Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1846-02-14

the ordinary garb Of q back wood4nnu,
there was yet an intellectually, and ever
mobility Of character in his features. which
struck me- IA. cib'y, while tha sjghiIts
orbs at once revealed the carss Of what
hid nenrly proved a fatal accident.
''Yoa aro not alone r. snid /, g'a ,cinl
tnridusly around the bi-bgs.
II am" ho said with "a smile, "quitt
alone. Bot lot me most sincerely beg
your pardon for having endangered your
Ilfs."
mo oxcusrs." said l., depositjng 'hc
YictiHb If his volley nj his f1et; bnt il
you would ~explain TO me how yon nfc
here alone, md how, being here. you nre
thus employed, you viii asstInge a very
$ rong freiiDg Of curiosity:"
with pIeasarc," lie replied, Il owe
you an explanation and bpsides," be
| continued. II believe we are cenntrymen.
and this meeting gives me true delight"
81 am mn Englighman,' | sald.
"And | am n Scofchman. In Britain
it makes US coontrymon in a strange
land It makes US brothers."
Struck BY the blind mans manner, !
loaded, prairie fashion, a couple Of corn.
cob pipes with some excellent leaf iobac-
CO, and handing him me-, seated myself
quietly by HE side. Closing his eyes,
from habit; ~ if to read the past, ho was
silent for a few moments.
"My name is C~ampbeIl,' he said at
length, without further preface, "tnd by
trade i am a cabinet maker. To begin at
the beginning. When | was twenty, and
that ia not ST. long ago MS you may think,
/ received an offer to 90 to New York.
| was engaged to b. married 10 a sweet
cousin Of nine. Poor Ellen could not
20 without her, and yet II was, by sad,
oWre young to marry. Still the offer
wns good, and rather than | should lose
the opportunity nf advancing myself,
they all consented it should be "a wedding.
The day after our happy union we sailed
for the far west.
eve reached New York in safety /; !
entered upon my employment with a firm
and settled determination 70 secure, VI moi
| fortune, at least competencr. Wages
were in these days very high; was n
good workman; my master had confluence
n me, and besides my wages as jour
newman, paid me a salary as his foreman
| aud. clerk. As | determined 10 lose M
opportunity Of advancement, ! kept all
his books after my regular days work
was done. saved more than half my
earnings, and was as happy, believe,
M nm industrious honest man can be
and if he, sir. cannol be happy, ! know
not who can"
"You Ore right" said / ian honest,
sober, industrious workman, with ample
employment, respected by his masters,
with a little family around him, should be
the happiest Of created beings. His wants
are all supplied, without the cares and
troubles Of wealth"
$50 ii was with me | was very hap
~. Al the end Of ten yeRrs | had say"
. a large sum, and then, and only then,
nv wife presented me with my first and
only child.
@Wih he consent, and by the advice
even Of my employers, who had my true
interests al heart, I determined to start
in business for myself but net IN Ne"
York. New Orleans was q money MAX
ing, busy place, and thither repoT d
nv success was unexpectedly great my
own workmanship was eagerly bought up
and | employed many men at the enor
mous wages Of the south. Two m'sfor-
%tnnes. however, now cIouded my felicity
both attributable | fear, 10 my drstte to-
Independence. The south did not agree
with nv wife, and ere | could restore he
TO a genial climate she died. Sir, my
sorrow was the sorrow, hone, Of a mar
and n Christian; bot | felt il sorcly
Ho only who has seen vito or child re-
moved from him BY death, can estimate
nv feelings Existence for a time wa
q blank. | worked mechanically, but n
more did her cheerful voice encourage M
labours. / ate. / drank sh. sir It wa
then I missed her; At The morning mea
at dinner, over the tea board. As NJ,
eve rested on the empty chair on the or
posite side Of my little table, | could not Sc
in it the accustomed form ; and then m.
heart seemed to turn cod, and the yer,
blood 10 cease to flow. He who has NJ
lost a wife or child, knows not real sor
rnw in This world. 1t is the scyerest trI'
man ever is put to. Well, sir, she dice
and | was left alone with a little imag
Of herself, my Ell. A gayer, hip
pier being never lived-always smiling
always singing. In time, she brougt
back some glimpse ofioy TO my soul'
"One morning | Awnke wiih a Pecul
lar sensation at my hsart-l had eangi
the yellow fever. | win not detail tn
history Of this illness. Suffice, that
was three months ere | was restored
health and then, by SOME exiraorilnar
accident, it proved that | vas blind; viii
! nv business was gone from me.
knew not what to do. You know, 81
j.. the usual course Of ruined men 10 Ne
! Orleans /; they sell off secretly, shut the
, shutters, write G T T(Gone 10 Texa'
t on the door, and are no more heard G
RutI. sir. could not do this. | was. ho'
ever, no longer fit for business !; a qut
: retreat in the woods was my best cour'
Z of proceeding. Besides my health W
shattered, and | should not have lived
+, New Orleans. Accordingly, | %contrlv'
{ to raise a thousand dollars when woui
40 nv a ccounts, and with this and a n
J, gro slave, | and my child started for Te
' as. Blind, | was moi fit to cope wi
, men, and my object, therefore, was
/ retire. as far as was consistent with safei
/, into the woods.
eight years ago l journeyed up Il
: river, and reached this very spot, Fra
r cisco, my negro, was a devoted a
faithful fellow, and worked hard, hecau
!. I was a good master TO him. We eret
a ed a hut upon yonder shore; it was
: laborious operation ; but il was at lens