Daily American telegraph., 1852-02-27

Z" better praise God for his Iong-suffering pa
tience in permitting us to live Have we re-
ceived good at his hand, and shall we not also
receive evil"
The woman groaned-her husbands execu-
ton and her consequent suffering had well nigh
driven her mad and she was in no condition
to acquesce in the humble resignation of the
patriarch job her grief was too recent too
terrible.
Az last, the poor creatures slept a troubled
ana broken sleep in the bed Of the old people,
Wmie they stretched themselves on n handful
OF fushes before the fire. But there was little
sieep lor them; they knew perfectly well, that,
ny opening their door to that miserable wo-
man and her child, they had forfeited their
own lives, for the vmdictive cruelty Of King
james and Judge Jehries had pronounced it a
crime worthy OF death to show the least kind
ness towards the followers of Monmouth and
the terrible death of the kind hearted Lady
| Alice Lisle, for sheltering two of the hunted
! fugtives, had but few days before filed the
whole country with horror. But it was not
this that drove slumber from the eyes of old
Jack and Joan. If Their hodies were little and
old and decrepid, they still served to enclose
good, stout, Puritan hearts, that pleased God
rather than man, even though that man was
the king of the realm but those same hearts
so stout and brave in the cause of the right
were not proof against the feeble means of
that poor child nor the smothered sobs Of the
mother whose very sleep seemed haunted with
fear; and more than once the old man got up
to kindle tho waning fire, and the old dame to
tuck in the blankets around the pallet of the
seepers or to give the moaning little one some
drink
IF only had porringer or two of that
brot | tn alyaf fave la H,,uh x-ha
he was pulling with the measles Pd set them
both on their feet in a week." said dame Joan,
MS they stood gazing on their sleeping guests
in the dim morning twilight "Bot Heaven
help us" she added with sigh. They have
left us neither hoof nor claw
"There are the two ducks, dame," replied
the old man.
For moment or so the dame did not an
swer, but stood fumbng at the strings of her
mob-cap. 1t is said that the most generous
person is covetous of something: and if there
was any worldly gear on which the good dame
held tight grip, it was her poultry-and these
ducks had a special claim on her heart But
for her care, they would have died in the she'll
and we know not exactly how a feathered
mother feels but we are certain that their own
mother could not have loved these two little
broad-bled bipeds better than dame Joan.
Don't blame her too severely for her hcsitat on,
children, for her charity soon got the better Of
this feeling, and she herself took down her
husbands gun from the smoke-blackened
hooks above the hearth, and placed it in his
hands, saying as she did So
| Better shoot little Brown-back first and
Jack, my man, take good aim, and don't MUIR
der the poor crttur."
! The old man went out, and she busted her
self in preparations TO the comfort of her
guests. Presently tho rcport Of the old mans
gun awoke them. and the mother started up
with fearful scream, ard caught little D econ
to her breast. She thought the soldiers were
after her, and the old dame had Just succeeded
in queting her fears and helping them to dress,
when Jack came in with the little rown-back.
| Dame Joan took il in her hands snoothed the
rutiled feathers, shifted it from one hand to
the other to ascertain its weight-glanced from
the emacatcd hungry-look .ng faces of the
mother and child to its minutve little body,
and then said with u Ugh
at will scarcely make mouthful APIECE
Jack, honey. run back to the brook and shoot
| the drake. The poor souls shall have one meal,
and we will trust to Providence for The rest.n
The old man hobbled oG--hc d not run. as
the good dame had told him and he was certain
ly very excusable in not doing so seeing that the
rheumatism had sorely rackcd his o.d joints
but he hobbled off with great alacrty, and
soon laid the drake in tie corner by the side
Of his mate.
We will not dwell upon that meal, children
we will leave it for you to fancy how welcome
it was to the starved mother and little D,ccon,
and with what delight the old couple watched
the returning strength of their guests-how
garrulous dame Joan grew, over the sovereign
virtues of her broth, and how dearly they
loved the lttle boy and pointed out to each
other rrsemblances between him and their lit
tie Hugh who had been dead more than half
n century.
Neither did their kindness bring them into
trouble. In few days the Chief Justice re-
turned to London and when it became whs-
pered among the country people that Elder
Hickes widow and little boy had found refuge
with Jack Of the wood as the old man was
frequently called. many lag of meal and
quarter Of mutton found its way to their cabin,
and their few remaining days were frightened
and smoothed by the constant love and care Of
Esther Hicks and little ID econ; and some coun-
try rhymester little thinking of the immortality
which he was comforting upon them. celebra-
ted the death Of those little ducks in verse, only
one stanza Of which has been transmitted to
Icsterity, by that venerable compiler, Mother
! Goose.
leo Dams I'm the susquehannn.