Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-11-24

men, must obey orders. like the rest G
you; these are hard times for Hurst
ley, he would say, andwe must all ri
over them rs best we can. According
70 Simon. II was as much rs his owl
place was worth 10 remit ono singl
penny Of fine. or make the least in
lalgenee for calamity; whilst, rs I
lowering cotter's rent. or raising
litcher's wages. he dared not do IL 70
his life; folks must not blame him, bu
look TO the landlord.
Now. all this. in the long absence
Of any definite resident muster at lh
Hall. sounded reasonable. IL true; ant
Mr.. Jennings punetuslly paid. how
lever bad the terms; so the poo mel
bode their time. and looked for bette
days. And the days long looked 70
uow were come; but were they AM
better? The baronet. indeed. seemed
bent upon inquiry. reform. redress
but. rs he never went without the rigL
hand man. his endeavors were alway,
unsuccessful. At first il would appeal
that the bailiG had gone uron his ole
plan. Struggling upon his shoulders 1,
the men at the masters meanncss
while he praised the to landlord III,
condition Of his tenants; but this coulu
not long deceive, SO he turned instant
er on another track: he assumed lh,
despot. issuing authoritative edicts
which no one dared to disobey; he
made the laborer hide his needs, and
intercepted at its source the lords be.
nevolence. he began 10 be found out,
so the bolder spirits said, in filching
v iih both hands from man and mas.
ter: and. to the mind Of more than Cne
shrewd observer. was playing the un.
just steward 10 admiration.
But stop: let US hear the other side
il is possible we may have been mista
ken. Bailiifs are never popular, par
,icnlarly il they are too honest, and
this one Is a stern man with repulsivc
manner. Who knows whether his nd :
vice to Acton may not have been wise
and kind, and would not have conduced
to q general rise Of wages? Who can
prove. nay. venture TO insinuate, any
such systematic roguery against man
hitherto so strict, so punctual. so sane
tmonious? Even in the case Of Sin
Johns golden gifs. Jennings may b,
right after all; II is quite possible thai
Roger was mistaken, and had gilt .
piece Of silver with his longings; and
the upright man might we'll take um.
bragg at so vile an imputation as thai
hot and silly speech; II was foolish.
very foolish. to have quote text against
him. and no wonder that the laborei
got dismissed for Il. Then again to
return to wages. who knows?it nigh
be. all things considered. the only way
Of managing rise; the baihii mus
know bis masters mind best. and Ac
ton had been wise to have done as h,
bade him; perhaps itreally was we'll
meant. and might have got him twelve
shillings a.week instead OF eight AZ
hitherto; perhaps Simon was shrewd
man. and arranged il cleverly: perhap,
Roger was an honestman,and could'nl
but think others so.
Any how, though, all was lost now.
and he blamed his own rash tongue,
poor fellow. for what he could not help
fearing was the ruin OF himself and al
he loved. With a melancholy heart.
be shouldered his spade, and slowly
plolded homewards. How long should
be- have a home? How was he to get
bread. TO get work, il the bailiff was
his enemy? How could he face his
wife, and tell her all the foolish past
and dreadful future? How could he
bear TO look on Grace. too beautiful
Grace, and torture her heart by fan
cying her fate? Thomas, too, his own
brave boy. whom utter poverty might
drive to desperation And the poor
babes, his litlle playful pets, what on
earth would become Of them? There
was the Union workhouse TO be sure.
but Acton shuddered at the thought;
to be separated from everything he
loved, to give up his little all, and be
made both prisoner and slave, all
for the sake of what?-daily- wa,er-
Cruel, and a pauper's branded livery.
Or they might perchance go beyond
the seas, if some Prince Edwards
Company would help him and his to
emigrate; ay, thought he, and run
new risks, encounter fresh dangers.
lose everything, get nothing, and all
the trouble taken merely to starve TIN ee
thousand miles from home. No. no,
at this time OF life, he could not be
leaving for ever old friends. old habits.
old fields. old home, old neighborhood.
where he had seen the saplings grow
up trees, and the quick toppings change
into a tcn-foot hedge; where the very
cattle knew his step, and clods broke
kindly to his plough-share; and more
than all. the dear old church, where
his foreiathers had worshipped from
the Conquest. and the old mounds
where they slept, and, and, nd,-that
one precious grave Of his dear lost
Annie,-could he leave it? Oh God.
no! he had done no i'll. he had COM
mitted no crime. why should he pre-
fer the convict's doom, and seek TO be
transported for life?
A miserable walk home was that,
and full Of wretched thoughts. Poor
Roger Acton, tossed by much trouble,
vexed with sore oppression. wish that
you had prayed in your distress; stop,
he did pray, and that yehemently; but
it was not for help. or guidance, or
patience, or consolation, he only
prayed for gold.