The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-08-29

boosted freedoml They dared to think for them.
selves, and to act out their thoughts, as hold
every true man should do, else he is unworthy Of
the name,p replied the excited youth.
"Well, well, lad, | can't say but what you may
be right but IL takes longer head than mine
to see through these things said the uncle
thoughtfully
/. g And what is it you wish for-what is it you
crave, cousin Isaac 81 said the dove-eyed Dorcas
| looking up from her knitting
He gaxed at her full second, before he replied
not daring or not caring to utter in that presence
the one sweet name that rose to his lips; then
reading, in her downcast eyes and glowing cheek
| that she partly comprehended his hesitation, he
| said 'tEt
"Fame Dorcasl would be star among my
fellow Sasn nos;l ne continued, earnestly, catch
ing the reprovipg eye of his aunt, from a self
ish ambition not TO set myself above them, dis
claiming all fellowship or sympathy with them
but to guide them in the midst of darkness and
trouble, to raise them to higher and purer life
When Mr.. Pierson tells us, as he sometimes does
Of the famous men that lie buried in Westmin
ster Abbey, and how, as boy, he used to wander
among shoir mon ments and muse on their LOFTY
deeds, feel their spirit strong within me. too
have destiny to achieve. | will make myself ,
| monument in the hearts of my countrymen, 81
that long after my death in all times Of troubl,
and danger, men shall tnrn TO my memory al
| sailors turn to the polar star care not WHERE
| die, or where my body lies but | would no
have my name forgotten upon EARTH
81 shall never forget one loved, i" said Dorcas
sadly
"No, child, and there is no harm, as see, il
| the lad wish TO be remembered. It's material Il
| us all ! myself should feel kinder bad, if
| thought, after am dead, none of you would take
the trouble to put up decent stone with my
name and verse Of Scripture or 80 on it, to LEI
81 80 sjAe-a u" '-~sa n~-'-sA4asn.. BY
the bye, Isaac, did tell you we have set off the
green sloping field between the meeting house
J aud the river for . burial ground ~ 49,.
she; but they told me so in the village, as
came along; and stopped a moment, and won.
| dered who would be laid there frstn
20 So | ask myself every Sabbath" said Dorcas
al guess know" said one of the curled heads
| at the other end of the settle. "Old Goodman
| Barker. heard Deacon Barnes tell father, the
| other day that he was most gone"
Nathan, Nathan ~ said the mother, reprov-
"Who is it wants a gravestonep asked the old
| grandame, suddenly rousing up "Now | think
Of 1t, David" she went on, without waiting for
| reply to her query, "you be sure and see that
| Job Ritton puts on to mine, Abigail, relict OF
Samuel Allen-not consort, but reliot just it is
on olu MADAM EatonS stone"
| Here Esther Allen interrupted the somewhat
| lugubrious tone OF the conversation, by taking
| the younger children and the not less childish
grandmother to their beds; after which, the
others drew closer round the FIRE, and sat chat.
ting cheerfully until the hour-glass On the shell
| had maSked the tenth hour since high noon-un.
usually late for them, but then lsaacs visits were
| very rare, and he was ever q favorite with his
simple hearted relations
From his childhood, Isaac's character had been
marked by lofty ambition. Though that mind
which took in not only the present, but the future
as its field of action, must necessarily be widely
different in its inner life from those of his more
contented plsymates and friends yet he possessed
| a generosity of character and winning kindness
of manner that readily disarmed envy, and rem.
dered him not unworthy of the place he held in
| their hearts
| Even the sternest of his fathers old friends
| and neighbors, though they sometimes shook their
heads very grsvely at what they termed his car
nal PRIDE" and new-fsngled notions" liked &c
hear him talk, for there was kind Of charm
even 20 them, in the earnest enthusissm thai
marked all his words
We need hardly say how much he was to his
widowed mother and brother Sam. He was very
young at the time of his fathers death and a,
Sam was several years his senior, he regarded him
| with something like the mingled love of father
and brother. Sam was the reverse of bis brother
| in many things: he had none Of his lofty aspira
tons; he cared little for the world, the wordt
opinion; but he had all his good humor and
buoysnt spirits; and if he was proud Of any
thing, it was Isaac
| He was wont to boast that he brought him up
and there wasn't another lad in the whole town.
! ship that could manage wild colt, swing scythe
/ or chop into tree, quite as slick as Isaac; and
during his short vacations there was always a trial
of skill between them in all sorts of labor common
to the season. In good sooth, their uncle Allen
| whose good nature made him favorite with them
had some reason for calling them "couple Of
| bragsn
| The next morning, after the early breakfast
was over, the chapter read, and the prayer Offer
ed, in the house Of David Allen, Isaac started
for his home, which lay about a mile and halt
distant saying, in answer to their entreaties for
him to abide with them longer, that he had prom
Used Sam to 90 on to the Hill with him that day,
to cut the great oak that stood on the edge Of a
deep gorge, known to this day as the Great
Cuff
"lf you want to see what Sam and can do,
uncle David just come along about ten o'clock,
and you shall hear crash" he added, gaiiy.
"Aye, am going along up that wy myself,
| by and bye; and may be I'll stop and lend you
hand. You'll get tired ont by that time, dare
say,p replied the uncle, in the same jocular tone
~Pray be careful, lssao," said Dorcas, "you
and Sam are 80 headlong when you get together"
"Never fear for us, Dorcas," cried the youth,
as be passed through the gate.
"Yet it's pesky bad spot TO fall tree in, lad, D
called David Allen after him. =" Be careful, or
you will have it at the bottom Of the Gulf before
you thinkw
AYE, aye, sir" came ringing back through the
| clear frosty air
In about an hour, David Allen had drained his
mug of Fingered cider, drawn on bis mittens, and
standing braced out upon the beam OF his sled
something after the fashion Of the Colossus al
Rhodes, drove of 10 the clearing he was making
in the vicinity Of the Gulf The hearth wa
swept, the old grandsme placed In the warm cor
ner, the wheels of the mother and daughter drawn
forth, and piled with busy hands and feet, while
the somewhat strict discipline, which had beer
slightly relaxed during isaac's visit was AGAR
put in force over the younger children. The two
eldest were seated square butts Of trees, which
served for stools Smelling the bright kernels o
the Indian corn into large wooden tub that stood
between them, while the two little ones built cob
houses on the floor In imitation Of the leaning
tower of Bologna.
Their voices mingled right pleasantly with thu
buzzing murmur of the wheels and the monoto
nous dripping Of the melting snow from the caves
aud the whole room was In cheerful contrast Il
the icy winter without.
Neither the mother nor the daughter seemed II
very garrulous mood, though they OCCASIONAL!
exchanged word about some household affair
and once or twice spoke Of Isaac and his ambition
dreams. Thus the hours passed on the shado'
on the window sill had almost receded TO the noon
mark, when the old grandmother suddenly rouse'
herself, and, looking eagerly round, asked, In he
shrill, tremulous tones
where's Isaacl Where's Nabby's boy n
Isaac went home before you were up, mother,
returned Esther Allen.
"Ah, we'll didn't know what mightnt hap
pened to him. Wasn't he talking about shroud