The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-08-15

and to their influence perhaps may be traced his
fate as man. He was bright gentle affection
ate boy, little more thoughtful than is usual for
children Of his age, owing to the solitary life he
led with his old nurse for they saw no company,
save when some farmer CHANGED to call to see
some very choice specimen of grain, or some poor
debtor, whose Encouragement or misfortunes had
given the old miller claim upon his property
How long his father would have kept him at
home, with no teacher save his old nurse, IL the
boy himself had not expressed wish to 20 to
school, we cannot say. But all through the pleas
ant spring days the child had seen tall, spare
rSsasri, reading rfssss grrf aoods sns own sire,
come along the Winding cart-nsth which led
through the woods until they reached pair GO
bars by the road side. Here sss~r A@~,sins the
little girl over and placing gaily oolOred basket
in her hand, the woman left her, and retraced her
path through the woods, after turning to mark
the progress Of the child as she moved down the
green lane And at about the same hour in the
afternoon, when the shadows began to lengthen,
tie little g.rl tripping up the lane swinging
her basket in her hand, and was met, either by
the pale-faced woman, or a white-hsired old man.
Isaac was very curious about these people, and
Widow Barker told him that the child was Mercy
Ward, on her way to school and that she lived
with her mother and grandfather at the distance
of more than mile on the other side of the woods
And an old rickety looking place enough it is
now,n she added, more to herself than the child,
"though mind me of the time when the Wards
held their heads as high as anybody; though for
that matter can't say but they do now; for old
Captain Adam Ward has pride enough himself
for ten generationsD
Widow Barker was no great friend Of schools
she thsss@ss. .c-;-c:.' accs-1ng ,Hs's
hanging, to shut children up all day to pore over
books, er1 az Issaa t.:s 80 sp bis idse from
her, he heartily pited the little girl and thought
she had much better stay and play with him He
longed to tell her so, but he was a shy boy, and
contented himself with watching her morning and
evening, as she skipped along by the side of her
mother, or with more demure manner tried to
to make her uneven steps correspond to the regu-
lar pace Of her grandfather. 1t sometimes hap
pened that she arrived at the bars some moments
before her friends came to meet her, and on one
Of these occasions, Isaac, who had been gathering
rsspberries along the fence, ventured to approach
her, and holding up the purple fruit strung after
q primitive fashion, taught him by Grannie Bark
or" on a long spire Of herds-grsss, offered to
share it with her, The offer was readily accepted,
and when Jane Ward came to meet her child, she
found her seated on slarge fiat stone by the side of
Miller Jsd's boy, her lips and fingers stained to
deep crimson by the rich fruit grsvely striving
to overcome his prejudice against schools. Isaac
stood on the spot, Watching them until the trees
hid them from his sight then he walked thought
fully into the hous e, and to the CONSERVATION of
Mrs. Barker, declared he was going to school
Stories of cruel teachers, of great, reckless boys,
Of perils by the wayside, made no impression upon
him, and the old woman, declaring it to be hf
honest belief that the child was possessed ap-
pealed to his father. The miller seemed struck
with the idea, and said the child must know some
thing about reading writing, and arithmetic to get
along in the world, aud night we'll begun si<,.,
Again the old woman brought up her fears, and,
when she went on to speak Of the possibility Of the
childs being gored to death by some vicious ami
NAL in the street. he involuntarily glanced towards
the corner of the room where the dead body Of
his wife had lain, and said hastily, that she could
ask old Wards granddaughter to call for him
every day. What protection there could be in the
presence of little Mercy Ward, Miller Jed would
have found it difficult to tell possibly, even his
hard, selfish nature felt the power of innocence