. 1t was ad.
vancing towards evening. and Ben was here
about to give way to the gentle influence of the
hour, and Clll into a deep sleep, while nature
was yelling her beauties for the night. when hi
eye accidentally wandered to a window opposite
at which sat at work a young and lovely girl
the very being. it seemed of wlichh he had dream
when seated on his old stump opposite the hui
reared with his own hands. Ben rose to a sitting
posture. and scarcely daring to breathe, lest hC
should scare the beautiful vision, gized upor
her with delight and admiration. Her feminine
occupation wholly absorbed her attention ant
for some time the squatter enjoyed the pleasure
OF seeing such a creature as he felt would m IKE
the woods more delightful than the famed earth
~ paradise of ancient days. Suddenly the doo
of the house opened, and tho Pole coming out
advanced rapidly towardsour hero,
My good friend he said, allow me to thanl
you for the generous mlnncr in which you late
" interlercd to save M from insult. was tina
night housclcSs. and forcedto take shelter w!ler,
could, and Unfortunately did so at the boarding
house, where | escaped in Jury only through You
Kindness"
During the delivery of this speech, Ben ha'
! remained with open mouth staring at the inter
locutor, and b~lualing like a girl fresh from {
bparding-sclool. Decidedly there was good il
Ben at bottom. When the Pole concluded. h,
muttcrcd some incohcrent words, at which thu
other smiled, and invited him to follow him int
the house. The young man arose, As it were il
"A dream, and walked behind the stranger withou
saying a word. To his surprise and confusion
the old mn led him into the very room occu
pied by the young girl, to whom he was introduc
ed as the bold youth who had perhaps saved he
fathers life on a late occasion. While Ben wa
overwhelmed with varied feelings, the daughte
of the old Polish officer rose, and welcomed hin
with the most unaffected kindness and bctor
half an hour was over, the rude sqnattcr Wa
seated at the evening meal of his new friends
who. though poor, had still more than absolut
necessarics. Encouraged by the friendly hos
pitality Of the European tugitives, Ben at length
partly to cxtenuatc his own lat, acts, frantl
told his story. The m,nner of the old man
hitherto kind, bat a little protective, became cor
dial and plea .cd. When the sluatter told hoy
h. had, after two years thought, come to tn
sudden conclusion that II wife, and in due tim
a funIly, would W ,nicrfully e%nliven his rud
log hut, the diug tier was inciinad TO lluIl bl
IA L,llce at tle d 'e,ly moved youn IN IN, ats,
titt g,istcncd in his eve, the look Of noreles
ulntritnD that I. cast unnp hnr-pii rp 4 IA NJ
tls l,eling, All Emily Diraski scare lily sp,k
an ,th,r wJrl tIIt evening. Som, III liter 1
deep m1n,lt appeared to elgig, her whol
tIpIglts.
Wlcn the young mn Ind c,nclulcl, ColonC
DlriSki-tJr sI:h was tls titacr's IA -rost
and gDinI to another room, presently rcturnc
with "A magnificent rifle, AL all tn, nrceSsar
appurtcnanccs. Th,se h, laid be- sd, Ben
young man." said he, you have erred grie,
ously bat a steady resolution to act honorabl
will restore the greatest cvil-loer to society,"
Without arms, you are powerless in the wood
Take these but, as | am a poor mn, | max
this reservdtion-you must make over to IN
your farm, and you must not 90 near it for tire
III ,nths. If, at the expiration If that period, 70
can pay me for this rifle, | restore YOU you
home; if not, it is mine forever Ben, undo
the influence of the daughters beauty agreed I
AMI signed everything and an hour atterwdrd
left the house Il rifle and its accoutrcm ,nts til
richer, but, unless he could raise II hundred do
lars, forever deprived of his hard-carned HON
But Ben hoped. There were buffalo, bears, an
other Wild animils in the woods whose Skin
were valuable and the blckwoodsmln resolve
to earn the rifle, and preserve at the same tin
his farm and VINO knows wnat ambitious view
were behind!
Distrusting his own powers of resistance, BE
Smith left Lltle Rock behind him at once NJ
/, did he pause until he had placed it ten goc
miles behind him. liz then found himself
/, the very tnick OF "a virgin forest, with deep dirl
ness settled over all nitlre. With the circun
stances, returned all Ben's wool-cratt and 10Y
t Gus love OF "A night beneath the blue sky, alor
amid the overha nging scyan )res, OAKS, al
beech. To collect wood, to IN Ike 5 roaring tir
and to spit a wild turkey, shot while roostini
= was the work Of a very short tins and tne
, the young man sat down to await the tins was
/. his evening meal should be ready. His tr
thoughts took an unlucky direction. lie reco
: lected that, on the previous nigIt, instead Of b
, ing alone, he was rlotlng AMID excited and a.
/, PLEADING companions, and from the habit OF sue
false exclteneat, he now felt low-splrited, al
/; without hope. From being gloomy his though
, became evil. On his pale lace, as tie iicaer
t the blazing logs illumined it, one might na,
t read the struggle OF strong and angry passion
/, lie gazed VITA admiration at the beautiful Ri
a - r., a., t,It th,t ha ,nulI nauar a = an,