Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-11-18

became cautious, saving man; and the
hungry wretches that had faitened unon
his lofty generosity, or rather scorn
were soon scattered to dismay before
the stern brow and powerful arm thai
hurled them right and left from his path.
fle had Matte, beloved Matte, to pro-
vide for now, and her precious little ones;
there was to be no more trItlIng. He
became rigid economist, or rather Mat.
tie economical for him, and all his ex-
penditures were left entirely to her fru-
gal and patient housewIfery. He neith-
er gave nor spent now without first ta-
king counsel of his heart elected moni-
tress; and how skillfully she managed
may be chown in the fact that in twenty
years after ,heil marriage, Smith was
accounted one Of the wealthiesi men in
the province. With this change came
another, which was accounted quite as
droll by the wIseacres. AZ young
man, he had shown great ambition for
political distinction, and his prospects
were extremely fatterlng; but he with.
drew after serving one term. and stead
| lily refused ever afterwards TO be drawn
into public life again.
But now that the great struggle for
freedom was flirly entered upon, the
William Smith of twenty five was wa
ked up again suddenly, after having
slept The charmed sleep of domestic love
and happiness for twenty years Now
again his contempt for gold, but as a
m4dium of good, monarchical means,
exhibited itself as striklngly. but in a
more rational! and consistent manner
than before; now his carefully boarded
wealth flowed like water. and the gentle
Matte saw i, go and said never a word
nor shed tear. So long as her beloved
WAS spared 10 her, the gold might co.
They had no right to it when the bless.
ed Congress and brave army needed it.
They had no right to keep William sell
fishly at home with them, 10 sleep in a
warm bed, when so many of our brave
people were tracking the SHOWS with
the blood Of their bare feet, and when
General Washington himself was glad
to sleep upon snow bank with ONLY his
cloak for covering. "Let The gold 90!
let the gold go!' The brave woman was
want to say-"t is all for liberty, and
the children will be better for that than
for all the wealth of the province!' And
the gold did go!
Aye. there was no keeping back of
The tribute there! William Smith had
always exhibited remarkable disincli-
n,,inv, ENr p,auau IF x,deh,,J
ering the character of the times. He
did not. even now, JOIN the patrio: army;
but, as the chief OF the vigilance COM
mittee, did far better service with his
prompt sagacity and profuse liberality
than he could probably have done in
the field. We cannot follow him throu'
the details of the acts OF the noblest Pc
riod of his career; suffice it TO say, that
when the war ended IN our dear bought
independence, lie frs, took time TO look
upon the condition of his own affairs
The survey exhibited himself to him
self a beggar!
Every thing had been swallowed up
in the vortex, except some few frag
ments Of landed estate; and they had
only been spared ham because nothing
could be raised on them in such trouble
some times. He smiled upon Matte
as he looked around proudly upon five
handsome manly boys and three daugh-
ters, all pleasans variations upon her,
and pa,,ing her still fresh cheek, said
gaily-, ..a ....a
"MSsus-i.'s all gone! am pro