Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-05-14
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the American Union.
THE DEAD SHOT.
A STORY OF PIONEER LIFE.

By LUCY LINWoop.
The crispy Autumnal air had begun to color the
foliage of the forests, and the green leaves were
but scarcely scattered upon the boughs Of the
trees A myriad Of gay hues decked the woods,
but the atmosphere was raw and chilly, except at
noon day--and yet the lover Of nature who chan
ced to be abroad, might readily find enough of the
beautiful to while away an hour in raptures, in
gazing at the fading, but still gorgeous loneliness Of
the scene where our sketch oI ems.
Ii was in the year 1910, before any settlement
of consequence had been made in Ohio, that
family went from New York State, to reside up
parents and two children, a son and daughter
the eldest fifteen, and the other numbering less
than halfa score years of age. The land they Sc
lected was wild but lovely spot in the Valley,
and but a few weeks elapsed, after their arrival,
ere comfortable log hut had been erected, beneath
the shadow of the forests edge-and Roger Grey
very soon cleared a respectable patch about him,
which he had sowcd with spring grain.
The region was romantic vale, and far down
to the southwark the river flowed by in majestic
silence The spot had been well chosen by Roger
for agricultural purposes but the new Corners had
been there scarcely week. ere they found that
the aeighbo1hoqd WAS often visited by wild beasts
for several sheep had been destroyed in the
night, and the hqwl Of the, Wofhad been repeated
ly htard at. a distance in the lonely evenings
the nearest neighbor Of the emigrant was one Far
mer Holland an eastern man also, where Grey's
family had remained during the erection of their
cabin, and his house was full mile distant, to the
westWard.
Mr. Holland had but one chd-a son, some
twenty years ofage, who had been brought up
kinder disposition than that Of young Wallace
could not be found in the State. His father was
one Of the original buckeye pioneers, and Wal
lace had seen and encountered all the rude treat
ment and every day hardships incident to q 20
years residence in the back woods.
But his arm was a practiced one, he had met
the willy red man in hostility, and conquered him
he had grappled with the fiery wolf, and the
huge bear Of that region, and destroyed then-he
had been accustomed to danger and peril and :oil,
from his inlancy-and he was we'll acquainted
with the troubles and turmoils of life in the
West. His old rifle and his dog Were his constant
forest without one or both of them. The stay of
Fanny Grey at the cabin of his father, though
brief, had queer effect upon Wallace. He had
rarely met with acomem in that lonely country,
and though he could not account for it after she
had left the humble dwelling which had sheltered
them, temporarily, he had a strange and longing
desire to visit her fathers cabin.
There was daily something he could do for old
MIR. Grey, some advice he could give, some handy
work hescould perform, some help he could render
to the novice in the woods, which he deemed
would prove acceptable to her father aud at almost
any time for weeks, you might have found Wal
lace at Mr.. Grey's settlement. Hea met Fanny
there and showed her a thousand novelties which
she never dreamed Of, in the vicinity; he played
with her brother Frank-whom she dearly loved
in short. he found OCCASION to pass great deal
of time at Mr. Grey's, where he performed many
good office for the father, while he enjoyed rap
lurous pleasure in the society of his pretty and
atfec,ionate daaghtes.
On "a bright afternoon, it had been their custom
oftentimes to wander away together in the woods,
or to the margin of the river Fanny was dear
lover of the picturesque, and in the towering,
massive forests-by the rim IF the gentle stream
abroad upon the hillocks-.she constantly found
some new feature, some brighter spot in nature,
than she had hitherto seen, to reward her search
and crafty her fondness for the sublime and be2u
full, until at last. familiar with the neighborhood
she could saunter away alone, or in company with
her little brother-though she had been cautioned
never to leave the cabin ont of sight in her roam
ings.
But autumn came Eight months had elapsed
since, Boyer Grey came to reside in the spot where
he had now located. himself, and as the day was
fiae Fanny venured forth rather later in the after
noon than was her wont, and with her brother
clinging to her arm, she trotted away towards a
small hill, some quarter OF a mile distant, favor
tie haunt Of hers, latterly, and quite within the
bounds of her parents restrction--for from its
summit, which she frequently climbed, she could
always see the smoke that curled from the Chin
ney Of her fathers hut. With light step and
merry heart, she fastened to the wood close by,
! and in few moments the children were out OF
sight.