The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-04-10
THE NATIONAL ERA.
WASHINGTON, APRIL 7, 1851.
For the National Era.
ABOUT SETH MILFORD.
BY FATTY LEE.

Of the October sky, and now and then was heard
the uncertain, inpatient twitter of some wild
bird that fingered behind its fellows, for the last
aocks had drifted over the hills and faded on IN
the distance, like clouds. The woods, not yet
withered from their autumn splendor, were beau
tiful exceedingly. The winds, crying for the lost
sumner, ran along the tops of the long reaches
of naples, breathing their shivering wilderness
Of leaves into golden furrows-low hedges OF the
red. glossy -leaved gums ran in amongst the forks
of the hills, and the brown, shaggy vines OF the
wild grape full of black clusters, clsmbered about
sassafras and elm, while the oaks still lowered In
green magnifcence.
The sun grew larger and larger, and went
dawn To most minds the autumn is a melan-
chOly time, sweeping off the light ard beauty
from the summer, and leaving the world, like Eden
when the Fall swept thence the light, and the
dews of sorrow blotted out the footsteps Of the
angels.
Ia stubbe field, high and fat, bordered on
two sides with thick woods, on one by an open
meadow. from which just now the cows were
vending their way slowly homeward, and on the
other commanding view Of the homestead and
the road, Seth Milford was ploughing.
The air was all fragrant with the smell of fresh
earth, as furrow after furrow crumbled of, and
the weary and jaded horse, really beautiful spe-
cimen of his tribe, steadily walked backward and
forward across the field, in obedience to the hand
Of his master.
Twilight fell deeper and darker, and the silver
ring Of the new moon was seen just over the
western tree-tops, when Seth paused at the edge
Of the field nearest the house. drew the plough
from the furrow on to the narrow border of grass
that edged the stubble, loosened the traces, and
winding the long rein about the slender and CLOS
sy neck of his horse, lowered bars, and the ami
nal walked briskly homeward alone.
With arms folded across his BOSOM and eyes
bent on the ground, the young ploughman re-
NAMED for some time leaning listlessly against
the fence; and it was not until his good steed,
that, having reached the next bars, found him
self unable to proceed further, had once or twice
neighed mpatiently, that his reverie, of whatever
nature it may have been, was interrupted. Draw
ing his rough boots backward and forward over
the long and fallen grass, by way of cleansing
them from the moist earth, he refolded his arms,
lowered his hat little over his sullen brow, and
was proceeding slowly and mechanically home
ward, when he was interrupted with brisk
lively salutation of How are you, Seth I" The
young man looked up and a smile, half sorrow
ful half disdainful, passed across his regularly
handsome features, as though he scarcely knew
whether most to pity or despise any one who
could be happy in this world. The recipient of
this somewhat dubious greeting was q young
neighboring farmer with q round, rosy face, in.
dicative of good nature aud good health with large
gray eyes and the beginnings of yellowish-
cOlored beard.
After cordially shaking the hand of his unso-
cial neighbor he apologized, little bluntly, for
crossing without liberty his fields; for it must
be owned that Seth Milford had, either justly or
unjustly, obtained the reputation of being little
selfish and particular, as to who trespassed on his
premises
The young man was evidently arrayed in his
best; and whether the fashion Of his garments
was the precise Broadway style or not, mattered
little to him. He was going, he said, the dis.
lance Of mile or so further, to sit up with
corpse and the direction he had taken enabled
him materially to shorten the way.
&" Who is dead 2" inquired Seth, manifcsting
for the first time little interest.
Humpbp he said, on learning who it was
he was young man-must have been younger
haak oou ~ ,av
Yes" said the happy farmer, without under
standing or apparently needing the conclusion Of
the remark; Eyes, he was young, sir if he had
lived till the twenty second of Jinawary, he would
have been his own man. Good evening. sir.p
Humph p said Seth again, looking after the
young watcher, and then repeated, half aloud, as
he turned homeward-
"of mans first disobedencs, and the fruit
of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
brought Death into the world, and all our woesy
1t seems sometimes, as if we but drifted hither
and thither, by the blind chances Of life to per-
''h, at last like the flower Of the grass; and this
especially seems the case, when, after striving
earnestly but vainly to pierce the thick darkness
mat lies between the farthest stretch Of imagina-
'''n, aud the eternal brightness about God, our
"euohng hands fall back upon our feeble hu-
,"'"i'y' Else seems il that we were predestined
"',n eternity to fill some certain round from
A'n mere is no escape; and sick at heart, we
wi" from all lofty endeavor. We have too lit
VIC :" The child's faith--too little simple and
'u''ial reliance upon q our Father which is in
heaven
The good are never fatalists-
The bad alone act by necessity
the poet. There are some, however, not bad
"O, partly owing to an unhealthy temperament
1Oouy and morbid, and partly to the continually
"'''0l contrast Of high aspirations and crippled
FNers, become, in the end, fatalists.
one Of this unfortunate class was Seth Mil
~. Born and bred on the farm which he now
.s"srl'ed, and having never been beyond the
'~aaOWs Of his native hills, he had, nevertheless
immortal ionginss In himD
,"urally difident and shy, and but very imper.
lily educated, he grew up into manhood, dissat-
and restless, and Notwithstanding and
''psing the circle to which by habit and man.
=, ne belonged, and consciously fitted for no
4er' though gifted with mind superior to
l'ands occupying high place in society, and
down upon him. He was not loved
'n oy his two sisters, with whom he lived in
n. o'a homestead, and whom he supported, . lit
'aaoeily 1t Is true, but, verify believe, accord.
I" the best Of his ability. He would fAin
Is done better, but "the hand of an sll-piti.
demon held him backn
'aess sisters-Mary and Annie, better edu-
aud with more Of tact and ambition than
mad BY various ways and means succeeded
''e'ating themselves considerably, a. they