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


you know. well-a-day, this happened long
time ago, before left home and came over here
with your gran'thr, r. spose Leah and Submit
and they are all gone before this time. Your
gran'threr and Submit were kinder cousins"
"Don't you think grandmother more Eighty
than usual to-day, mother7n said Dorcas, upon
whom the old danes words seemed to make a
painful impression, as she rose and walked to the
window.
aShe was up later than common last night, and
little puts her out returned the mother, as she
left the room for distaf of fax.
As she again entered the room, Dorcas turned
towards her an ashen face, crying, as she pointed
TO the street
"Oh, mother, mother! He is dead knew
il would be SO have felt it all the morning p and
the good womsn's cheek turned scarcely less pale,
as she saw her husband and Sam lift human
body from their sled, and bear it towards the
house.
alt is Isaac--Isaac, mother cried the trem-
bling girl, clinging to her for support, while the
little ones, frightened by her cries, fed to the
the same shelter.
"What's all this pother about Isaac 2' said the
old grandsme, ENORMOUSLY. Why do you cry for
him2 He's to be minister, idTaed gospel min
ister. File, child, such 'skiogs on are unmsldenly
and improper
But Dorcas heard her not her eyes were fixed
on the door, through which her father and cousin
soon entered with uneven steps, and bore their
burden to bed that occupied one corner Of the
| spacious room. There was no need to gaze upon
that mangled face, to tell who the victim was
one glance at the faces Of David Allen and his
nephew was sufficient
They gathered around that bed in silence, un-
broken for some moments by sobs or groans. The
suddenness of the blow had stunned them. Sans
voice was the first to break the fearful spell.
"Oh, my mother-my poor motherp he groaned,
as he stopped his head upon his aunt Esther's
shoulder and wept like a child
We will not NStsp0t 70 describe the agony Of
that hour--we cannoC paint the grief that ike a
gloomy night shut so suddenly down upon the
hearts of those stricken ones extending ere night
fail its dim shadow over TIE whole settlement
we need not, for there are few amoBg those who
will read this sketch, over whose threshold the
invisible footsteps of Death have not passed
Two days after, the body of the young student,
followed by almost every family in the settlement
was borne along the winding forest path to the
recently erected house of public worship. After
a brief but touching address by the young pastor,
it was again borne out and laid down in the grave
His destiny was accomplished-his yearning wish
realized-but, oh, how differently from what he
had dreamed His name is still held in remem-
brance among us, hut not for wisdom, or power, or
deeds of high emprise-but, as the first tenant Of
our village graveyard. Even to this day we
point to his mossgrown maidstone, and read,
Isaac B., 1922
NoTE.--Lest the above date should mislead
people as to the antiquity Of our village and thus
give offence to that venerable person. our oldest
inhabitant, I'VE would say, that although the set
tiers the southern portion Of the grant of
early organised church and erected house of
public worship, yet the inhabitants of these wild
northern regions, owing to their sparseness, were
without separate ecclesiastical organization un-
til 1924. Thus for the space of more than half q
century, they were in the habit of going some six
eight, and ten miles, on the Sabbath, to mingle
their prayers and hear the preaching of the Word
with their brethren of the southern settlement