New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-08-28
NUMBER 153.

| the place Of a mother to three children and
sampson, who had married sister, with small
| family, in straitened circumstances, resolved to
| give his poor relations home in his house, and
| live with them, an old bachelor, to the end Of
| hls days; On losing Lucretia, Samson, in des-
pair made vow never to marry
Eight years afterwards, however. Mr.. Kerner
had occasion to reconsider his VOW Mr.. Brooks
died suddenly, leaving Lucretia the mother Of
three children, aud the step-mother of as many
more. Samson was fond of children, and Lri.
cretia was more Of an angel in his eyes now
than ever. He visited her, carried presents tc
her children, and did everything in his power t.
console her in her affection and the young
widow dried her tears, planted some delicate
flowers on the grave Of the lamented Brooks
and smiled encouragingly on her old lover
People began to talk again. Samson and Lu-
cretia were going to be married now, at MI
events, said the gossips. But two years passed
everybody was puzzled; and the fact that Mr.
Keeper remained bachelor at forty was mys-
terry.
The truth is, Samson had not been cured o.
his old habits of procrastination. To marry the
mother OF six children, and take them home
| for Samson could never have made up his mind
to settle down on the Brooks estate-would be
to disturb the peace of his sisters family, who
had been living on him for nearly ten years
Besides, Jane, his sister, and Mr.. Bunker, his
brother-in-law, who had great influence on
his irresolute mind, discouraged him from as.
suming such a responsibility as the matrimonial
| station occupied by the late lamented Brooks
" l should be glad to see you married and
happy, DEAR Mrs Bunker would say for not
withstanding all our affection for you, am
afraid you are sometimes dissatisfied with your
present way Of living
"Oh, | assure you, dear sister," Samson
would reply, &C appreciate your attentions >
:" And am sure we delight in doing for you
Still, If you desire to marry take somebody
worthy of you, and nothing will please me bet
ter
g But, Mrs Brooks >
&c A widow with six children beg Of you,
if you value your peace Of mind, don't marry
another mans family. Look for somebody
else
Jane could very safely give her brother this
advice, for she well knew he would never marry
any one but Lucretia
So Samson hesitated. Although he sighed
for the widow, he felt that it would be ungrate-
full to marry against the wishes of those who
did everything to make him happy; who were
80 kind and so disinterested in furnishing his
comforts; and who thought so little of the prop
erty which would fall to them, provided he died
bachelor, that they were perfectly willing
almost anxious-tilat he should marry-any
body except widow with six children
| such was the state of affairs, when Samson
| went one day to cut a saw-log out of the trunk
| Of large maple, which the wind had torn up
by the roots not far from the house. Having
thrown his vest on the ground and rolled up his
sleeves, Mr. Keeper commenced chopping off the
| log, about eight feet from the butt.
1t was ''a hard job,'' Samson afterward.
said; and as the sun came pouring down upor
him, he was quite exhausted, and heated, be
fore the first {. cut" was off Leaving the main
portion of the trunk hanging by s chip tt
! the stump, in order that blocks might be placed
under it, to keep it from falling quite to the
ground, Samson struck his axe into the log
and began to look about for a shady place to si
down.
Near by grew stately Eastwood, from thu
roots OF which sprung up a luxuriant growth o.
shoots. surrounding the parent tree Reflect
ing that these would not only shade him from
| the sun, but also serve as a protection against
the swarm of flies, he determined to find a rest.
ing place among them, and began accordingly.
to push them aside, in search of the most com.
| Portable spot
| AT that moment the chirping of squirrel
attracted his attention to the vast mass of eartf
which adhered to the upturned roots Of the faller
tree. The little animal was sitting on the sum
nit of this mass, talking saucily to Mr.. Kep
per, who, thinking of the corn it would consum
|
a well aimed blow, knocked it into the dee,
cavity left by the exhumed roots of the tree
Mr. Keeper, with an eye to pleasing his little
nephews, jumped into the hollow, picked thu
! kicking squirrel out of the mud, and having
| thrown it down by his vest proceeded to en-
sconce himself in the bushes
Mr. Keeper found a most comfortable spot,
where he was quite concealed from the sun and
flies; and there, leaning against the ancient
hn InHy fra1, IL.
nice widow, delightful family of children,
cider in the evening, and gooseberry- pie for
dinner, were charmingly mixed up together
Mr.. Keeper was startled from his pleasant
reflections by dull cracking sound, in the
direction of the tree on which he had been chop
ping; and pushing aside the bushes. he saw the
chip breaking, by which he had left the log
hanging to the stump.
''There goes the log to the ground,'' he NUT
tered, with some impatience
No sooner had he spoken, than the trunk
dropped off, and instantaneously the huge mass
of roots and earth, overbalancing the stump,
turned slowly back, and fell with a Aull, heavy
report, into its original bed
1.-The dogs " muttered Samson, sit is lucky
didn't happen to be picking that squirrel out
of the hollow, just at this time -
And he shuddered to think what n horrid
death, to be crushed under an avalanche Of
|
Mr.. Keeper, however, sat still, and was soon
lost in another revery. from which he was arous-
ed by most extraordinary occurrence
1t afterwards appeared that Joe Symes, the
''hired man. who was at work repairing Q
fence, near by, had twice or thrice cast his eyes
in the direction of the fallen tree. Hearing tn,
sound of Mr. Keepers axe no longer, Mr. Syme,
looked shortly after, and saw that worthy mar
in the hole under the roots Of the tree; and in {
little while, startled by sudden conclusion, h,
looked again, and beheld the stump turned back
At that moment, Mr.. Bunker appeared, and in
quired for his brother-in-law Both looked il
the direction of the stump, and seeing nobody
Mr.. Symes suddenly exclaimed
| ~ vow!''
| "What?"
~ bet Keepers been ketched under the butt
of that tree!''
Mr.. Bunker thought it could not be; but
Symes assuring him that the last time he saw
Mr.. K, he was in the hole, both ran to the
spot.
sc Good Lord " cried Symes, &c here's his Jack
et-here's his axe--l vow he's goner -
| This was the exclamation which aroused Mr.
| Keeper. He looked through the bushes and
| held his breath.
Impossible" said Mr.. Bunker, nervously
Can't be
"Where's Mr.. Keeper, them" demanded
Sjmes
"Why, he's walked off, ! suppose"
'fWalked off-walked off, in n brilin' sun
without his hat : Look here!''
| Symes picked up the old bachelors hat, close