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

lead the grandparents back on the track Of their
youth. Ii was pleasant to see little Adam imita-
ting the erect military bearing Of his grandfather,
or going through with the cvolutious of the drill,
while the old soldier gave out the word Of COM
mand. Then his epsuletts cooked hat, and sword,
preserved with such fond care, were reverend
ing subject of interest to them. How many times
the little boy looked at that furnished cockade
and faded plume, and wondered when he should
be big enough 10 wear hat like that.
Though Adam Ward had not passed through
those years of military service without knowing
pinching hunger and sore fatigue, yet he knew
little Of those bitter sorrows which touch the sonl
Ii seemed as il Providence In its wisdom, had re-
served this experience for his age. malignant
a. - ss... = ----ss. through the
city, numbered James and his little boy among its
.s,ss ,iu,.a,s ~,r 90 e,.y,s.. ,s saa, N.
was not until long after ne had them laid down
BY the side, of the soT ~s sA4 aid Cromwellian In
the village graveyard, that he could realize its
truth His was not grief to find vent in words
like his love, II was deep, silent, and strong and
there came many, many weary hours In which he
was ready to exclsiu, with Syrian job e He hath
stripped me Of my glory and taken the crown
from my head my hope hath he removed like q
treer The uddenRnneuncesnent Of the bankrupt.
cy of the firm of which his son had been partner
was scarcely able TO rouse him from this mood !;
but when 1t was found that there was strong rea-
son for suspecting the honesty Of the other part
ner, indignation and contempt came to his aid
But this was not the worst Not only. the cash
capital which he had advanced for his son was
swallowed up, but examination proved that they
had used his name for an amount which his whole
estate would barely cover. He knew that this
was unjust, and appealed to the law, but it was
proved that on one or two occasions he had, in
the negotiation of some small sum, given them
harf IN hso md ont soef
him None save those whose lives are passed in
some quiet nook in the green country, ON acres
that have descended to them through many gen.
erations, can form a true conception Of the old
mans grief when called upon to part with his
Saw Those 2S>1S Vs. :. .at.as3S biography
Each tree, shrub, rock, brook, fence, and gate,
were so many chapters, of it, pnd we'll be under
ssoed their Language. Oh, il was bitter trio! to
that white.haired old man; not the less 90, that
these beloved fields were to pass into the posses
sion of one who had never been known TO mani
fest anything like sorrow or sympathy for others,
one for whose character he felt a strong dislike,
not to say contempt. But what cared Miller Jed
for old Adam Wards misfortunes or opinions,
when he saw before him the prospect Of grasping
at one clutch the green meadows and fine pastures
Of the Hollow He had had his lynx.eye upon
it for years he had counted over and over how
much more it might be made to yield, than il did
under the old-fashisned system Of agriculture
pursued by its ancient owners he counted much
on Jsmes's inexperience, and chuckled inwsrdly
when he went into q store then he began to mine
in the dark like one Of the rats Of his own mill !;
he watched all the movements Of the firm, and
when he found them pressed for funds, had his
agents ready TO lend on old Adam Wards secu-
rty; and should he forego his long cherished plan,
for the sake Of proving himself kind neighbor
Not he; he would shave his bond"
There was one alternative for the old soldier !;
he might mortgage his acres for q sum sufficient
to pay off the debt, and many of his old friends
advised him to this course. But his independent
spirit could not brook this; he had been free
man all his life and would not consent, in his old
age, to become servant therefore he let it all CO.
all but the old house and bit Of meadow on
which it stood. Still the fields retained their old
name, for like the excellent qualities Of the an
cient owners it was too strongly associated with
the settlement and history Of the village, to be
easily relinquished. At the time of the COM
mencement Of this story, the old Captains wife
had been laid by the side of her son, and James's
widow and little daughter, to whom poverty
ss ns 81 the
old man, and the industry and good management
Of the former did much towards frightening out
the old soldiers pension while the scrupulous care
with which she sought to keep everything about
the house as he had been accustomed to see it
from his youth, and the reverence and respect
with which she treated him, made her well wor-
thy of the daughters place which she held in bis
heart. Little Mercy-how dark that old house
would have been without her was sunbeam, a
hope that ever went before them, casting a serene
light on their otherwise cloudy future