Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-08-25
The Hair Shirt.

cient in rael courage, when there is need of
it. A woman that would scream and faint if |
mouse was to run over the keys Of her piano.
could face fire, .shipwreck, and death in any
shape, with a calmness and coolness that moth. |
in but faith in Providence can give. recol- |
lect curious circumstance that occurred down
to Kennebec, during the revolutionary war
l had it from one of the family. Old Captain
Eldridge and his son had to leave home one
day to Attend meetin' Of the kings friends,
and there was nobody left in the house but his
daughter Mary and hired gal, both on 'em
about eighteen years of age. Well, things
went on as usual pretty much, till about sun
down, when there was an awful uproar in the
yard. Such yellin' and screamin' and squee-
I'm, and scamperin', never was heard
What in natur is all that, Sally!' said Miss
Eldridge. Lord only knows MISS said she,
unless its the rebels a-seizen' of the captains
swine for the fort. The cowardly villins
know that the men are all away, and shouldn'tt
wonder If it's them taking the chance to plum
der Well, if the men are all gone, the
guns aint,' said miss; and I'll treat 'em to
shot at any rate. If | don't hit 'em I'll scare
'em, for towards don't like the smell of pow
der, it's pyson to them Let me take look
from the back door. Lord a. mercy on us q
said she, it's a monstrous great big black
bear, a-carrying off the old sow in his arms.
Why he stands seven feet high Almost on his
hind legs. Let's drive him off; follow me-
and she took a brand of burning wood from
the kitchen fire and ran after the bear, wavin'
it round and round to Keep the blaze bright,
and screamin' and shouting at the top of her
voice, for wild varments are awful scared at
fire.
But the bear warn't so easily darnted; he
stopt, and showed an awful row of harrow
teeth, enough to frighten any one. But on
she went, came up to him, and fetched him
blow Of the hot, sparkling, hardwood stick,
full of live Goals, right across his eyes and
nose. 1t did the business for him. Bruin
dropt the pig (that scampered off to the sty
rOarin' as if clawin' warn't just as pleasant as
ticklin',) and then he made for the fence,
which was built Of long ranging stuff, not trees
nor poles, but betwixt and between like, such
as the rafers they use for scaffolds. Well,
the bear, who was half blinded by the hot
brand, tried to get between the logs, and, just
as he put his head through, miss lifts up the
upper one and springs it on his back, and had
him fast in a minute. 1t just made trap like
what the Cuba fellers call garotte, for strang-
lin of prisoners. The way he gave lip, until
the woods rang again, and tore up the chips,
and grass, and gravel with his hind feet, and
set them a-fyin' in all directions, was eau
tion to sinners. Sally sais she, come here
and sit on the end of this spring pole; keep it
down with all your might; he can't get ont,
he is properly noosed.' 90! am afeared,
miss said the gal, I'm skeered to DEATH
Skeered are you!' sais she. Now, do tell.
Well, l want to know. Why. How you
talk! Well, just give me your hand, then,
that may take a good jump, and we'll let
him go; but it's a pity, too Well, she
creeped up and creeped up ever so cautious,
keepin' one eye on the beast, and the other on
the young lady, and gave her hand. And
what does miss do but gives her pull that
nearly fetched her on top Of Bruin. Now,
sails she, sittin' of her down on the log, do
you hold fast, till go for the carvin' knife
and do for him. 90! dear Miss Eldridge,
sais she, Il can't. O.! don't leave me in the
Jaws Of this roarin' lion, that's dear lady;
Sits nothin' but bear. Don't be skeered;
but don't stir for your life, or the crittur will
give you such hug Bill Edwards will be
Jealous 90! be quick, Miss Mary then;
he's strugghn' dreadful now'
Well, she flew to the house, and back agin
with the knife as quick as wink, and passin'
through the gate, got the other side of the
villain, and stood ready for action. Now,
Sally sais she, hold on for dear life. When
he feels the knife he'll make a desperate
splunge, and kirwollop like anything. Are
you readyp Yes Then, here goes
and she drew the knife across his throat
Well, his tongue was stuck out ever SO far,
his eyes flashed fire enough to light up the
fence. Almost, and he fairly roared agin with
pain. He braced up against the fence with
his hind feet, and managed to get small pur-
chase for his paws, and made a desperate pull
backward with all his might. The more he
pulled the more he opened the wound, and she
got another clear sweep Of the knife across the
cash. and cut it through. In the last struggle
he threw his hind parts on to Sally, and she
screamed, 9 Let 60 = and ran for it; and he
pulled out his head, and arter her quick stick.
But it was no 60. After jump or two he
fell and then he rose, and fell again, and then
he got up, and staggered about with his head
hangin', and fell heavy, and bled to DEATH
He was the largest bear ever seen on the Ken
nebec River.
Well, some of the neighbors skinned it for
her; and what do you think she did with the
fur q Made muff of it, said Collingwood.
No Trimmed a sleigh 2 NO Made
counterpane 9 No. "A mat for the bed
side! No. Why what on airth did she
do with it, thens' Why, she had the skin
shaved close, and took the fur and spun it into
yarn, and vowed if she married an officer in
the kings service she would knit a battle-shirt
for him, that he might be reminded Of the