Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-12-05
VOL. v.


Just as natural for him to study as for trout
TO bite at fly. Study he will, and study he
must, and I'll promise to aid him all can
God bless you for that, James Ordway.-
And if he don't feel grateful, and thank You,
sure you are that you have the thanks of dy-
! ing father beforehand
who can tell but that, like one of our own
rough logs which we send down the river, and
ton, he may become something that will honor
us all
So said the friend and neighbor, and the eve
of the dying man kindled with joy, and hope
was there TO cheer him, and faith TO strengthen
him, and so his last interview with his old
friend was one of deep consolation.
The good man was buried in the little
graveyard; and the deep SHOWS soon laid
! their white sheet over him, and the winds that
sighed through the lofty forest, tolled his re-
QUEEN. In short time, Mr.. Ordway went to
see the nearest educated mind in the region-a
humble minister of the gospel-who lived in a
! poor shantv about six miles off through the
woods, and who had followed his sheep there,
to keep them from the wolves. The good
| man was finished scholar. and with a smil-
ing face told Ordway 10 send the young man
without fee or reward. He promised TO do so,
but the Squire had occasion to go that way
| often, and it was noticed that he always stopped
ostensbly to inquire about his protege, but in
reality to drop bag of potatoes, quarter of
beef, few yards of flannel, or some thing to
add TO the real comfort of the minister's fami-
ly. Daniel vas good and profitable pupil
Twice week on his pony, Shag, did he 90 TO
rccite, and never without stopping at Mr.. Ord
way s moment-since he must needs 60 past
| his door. 1t was soon found that Daniel could
in a measure compensate Mr.. Ordway, for he
now gave lessons regularly to little Susan
as she was still called, though she was now
fairly in her teens. She had never manifested
any very great love for books but under Dam
| e's supervision. she actually studied and made
rapid advances. Il is impossible TO tell why,
but young misses Do 50 sometimes. They be-
come apt scholars.
! Time moved on, or else our story could not.
The Revolutionary War had now broken out,
and ragged. The call of the infant nation, in-
vokiEg the spirit of freedom, had penetrated
even the wilderness; and the young Ordways
every one dropped the axe, left their clearings,
NJ ~ IL ,,fl
Yonng Redfeld had completed his college
course, within a few months, by the great eff
forts ana economy of his widowed mother, and
the kindness of her husband old friend, when
the college was broken up by the war, and
the students scattered. Daniel returned home
to consult his mother and his friend Ordway,
whether or not he should join the army also.
1t was donbtful question for though he was
a good hnnter and a dead shot with the rifle,
yet ten TO one, but if he got hold of book, the
enemy might charge and ride over him ere he
| knew it. The widow felt that she could not
! have him 90 he was her ALL Mr. Ordwav
! hesitated what 10 advise, and little Susan,
now eighteen, and as pretty and authoritative
| as ever. declared it was a shame; that he
ought not to 90 and leave his aged mother
that it was lonesome 10 have every body 60 off;
and that she was almost ready to enlist and be-
come soldier herself. rather than stay there
in the woods 50 lonely
| While this grave question was undecided,
young Redfeld one morning took his rifle and
went up the kennebec to hunt for moose. A
moose is large species of deer If my read
ears never saw one, they have to imagine a
round fat horse, cut his tail off short, and
leave him no tail, put an ASS head on him,
with immense horns-often weighing ninety
pounds-give him long, decr's legs and hoofs,
and you have a pretty good moose. They
weigh as much, and often more than horse,
and stand up much higher from the ground
Daniel went up the river, but night came and
he did not return. This gave no uneasiness.
But after he had been gone two, three, and
four days, the mothers heart began TO grow
alarmed. There had been a great rain, and il
alive and well, why had he not come back /
She caught old Shag, and went down TO con-
suit Mr.. Ordway. He at first thought the
young man had been unsuccessful, and had de-
termined to hunt until he had got moose
Susan affected TO laugh, and said 'he undoubt
edly had found moose enough, but probably
had thrown book atthem instead of shooting
for her part, she had no doubt he was looking
up the books he had thus thrown away! A
the same time the poor girl stopped her sewing
her fingers trembled So Mr. Ordway pro
cured an old hunter, ard they secured the for
est In search They found his trail, and fol
| lowed it up to Moosehead Lake, where tht
Kennebec breaks out so wildly and so mex
, pectedly from that majestic lake. There h,
had shot moose which was living in the edg,
of the water where it fell There they foun,
his hunting knife, as if dropped carelessly; bu
no farther could they trace him. The shor
of the wild lake was stony, and no marks O
: the feet could be seen. In vain they shouted
: kinded fires, and fired their rifles; the echoe
| came down from far up the lake, but no othe
response. Had he fallen into the rapid river
v they could find no traces of him. After lin
gerlng and searching couple of days, they re
turned towards home, occasionally firing thei
J rifles, each In quick succession-the hunter
: signal-hoping, though family, that he ha
: reached home. But no, he was not there.