The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-06-01

time and my imagination being hfamed by the
common curiosity took some trouble and attend.
ed. But although my eyes witnessed the extra.
ordinary scene, may well despair of the under
taking to paint 1.-THE pen Of Homer or the pen
ril Of llogrtll were alone adequate To tie subj
mhy and burlcsque Of the complicated task !
may only sketch the angular outlines,
A space had been cleared AWAY Immediately
around the magnificent Double Spring, Which boil
cd up with force sufficient to turn mill-whccl. in
| the very centre Of the evergreen grove Hero a
pulpit had been raised aud before it was the in
,eparable altar fer moumers Beyond these at a
distance Of fifty paccs, succession Of plank t,,-
blcs extended in a great circle, or the pcrimctcr
of poygon completely enclosing the area a
bunt the spring An odorii rous steam Of most
delicious SAVIOR difyuscd itself through the air;
this was from the pits in the adjacent prairie,
where the fifty slaves Of Peter Crimson were en-
gagged in cooking the promised barbecue
'rlrc grove itself was literally alive teehlins,
swarnng, running over with strange figure. in
the human shape, men, women, and children, in
every variety Of outandi,h costume All Shel.
! by county was there. The hunters had come, ri
fie' in hand, and dogr barking at their heels; the
rogues, refugees and gamblers, with pistols in
their belts, and biz knives pecpng from their shirt
bosoms, while here and there might be seen ~
7
wives and daughters
! The tumult was dcafcning; a tornado Of bah
bling tongues, talking, shouting, quarrcluc, bet.
ting, and cursug for amusement suddenly IL
cry arose Col. Watt Focman" And the crowd
parted to the right and left to let the lion Lynch,
er pass.
turned TO the advancing loai.stdr Of all eyes,
and shuddercd inyouutarily at the dcyili.l com,
tcnance which met my glance and vet the fra,
lures were not only youthful but emincntly hand.
some the lileousucss lay in the look, full Of say.
age iirc-fcrOcuus murlerous Il twas in the rad
dish yellow eye-balls with anowy pupils that
seemed to flash jets Of lurid flame the Tin snccr.
ing lips with their everlasting icy smile. As to
the rest he was tall, athletic very powerful man.
Lis train, a dcZan armed de-prrllocs followed
him
Focman spoke in u voice sharp. piercing H. tie
point Of 4 dagger Ia. briuson, where is tic new
missionary we want to give hm plunlcd coat
He has not yet arrived, replied the planter
We'll suppose we must wait for him; but put
the barbecue on the boards; | am hungry Us 4
starved wolf
i cannot till the missionary comes the barba.
cue is his property
y fearful light blazed in Foemans ewes. rs lie
took three steps towards Brnson and fairly shou
own stomach with q dinner Of lead and steel
lhi. was the uitimat,m Of one whose mlori.
Is was the only law, and the ltutcr obryed with
out q murmur. The smoking yianls wcre arrlu.
gcd on the table by n score Of slaves and the
throng prepared to commence the s;imptuous
meal, when voice pcaled from the pulpit loud
rs the blast Of n trumpet IN battle: stay, gentle
and ladies, till the giycr Of the barbecue asks
Gods blessugp
Every heart started, every eve was directed to
the speaker; and whispcrle.s silence ensucd, for
all aliko were struck by his remarkable appear.
: ancc. He was almost giant in stature, though
scarcely twenty years Of age; his hair, dark as
/ the ravens wing flowed down lis immense shoul
ders IN masses Of natural linglcts, more becutitu
than any ever wreathad around the iewellcd brow
OF queen by the labored achievements Of huma,
art; his eyes, black as midnight, Icamcd like
stars over face pale Us Paran marble, calm
passionless, spiritual, and wearing Il singular. IN
definable expression, such as might have beer
shed 10y the light of dream from Paradise ol
the luminous shadow OF IN angels wing The
heterogeneous crowd, hunters galublcrs, hum
cidcs, gazed in mute astOnshwcnt
The missionary prayed; but it sounded like NJ
other prayer ever addressed to The throne Of III,
Almighty. 1t contained no cucomums on IT,,
splendor Of the divine attributes; no petition, il
the tone Of commands; no orsnls for distant pla
ces times, or objects and no implied instructions
as TO the administration of the government of th,
universe 1t related exclusively to the presen
people and the present hour; il was the cry of {
naked soul, and that soul bcgglr for the Urea,
aud water Of heavenly life
He ceased, and not till tl.cu did Iberomc con
scious Of weeping. looked around through my
tears, and saw n hundred f,ccs We; rs with rain
Now, my flends" said tha missionary, partak,
cf Gods gifts at the table, and then come aud 81,
down and listen to bis Gospel
1t would be impossible to describe The swec.
toue Of kindness in which these simple words were
uttered that made him on the instant five hrinl
red friends One heart, however, in the assembly
was maddened by the evidences of the preacher
wonderful power Col. Watt Toemln, exclaimed
I in sneerins voice Mr. Paul Denton, your rcrey.
eacc has lied You promised Us not only good
barbecue, but better liquor. Where is the liquor
There answered the missionary in tones OF
thunder, and pointing his motiunless finger ut the
matchlcss Double Spring, gushing up in two
strong columns, with sound like u shout If joy
from the bosom Of the earth, There" he repeated
with look terrible rs lightning, Willie his enemy
actually tremblcd ON his feet, there is the liquor
which God the Eternal, brews for all his childrct
! Not in the simmcring still, over smoky fires
chokCd with poisonousg gnsscs, and surrounded with
the stencil oi slcknng odors and rank corruption
doth your Father in Heaven prepare the precious
essence Of Iife--,hc pure, cold water But in the
green glade and grassy dell, where the red deer
waudcrs, ard the ohild loves 10 play, there God
| himself brcws it; and down, low down in the
deepest valleys, where tic fountains murmur and
the ris sing and high up On the tall mountain
tops where the naked granite glitters like gold in
/ the scu where tue storm cloud broods and the
thunder tones crash, md away far out on the
wide, wild seat. where the hurricane howl1 music
and the big waves roar the chorus, sweeping the
march Of God'--therc lie brcws il. that Leverage
of life, health giving water And every where II
/ il u thing Of Notwithstanding IN the dcw.drop
singing in the summer RAIN; shining in the ice
GEM till the trees all seemed turned To- living lew
cIs-spreading golden veil over the setting sun
OF white gauzc around the midnight moon, spor
ting in the cataract, sleeping in the glacier. dane
I lug in the hail shower; folding It's bright snow
curtains softly about the wntry world, and vea
wing the many colored iris, that seiuph's zone o
the sky, whose warp is the rain drop Of earth
whose wooi is the sunbeam OF heaven, NIL chcgucr
ed ocr with celestial flowers, by the mystic hand
of rcfraction. Still always il IS bcau'i'ul--ihat
blr'scd lilo water, No poison bubbles on ITS
brink lis iunm brings not madness ana murder
no blood stains IL liquid glass pale widows and