Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-08-27
A SINGULAR STORY.

we have 80 many examples.
was at school q close student, a Young am
bilious lad of sixteen, somewhat homespun, bu,
strong in uprghtness, and conscious of pow
| er.
My dear father was SICK and gradually under
going that grand metempsycosis which the shall
low thinker calls Death. 1t was q stormy day
in January; the snow had fallen two feet deep
when | started for my home, eight miles distant
My father had written to me that he wanted tt
see me-he wanted to give me injunction after
injunction not to forget my duties to him in the
the care of his wife, my mother. He need not
have said it. ] could mott never can forget
him or her. Death A man such as nv fathe,
never dies. He lives in his councils full of wis.
dom as they were of heart, in his examples ripe
from wide observation and varied experiment
constituting ample experience in his principles
which were absolute, as great moral truths are
in his very mistakes, which were very few and
were not small, His desire to see me, growing
ont of feeling that he might, at any hour, "pass
onward and TO give me council was natural
but not necessary. But his slightest wish was
law to me, and started for home, as have said
on foot. Weary walk, this trudging in an I'm.
broken snow path. Before reached our door
| though, my body would tire out completely
but it did not-I accomplished it.
| ate my supper, chatted while with my pa
rents, and went to bed in my old bedroom. NV
father and mother left sitting in the kitchen,
gratifed at my arrival and proud of me.
fell asleep-awoke, and took a seat between
my father and mother. They looked surprised
and enquired why | had left my bed.
Said I, has nobody been here since went to
bed p
NO
Has any one been trying to niure you father?
Has no one demanded money of you?
NO
WELL replied I, there will somebody come,
and that is why have left my bed at least |
have dreamed there would, and the dream is no
alusion to me but fierce reality
MY father smiled as if incredulous, vet as
though he asked no Drawer or better defender
| than his boy. AT that instant my mother. very
cautious woman, heard a rap at the door, and
stepping to i, las supposed to inquire who was
there and what was wanted, instead opened the
door, and in came terrible gust of wind and
snow--ior the nigh; was hideous-and with
them marched in a woman.
She walked half way from the door to the fire,
when she discovered me, and | evidently took
her aback by my presence. | saw this at
glance, saw the creature of my dream
knew was destined to struggle, and grew in
strength as looked at my dear father and moth
err She took chair turned its back to the
fire, and seated herself with her face in the shad-
ow. kept my seat and appeared to give no at
tenton to her.
who are you p inquired my father.
what is that to you I? said she.
Everything, if you are TO stay in my house,
nothing if you are not
What if | will not tell you 2
Then YOU must leave the house!
At ooyo IN houcai oycla;p,ad che sT ,bo,,iI
like to see any one here try to put me OUT
What if | callmy men and put you out neck
and heels
You have not got any men, they have all
gone home
How do you know ??
Il inquired at the last house on the road before
came here. 1t is Saturday highland was
told your laborers all went home Saturday night,
and that you lived alone
glanced at my father, he was pale but his
courage ebbed not whit He was helpless
not able to get out of his chair and he surpis-
ed strange occurrences, for he had received not
less than eighteen hundred dollars that very
week by his large wheat sales, and he saw what
was before him. This bag was either decoy
or man in disguise, whose object was robbery.
could see all this rapidly passing through my
fathers mind, but it did not bow him the ninth
nothing but war of words the hag had an old
quilted hood end an old bombazine cloak, which
cam to her feet and was belted about the body
You are woman !? said father.
OF course am, what do you ask that ques-
ton for ??
Have you husband"
yes
Where does he live p
in Truxton.
We'll, then, if you have husband, why do
you not live at home instead of gadd,ng abou,
such nights as this alone-a night fit only for
fiends to be abroad p
why don't YOU set the North River on fire 2
said she leaping from her chair and springing
towards my father, and Kissing through her teeth,
III teach you why | am here
My mother screamed and ran, my father made
an Intellectual attempt to get out of the way, but
instantly yielded, resolved to take what awaited
him, and was out of my seat as quick as the
hag as she passed me on her way to grapPle
my father, struck her with my fist blow I'M
der the ear, which bu, for her old cotton hood,
would have knocked her down; as it staggered
her, it gave me time to get the chairs out Of the
way, and gather myself for fight.
She recovered and looking at me moment,
said, as if in soliloquy. oh you choose to cross
my track, do you Z? Well d-n me if do not
settle you pretty quick and thrusting her hand
into her cloak, made if she would draw dag
ger. The motion maddencd me it brought
foam to my lips, struck her a half dozen
blows as quick as lightning she let her dagger
60 and clinched me-her gripe satisfied me that
had found my match, aye, more in strength,
that my skill as boxer, and my almost unequal
led ability as wrestler, mnst save me. had
learned pugilism Of clever English teacher,
at wrestling to that day had never been thrown.
knew when felt the grippe that | was dealing
with man. felt that my father and mother
were relying on me and grew strong, as | be
fore said. We tussled, graspcd and let loose,
struck and parted clinched and wrestled, till at
various attempts we found ourselves to what
wrestIers call side hold / got the under
arm,' and lifted him-for it was no longer a
wcman-oyer my hip, threw my leg around his,
and turned him. He fell on the floor like log.
intended to break his bones, bnt he unlocked
his cloak-it had become unbelted in the strug-
gle-and eaped up like a cat, His cloak and
womanhoOd fell off together. struck him be-
fore he was balanced, staggered him, grappled
my left hand into his throat and struck him again
called on my mother to open the door and
as she did, pushed him and kicked him out
He swore he would be the death Of me. told