Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1853-03-31
Sam Harding.
The IEead OF = Rev SettIc3aeE5.
(Goniaded.)

HI (Coadaded)
II Time rolled on, and Sam, like
man kept his resolution |, aid th
consequence was, he not only i'm
proved himself in outwarl 4 d ppear
4nce, but improved his &lbih ant
ferry also; ard although h b did no
give up his flvorite pursuit, lie dc
not daily, as before, sally f5gth Witl
/ his rife. One day his settlement
which waseconsiderably increased ii
inhabitants, WAS thrown into state
Of excitement by the arrival of 4
mail wagon, and besides the mail
the driver brought a private letter
to Sam which contained a commits
sion appointing him postrn rnasterl =
Sam sgore at once that he would not
have it, but the driver told him he
must accept it-that he was appoint
cd, and if he refused he was liable to
be arrested for treason! So I.l had a
distinct recollection OF one Arnold,
who WIS executed for turning traitor
during the revolution, and the per
suasions of his wife, WHO Was graft
fed at Sans official elevation, at
length overcame his object ions, and
/
to what lie conceived to be
his duty, according te :'instf fuGtions,
namely, to open tile nail vi b closed
doors. he turned his family opt Of
doors, while be assorted the contents
of the bag. The letters fer that
point were of course few, and the du-
ty Of distributing them would have
been light to some men, b1t II was
vast labor I'd Sam. His off ifial hon
ors hung heavily upon him but he
staggered under the weight with be-
qoming dignity. until one dhy there
came a letter which had 4 evidently
str;tyed from its proper de9 9tination.
1t vas directed as follows;
SAM HARPER,
Harper's Ferry.
The chirography on the q dpts side of
this letter was SO bad that no one
dould own it. Sam said it couldn't
be ior him, because there wa ! no one
corresponded with him except the
Post Office Department, 50 the mis-
sive remained uncalled for At
length our new postmaster became
anxious to mike some disposition Of
it; he accordingly consulted hi neigh
lors, and they after due deli beration
agreed that if was a
dead letter, and it was Sam s duty
TO carry it to Washington VIII ere
they heard the dead letter ollice was
The necessity. Of carrying
this dclanct epistle to Its mlausclpt
grave at length became strongly i'm
pressed on Sam 5 mind, but he kept
off complete conviction for anot her
week, even after the necessity Of a
t9iip had been fully established d in his
mind. .At length with a sad heart,
and a new buel<-skin suit, his old nag
Pete brushed Up and s@1aled, and
the dead letter rolled up in q dczen
folds of what was once the IA i of his
Tow shirt, over which his wife |eagerly
sewed a covering of buck skin, Sam
prepared to make this ev entful jour
ney
II 1t is needless to say before he con
Signed his destiny to the road, he
rode round the settlement and kiss
ed ali the women farewell. the young
ones especially, and the b HIith his
trusty rifle in hand, he turned Pete $
HEAD in the direction of the capitol
Nothing important occurred to inter-
Irhpt his progress pntllI one morning
.dhen he bad fairly progresse ed into
the hills Of Virginia and was travel
ing in what was those days a dreary
region, suddenly he noticed two
wolves stealthily following him. but
among The catalogue Of four legged
animals. Sam ranked wolves Of very
sliolIt account. lie, however, had
under-estimated the large grey-prow-
lers of the Alleghanies. Presently
the number of these former quiet
followers began to increase, and ere
lono the foremost broke into a howl
Of Confidence. This sound brought
more to the ranks Of The pdrsuers,
until fnaliythey began to poke out
theiE noses towards Pete in such a
significant manner and howl B % MES!
aiter him so hungrily, that be broke
into an uneasy trot, then in canter,
and finally began to show hiF i heels !
in a VERY hasty kind Of gallopI Sam s