Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-04-15

IL Tue outage. III Tue tnunOer storm
which we have mentioned, the cottage o
Mrs. Thompson sas struck by lightning
and in n moment was in q blaze, and th'
sou Of Mrs. hompson was struck ant
knocked down for dead, few steps from
fihe door, without, as he was listening tc
The reports of the muskels in the woods
fhe mother and daughter rushed shriekine
from The house and the irsl objec, which
arrested their att enlion, was the son anc
The brother lying lileless on the ground -
In this sight they lost all thoughts of try
ling TO exl.nguish the flames, and the cot
Itage sfhefnnss~d with all its contents
nj gresstEens ef the sssesssssai,z.isets.sss41
alton most aniicting one. No tongue
nor pen can describe the heart rendlng
agonles of The mother and The daughter
the night was dark-the rain poured down
in lorrents-lhe house was demolished
they had no other sheller-they were Two
miles from the village, or any other habi-
taion thnt would afford them any shelter,
and The boy was still lifeiess, though not
stiff and cold.
In this dreadful dilemma, they conclvd.
ed ts fly for the village, and carry the
dead budy with them. But they hal not
proceeded far before their strength was
exhausted. and they were obliged to stop.
Resting awhile, they took him up again,
and after going u few rods were again IN
PEELED to halt In this situation, what was
to be done! The boy appeared to be
warm, and might possibly be recovered,
with medical aid. Finally it was con.
cluded that one or the other should go to
the village Sophia went and lett the
mother. She arrived at the village, and
went TO the house of benevolent physi-
clan awoke him from his sleep, and in a
few pathetic words informed him of their
dreadful calamities. He called his SER
wants, had his horses Immediately harness.
ed TO a covered wagon, took lantern, a
servant, and Sophia into the carriage, not
forgetting his medical apparatus, and made
all speed to the scene of of distress. He
found the boy with some faint symptoms
of life, and by the application ofthe lancet,
and other means, he som began to breathe.
BY day break, they got him to the village
and they were landed at the inn where the
stranger was detained as robber.
Here we shall leave them for a short
time and pay our respects TO the unfortu-
nale husband and paren, oil this unlouu.
nate and afl ;cted family.
Mr.. Thompson was one OF those hapless
beings, who possess a noble, generous and
feeling heart-u keen sensibiiity, and Of
course warm attachments and strong antip-
a,hles his natural genius was by no
meaus contemplate, and although he had
received what might be called liberal ed
ucaiion, yet he had not studied any Of the
learned professions, and had not in his
youth been accustomed to any regular
business. He had, however, served as
clerk in respectable counting house for
few months and having some capital, tho
small, and being in good credit he en-
bark ed in the mercantile business, married
an aniiable and accomplished wife, the
daughter of broken down gentleman,
aud for n number of years, acquired prop
erty, and what is more valuable, acquired
the reputation Of an honest, intelligent and
humane citizen. But meeting with some
losses by lire. and having endorsed largely
for his friends, fortune began to look sour
at him. His friends became insolvent.-
lie was called upon, and finally had to
sop payment. His creditors tbronged o.
round him 'llke ravening wolves Miser-
,bly calculated to sustain the shocks of ad.
persity, he was driven almost to the vortex
If desperation; and TO heigh,en his caami-
les, the yellow fever entered his dwelling,
md tore from his fond and frantic bosom,
hree of his beloved offspring, two sons and
| daughter.
He, however, after long and painful
struggle, succeeded in effectIng what was
leemed an honorable compromise with his
creditors. to whom he had given his name
IS security for his friends, and his other
creditors accepted what he could spare
vitbou. distressing his family, and agreed
o wait with him for the residue of their
lebts, until he could retrieve his losses in
some measure and conveniently pay their
demands.
For this purpose they advised him TO re-
move into some new tlourlshing village in
he country, and furnished him with a
handsome assortment of goods. He did
,retty we'll for two years, when unluckily |
purchasing lnrge amount of produce,
which took sudden fall, he again became
involved, and meeting about The same time,
With other severe losses, he had 10 ''give
up the ship.'
Tivlngham the lawyer, happened TO be
IN New.York, when the news first arrived,
md in order TO get into business, represent
I'd Mr.. Thompson as a knove who had
stopped paymen, to detraud his
,red;tors, A number Of his creditors sent
demands to him to be prosecuted, ,ano
amongst the rest Mr.. Jackson, to whom
Mr.. Thompson owed more than all the
others. On hearing the statement howev-
er of Mr.. Thompson which was well au
he had ordered Tivinghnm to
his suit; but before this reached
him, so he said, lie had taken judgment
bonds of Thompson-enlered them up, and
had swept all his property from him, to the
last cent, and confined his body in Jail.
He had been confined for some months
had been sick, but was now on the recov-
ery, but still without hopes of release
His situation and that Of his family was
most deplornble, and he might very prop.
erly have uttered something like the fol-
lowing:
Dark is this world; my sun gone down,
No star of hope for me to rise!
The face of all things wear q frown,
49,