The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-09

X,
save where the rocks poked up their heads as
If to dispute possession, thickly sown with fra
grant white clover, from which arose the pleas-
ant hum of bees, mingling drowsily with the
murmur Of sprng-brook whose waters had
been brought, by means Of troughS of birch
bark, within short distance of the kitchen
door, where they served all manner of house
hold purposes Everything about the house
and premises seemed to be on the hap. hazard
principle; aud it would have been difficult to
have OWNED the occupation of the owner from
the appearance of the place
True up the valley lay two or three fields,
whose scanty stubble, mingled with stones and
brierS Indicated the poverty Of the harvest
and scattered over them Were several lean look
ing cattle and dozen or two of smutty-nosed
sheep; barn stood cas- sfsh, house. with the
great door, Tor lack OF hinges, turned down
sideways to keep out the wind and rain and in
an apple tree, near the kitchen door, hung one
or two scythes and a broken hoe but there
was such an air of negligence and shftlessness
about all these things that it seemed farming
must be the pastime rather than the business of
the owner.
Besides, there were plenty of things lying
about that pointed to other empOyments, such
as traps for ensnaring all kinds OF game-and
the skins of various animals stretched against
the clap-boards to cure in the sun, gave evi.
dence OF fair success in this department: in the
corner Of the shed all kinds of fishing tackle
from the nicely pointed trout-hook to the
clumsy bob for cells; and in the wood-shed lay
several half-fnished axe-heyeS, a pile of hoop
poles ready for shaving, and an apparatus for
splitting shingles, II quantity of which lay
there, and which would not have been amiss
on the roof of the house, Judging from its de-
cayed, moss-grown appearance.
But one was at no loss as 10 the occupations
of the female portion of the household; for
above the measured whirr and buzz of great
spnning-wheel rose the shrill voice of woman
uttering threats and entreaties in the same
breath: and the next moment the cause of the
uproar came tumbling out the door in the shape
of two tow-headed urchns who chung like
little vultures to the opposite ends of wooden
cross-bow, for which they were contending In
their way out, they upset the latest of all ba-
bies that sat near the door-sill, sucking its
thumb, and watching with its little hax-seed
shaped eyes the gambols of another child
which, if its precious self had not sat there as
an ndisputable fact, might have answered to
the name of baby for year or two to come, as
it tumbled about with litter of young pup
pies a few rods distant. But finding its equi-
hbrium so suddenly disturbed, it set up a
scream that Immediately brought the mother
to the rescue, who Judging from the state of
her hands and the flour upon her dress, was
engaged in the process of baking. Rightng
the baby by a Jerk that only made it scream
louder, she darted out the door after the delin-
quents, who were moving doggodly backward,
now raising each other to their toes by sudden
jerks now measuring their strength by a long
and steady pull, with inllamed faces, and cries
Of
"You let 60, jim ! say it's my bow and
81 won't nuther! got it furst! I"
With two or three strides the brawny- armed
mother overlook them, and distributed her cuffs
about their ears with rare impartiality until
one of them, who had vaiplS tried to elude her
blows by lodging and 1iy,ag, suddenly let &c
and took to his heels while the mere reaction
of his own strength sent the other over back
wards on to log of wood with force seem
ingly sufficient to have beaten in his skull Hi,
screams drowned the babys; while his mother
as she satisfied herself by examinations that nc
such sad consequence had resulted c0mforted
him and relieved herself something after this
fashion
"rm clad of it, I'm glad of it, 'Twould
saryed We Jest right an it had half killed you !
You'll stop fghtin next time, ! guess, when |
tell you to- 1t sartinly does seem as if you
wanted to torment me to death. There, stop
yer noise, and get along into the house, and let
Molly Graham put some salt and butter on
your head
The boy followed her, whining ruefully when
his attention was arrested by small squad of
cavalry consisting of about a dozen or so of
soldiers headed by a lieutenant in the blue
and buff uniform of the Continental army, that,
without much regard to the steepness of the
descent, came sweeping down the hill on the
east This was no unusual sight for small
parties of troops, on both sides, were frequently
that way on some expedition of plumber or re-
prisal though since General Putnam had been
quartered in the neighborhOod of R., those
of the enemy, or the tories in their interest had
been rarely seen, at least in the day time. But
military trappngs never lose their interest for
children; and Bill, forgetting his pain, plucked
his mother by the gown, as he cried
"See nanny, the sogcrs-the Contincntals
are comm"
"And what do | care, if they be 2" was the
sharp reply; though with wOman's curiosity
Blu I" SUt ~ HiiDp-t VI tiitu
"It's little good they have done me or mine;
are all the same-riding drinking, staggering
about, temptln honest men TO do the devils
work. and trust to their own wits for Twin,
instead of the produce Of their own acres
And the poor woman cast halfsorrowful
halfindgnant look at the neglected fields about
her, as she added
q d. "A - L.. II n
that leads a man to take counsel Of stranger
rather than his own lawful wife,
Ascertaining, by another rapid glance, that
after watering their horses at the trimming
trough by the roadside, the main body, obedi-
ent TO "a command Of their officer, proceeded
ut slow pace westward, While the latter turn
ed his horses head toward the house, she has
tily retreated in doors, muttering en- no very
amiable tone
Some of Sheldon's troopers; and they'll be
wanting Bill Glover, III be bound Jest as if
he hadn't enough TO do to look arter his own
concerns, and provide for his eight lawful chill
dren Molly Graham" she cried, sharply,
observing that the blue-eycd, Hebe-like per-
former on the spinning wheel had dropped her
thread, and stood gazing through the narrow
window at the approaching horseman, "arn't
you ashamed of yourself to be starn' ut the
men AFTER that fashion You'll have trouble
enough with 'em before you die, can tell you,
without runnin' arter them"
81 thought it looked like Lieutenant Stan
forth, }" replied the maiden, with heightened
color, as she returned to her wheel
"And what is Leftcnant Stanfortb, or any
other Leftenant, to you!" interrupted the dame,
in the same qucrulous tone, which was cut
short by the entrance Of the young officer, and
his inquiry after her husband.
Gle amt 10 home" was the unceremonious
reply, AZ she buried her hands almost TO her
elbows in batch of dough
"Can you say when he will be at home 2"
asked the young man, in conciatory tone.