Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-08-04


but his courage ebbed not whit. He
was helpless-not able to get out of his
chair, and he surmised strange occur
rences, 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 hag
was either decoy or man in disguise,
whose object was robbery. l could see
all this was rapidly passing through
my fathers mind, but it did not bow
him the ninth part of an inch. So I
sat still as if 1 suspected nothing but
war of words; the hag had an old
quilted hood and an old bombazine
cloak, which came to her feet and was
belted about the body.
"You are woman?" said father.
"Of course 1 am, what do you ask
them questions for?''
"Have you husband?"
eyes"
"Where does he live?"
"In Truxton."
"Well, then, if you have husband,
why do you not live at home instead of
gadding about such nights as this, alone
"a night fit only for fends to be
abroad?"
'Why don't you set the North river
on fre?" said she, leaping from her
chair and springing towards my father,
and kissing through her teeth, "I'll
teach you why 1 am here"
Ny 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 l was out of my seat as quick
as the hag, and as she passed me on
the way to grapple my father, 1 struck
her with my fist blow under the ear,
which but 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 my
self for fight.
She recovered, and looking at me a
moment, said, as if in soliloquy, "Oh!
you choose to cross my path do you?
Well, d-n me if l don't settle you,
pretty quick" and thrusting her hand
| into her cloak, made as if she would
draw a dagger. The motion mad
dened me, it brought the foam to my
lips, struck her half dozen blows as
quick as lightning, she let her dagger
90 and clinched me-her grippe satisfied
me 1 had found my match, aye, more
in strength, and that my skill as a
boxer, and my almost unequalled abili-
ty as wrestlermust save me.
1 had learned pugilism of clever
English teacher, and at wrestling, to
that day 1 had never been thrown. l
knew when l felt the grip that l was
dealing with a man. l felt that my
father and mother were relying on me
and grew strong, as before said. We
tussled, grasped and let loose, struck
and parried, clenched and wrestled, till
at various attempts we found ourselves
to what wristlers call side hold" |
got the under arm, and lifted him, for
it was no longer a woman-over my
hip, threw my leg around his and
turned him. He fell on the floor like a
log. | intended to break his bones, but
he unlocked his cloak-it had become
unbelted in the struggle-and he leaped
up like cat. His cloak and hood fell
off together. l struck him before he
was balanced, staggered him, grappled
my left hand into his throat and struck
him again-called on my mother to
open the door, as she did, l pushed him
and kicked him out. He swore he
would be the death of me. l told him
to take himself out of the State or
would put sheriff on his track, and
shutting the door in his face, walked tC
my father.
"My son." said he, 'kneel down, >
and l did, and my mother was by my
side, and my brother, boy younger
than myself, who had awakened, anC
crept out into the kitchen, was alsC
there, and father prayed God for his
t blessings, and thanked him for oul
safety, and blessed me for my GOODNESS
, and bravery, and we all went to bed.
Now, let you doubters tell me how
{ came to see this matter beforehand
/, This very hooded and cloaked man
9 had seen, and heard his threats to m.
$ father, had struggled with him, ant
!, conquered him in my dream, before h
e came into the house, and had awakened
i and left my bed to go and see after m!
fathers safety, and to conquer hin
n again in the kitchen. All the mai
d features of the occurrence were mad
known to me before they took place
J: and by the impression they made on me
l enabled me, | doubt not, to save m,
L parents lives. This incident differ
II from the others in this, that what
was conscious of in one state, was com
q mon to the other. 1t was an act
provision. l could make book {
10 such incidents in my life.
Let these suffice to satisfy the reader
T. as far as my testimony goes, of tn
truth of the position, that person:
IN whilst in the body, are not always sui
ject to material causes or motives, a
prompters to activity.
e, NEW ENeL1sH TARIFF. = Sever,
ry changes, at the recommendation of tt
ministry, have been made in the En-!
,r lI;sb farir ond the raduct;on of duff,