The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-11-20
From Frazer's Magazine for Juna.
Something about n Murder. !
.. FOUNDED ON fAcT.

sternest old ministers that ever adhered to Cal-
vim. Yet Mr.. Comyn was thoroughly conscien-
tious III al! his views; and when he trowned, he
did il not through love of frowning, but that he
hoped by gathering cloud upon his brows, to
bring down from those eyes upon which he
irowncd such showers of repentance as refresh
and make green the soul, sin withered and sere
from the harsh and hot suns Of vice. He was,
in truth, worty and good man somewhat mar
row of mind and bigoted of creed, it may be,
but utterly incapable of committing an ungcn-
erous dishonorable action. .t9
Still, greatly as he loved his winsome daugh.
ter, much as he priced her for that dead woman's
sake, who, as long she lay in his bosom, had
brought him comfort, and happiness and honor,
he something over harsh with her, niggard-
ly in bcstow ig curcsses, and liberal in the gift
Of unnecessary rebuke. Very severe, then, was
his dispcasure, when she confessed to him, with
many bushes, that she loved her young Epis-
copnlian knsman, John Percval.
The cousins had not been reared together,
nor had they even mot before the youth had
passed his twenty fifth, the girl her ninctheenth
year. But we are not Of opinion that young
people are the more prone to fall in love with
| each other for the being educated together in
sort of family domesticity. Such facts are con-
tended for in fiction, but realities have convin-
ced us that such things seldom happen; and if
| we ever have the fortune to possess children of
| our own, and wish son or daughter to wed a
not only to conceal our intentions from them,
but 70 keep the pair apart from all brother and
sister communion, until such time each heart
begins to have its natural craving for congen-
ial spirit, when, in sooth, it looks for others than
brothers and sisters to cling to. 1t is very old,
perhaps very vul gar proverb, that g familiarity
breeds contempt;" and assuredly think,
that the constant freside association of young
folks, trained up together in bread and butter
lease, is more apt to generate calm friendship
| than warm affection.
But, as we have said, our cousins were brought
up assundcr; he in England, of which country
| his father was an eminent physician lately de-
ceased, who had beGueatled to his only son his
professional ability, with ample means Of COM
mcnclng his career in handsome manner.
| When he first came to Scotland to visit his mo-
,her's sister, he found her corpse and there,
in the house of mourning, the consoer of the
mothcrcss Barbara, he learnt to love her with u
sincerity Of affection which she fully responded.
Great was his vexation and surprise to receive
stern denial of his suit from the minister, who,
although he had never testified any degree of
partiaty for his wfes nephew, had, neverthe-
less, cvinccd no dislike of him. But when
spectlully called upon to assign reason for 80
unexpected a rejection, he hrie1y said, that sno
child of his should with his blessing, wed any
man who was not strict Presbyterian !; and
that, moreover he had other view for his daugh-
ter" Nor were the tears of his child, nor the
interccssion i'll their favor of his kind hearted
but timd old maiden sister, of any effect. His
obstnacy was not to be subdued, nor his will
, opposed and the unrcleHt:ng preacher, who
taught humility, love, and concord from his pull
pitt and who could produce not one sensible rca-
son for thwarting the attachment of two anliable
creatures, concluded the scene by flying into
{ furious passion, in which he gave John PEREZ
val clearly to understand, that he was no longer
P an acceptable, or even permitted guest.
1 lofff ofn
: ly, and was not slow in quitting Scotland but
;. love, which teaches many things, taught the
kinsiolk means Of keeping up, though at ra#s
! intervals, an cpistolary commune Alfonso fire.
a quently the one sustaining prop Of two divided
: hearts #'&
year or more passed, finding them true to
each other. Barbara refused several excellent
c proposals of marriage nor did her father persc-
= cute her with expressed wishes for her accep-
0 tance of any of them; until at length, he t-
!, troduced to her one Mr.. Bruce, a wealthy cloth
Il merchant, from Glasgow He was man of
,. about fifty years of age, of well-favored and
9 pcrtly presence, and accounted sure and somc=
T. what sour follower of Mr.. Comyn's fdSorts
e creed Barbara had frequently heard her father
- speak highly Of his Glasgow friend, but as no
J. warning had prepared her; she was very far from
{ dreaming Of the character he was about to per-
II form in her presence; ; and, indeed, the woong
of the honest clothicr was neither very active
Il steadlnst and resoute
II wonderful deal of what they deemed re-
= l'glous discussion was carried on betwixt MIR.
Bruce and the minister, during the visit Of the
former at the manse, which, we have omitted
d to statc though, for certain reasons, we do not
r intend to give 1t nameD situated out of
r the town OF Aberdeen, in retired stra,h val
ley, full Of hazels and sloc bushes, with the Dec
" running through them like a huge silver snake
Although little more than half u mile from Alb
erdeen, and much nearer the church of which
l. Mr. Conlyn was minister, the lnanse seemed as
IS lonely and quiet as if thirty miles lay between it
II and a busy, populous town. .-
= Now, though Mr.. Bruce had had hired sleep
J. ing apartment in the cottage of Mr.. Comyns
l. bellInan, or sexton, which stood herd by the
|, kirk, he spent all his spare time with his friend
- at the manse, where his meals were invariably
X taken; and in addition to the wonderful amount
5 of polcmical palaver we have hinted at, won
20 derful amount of wliskcy-toddy did the worthy
e minister and his guest contrive to swallow i'll
q the heat of their arguments. n ~
T. Many time and oft did good, innocent Miss
le Henry Comyn declare, that when the shake
,e hands hours arrived, Mr. Bruce, "puir man,
! seemed to toddle off to his cosie bedde at Davie
l. Bain's marvellousy fn' O the spirit! " True it
was but the ancient virgin guessed not in her
n gullccssness, that the spirit an evil one,
0 ~ ard elected by and fire from the unsuspcc-
~ = ting barley-corn.
AT last, as we have said, Mr.. Comyn spoke
out his wish-nay, his commands-that Bar
C. bara should prepare to receive Mr. Bruce as a
ii bridegroom i'll six months thereafter. And now
at MIR. Bruce himself, shy and dour man ut other
IS times, found cournge one day, after dinner, II
ID express his" love- he really called it, and
RS so we suppose must we, in our extreme gnp
rance of the precise category of nomenclature
to which the feelings that actuated him belong
ed. Honest man bigoted and selfish as hs
'e was, ne was neither churl by nature nor cross
le grained and he was even moved by the pathc
OF TIC and frank ayowal which Barbara made /,
H. him of the state of her heart.
'p But, though touched by her tears, he under
i stood them not, treating th9m but as the natura
e. mawklshness Of girsh seRtlmentality nor ha,
o her assurances that she could never love an,
~ one but her cDnsin John power to dssuade hin
to from the prosecution of his suit. He was vol
st OF all delicacy of feeling, was neither hurt no
displeased wife her confessed partality for an