Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-07-08

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WfoLot reader. to Texas.
ers IVA h more pleasure than
Fhen, se1ed by his wife and
faren lure in England, he
exas fhis native land, and
Ienber fached the promised
1nttbe ing thus the summer
rouob he year in preparing
PRatesss" unsatisfactory Christ
uEunbIa, this time, and good
akg anS the children asked
nj Mise not get it, and John
The e. u stronghold ale, and
~. Bbnt must make up his
sea- ge'i ISe w,,.r. 4, ,,,,,, h.,.,,.
Industrious, and expecting
~, lvtfiers, solidly educated-he was a
Ger son Of great house, who had turned
Der to marry farmers dpughter-wth his
4nely, good, sweet wife ane, a charming wo.
in of forty, still handsome, and looking, John
gould facetiously declare, only the elder sister
of her seven children, were quite settled in their
farm Of Elscoate, in Texas. They had sub
stantai frame house, Of two stories many log
huts, one a very elegant erection, numerous ont !
houses, barns, dove-cots; etc.; many aerss Of
land under cultivation, and were in a FAR way
to be prosperous and happy. John looked a dif-
ferent man TO what he did in England. There
his seven children, dearly loved as they were,
were still cause of fear for the future, here Of
Joy. They were surely provided for. Land lay
around him asking to be crhivated; the sons
could have farms when hey liked, and the girls
were sure to find husbands.
Edward Bruce Waters, the eldest son, was
twenty -one; there were three others, of whom
the youngest was five, and three girls, Alice,
Fanny and Sophia. Below these stood nume-
rous farm laborers, hunters etc., and two blacks,
supposed TO be slaves, TO conform to the laws of
the country, but who were as free as the air they
breathed.
Elscoate, so vainly called from Lord Elscoate,
John Waters eldest brother, was situated on
the banks of a delicious stream. To the right
and left, up and down, was the dark foliage of
cedar grove, while behind was clearing,
of maize and otilei ilal vests. The Iiver was
fringed by dense mass of pecan bushes, cedar,
live oaks, and other deep green trees, with tall
grass, and some old stumps, all covered by
Spanish moss and creeping plants, except where
about twenty yards had been cleared away as a
port or landing. On the opposite side Of the
stream, about q dozen yards wide, was grassy
verdant slope. Halfway up was charming log
hut, a two-roomed dwelling, the united chef dGu-
Ure of the children and servants, executed on high
days and holidays, but known as Neds Folly,
for it was ever considered, not the house that
Jack built, but that Ned built.
As soon as the house was built, and Ned be-
gan to make the furniture, and pay visits TO Gal
weston, bringing back mysterious parcels, he was
noticed to absent himself every evening, he
never said where, for Ned was a serious you'll
in his way, singular combination Of courage
and bashfulness, and the boys and girls would
somehow connect his absence with the little log
hut. Ned used TO take his gun after dinner,
his dog Hop, and go down toward the port
There he took to his dug-out, and sailed away,
nobody knew whittier; but the children thought
to some wild glen where magician of potent
name kept enchained some lady fair, whom Ed.
ward was striving TO rescue. And they otter
asked him questions, but Ned always laughed
and blushed, and said they should know som,
day. But Mr.. and Mrs. Waters began after
while to have serious thoughts about these alb
sences, and would sometimes sit up after tht
children were gone to bed and talk about them
but they never asked Edward any questions
He was their eldest boy, their first proudly-wel
coined child, and they could not find in thei
hearts TO invade the secresy of his evenings.
1t was in the month Of November, pleasan
time of year in Texas, when you keep ava
from swamps aud sea-coast, and Ned had mad
his house quite comfortable it would hav
been charming to have lived in it. But Ne
would not allow it. There was beautiful bed
stead Of maple-wood, with bedding and milk
white sheets, and curtain Partisan coquett
might have envied, and there was a mirror an
q dressing -table--awful enormities in the back
woods; and then in the parlor next the luXurioy
bedroom, all carpeted with furs, were neatl
made chairs red curtains, atable, and ornament
on the chimney piece, chiefly brought fro
England. On Edwards birthday, which wG
on the first Of Nos ember, the others in the fam
iV further decorated the House with lit
home -Hnads things, and Mr.. John Waters hin
self planted seven trees in front Of the hous
surrounding grsss-plot, and these trees we
called by the names of the seven children, aid
was further decided that on high days and hOl
days, they should henceforth be gaily adorn
by ribbons and flowers. Jane the fond mothe
resisted awhile this act, because she said, wi
a shudder, that perhaps some day they might