Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-11-03

teen from the date of his great grief,
Roger had again got married. His
daughter was growing into early wo-
manhood, and his son gave him trou-
bic at times, and tie cottage wanted
ruling haad over il when he was alb
sent, and rheumatism now and then
bade him look out for nurse before
old age, and Mary Alder was nota-
BILE middle-aged careful sort Of soul,
and so she became Mary Acton. All
went on pretty well, until Mrs. Acton
began to have certain little ones Of her
own; and then the step-mother would
break out a contingency poor Roger
hadn't thought of separate interests
crept in, and her own children Jared
before the others; so it came to pass
that, however truly there was ruling
hand at home, and however well the
rheumatism got nursed (for Mary was
good wife in. the main) the grown
up son and daughter felt themselves a
little jostled out. Grace, gentle and
submissive. found all her comforts
shrunk within the space of her father
and her lible: Thomas, self-willed and
open-hearted, sought his pleasure any
where but at home, and was like to
be trking to wrong courses through
domestic pickering: Grace had the
dangerous portion, beauty, added to
her lowly lot. and attracted more adj
miration than her father wished, or
she could understand; while the frank
and bold spirit of Thomas Acton ex-
posed him to the perilous friendship of
Ben. Burke the poacher, and divers
other questionable characters.
OF these elements, then, are our la
borer and his family composed; and
before Roger Acton goes abroad at
earliest str"ak of dawn, we will take a
casual peep within his dwelling. 1t
consist of four bare rubble walls, en-
closing groutcd floor, worn unevenly
and here and there in holes, and pud-
dly. There are but two rooms in the
tenement, one on the ground and one
overhead; which latter is with small
difficulty got at by scaling ladder
like staircase that fronts the cottage
door. This upper chamber, the COM
mon dormitory for all but Thomas,
who sleeps down stairs, has a thin par
tition at one end of it, to screen off the
humble truckle-bed where Grace Ac-
ton forgets by night the troubles Of the
day; and the remainder of the little
apartment, sordid enough, and over
hung with the rough thatch black with
cobweb, serves for the father and
mother with their recent nursery
Each room has its shattery easement, to
let in through lichened panes, the
doubtful light Of summer, and the
much more indubitable wind, and rain,
and frost of wintry nights. A few ar
ticles OF crockery and some FURNISHED
tins decorate the shelves of the lower
apartment; which used TO be much ti-
der before the children came, and
trimmer still when Grace was sole
manager; in a doOrlesS cupboard are
apparent sundry coarse edibles, as the
half of huge unshapely homemade
loaf, some white country cheese, a
mass of lumpy pudding. and SO forth;
beside 1t, on the window-sill, is better
bread, we'll l-thumbed Biole, some
tracts, and few odd volumes picked
up cheap at fairs; an old musket
occasionally Ben's companion, some
time Tom's) is hooked to the raiters,
near double rope of onions; divers
gaudy little prints, tempting spoil o.
pedlers, in honor Of George Barnwell,
the Prodigal Son, the Sailors Return,
and the Death of Nelson, decorate the
walls, and an Illuminated Chritmas car
offs pasted over the mantel.piece;-
which, amongst other chattels and pos
sessions, conspicuOusly bears its own
burden of Albert and Victoria-two
plaster heads, resplendently colored,
highly vanished, looking with arched
eyebrows of astonishment on their un-
inviting palace, and royalty contrast
ing with the sOmboe hue Of poverty
on all things else. The pictures had
belonged to Mary, no small portion of
her virgin wealth; and as for the sta
tuary, those two busts had cost loyal
Roger far more in comparison than
any corporation has given toaP. r. A.,
for Majesty and Consortshipin full
There is, moreover, in the room, by
way of household furniture, a ricketty,
triangular and tri-legged table, a
bench. two old chairs with rush-bot-
toms, and yard or two of mating
that the sexton gave when the chancel
was new laid. don't tknow that there
is anything else to mention, unless it
be a gaunt lurcher belonging to Ben
Burke, and with all dogs resem-
blerce to his master, who lies stretch
ed before the hearth where the peaty
embers never quite die out, but smoul-
der away to a heap of white ashes;
over these is hanging black boiler,
the cook of the family; and besides
them, on substratum ofdry heahter,
and wrapt about with an old blanket,
nearly companioned by his friend the
dog, snores Thomas Acton, still fast
asleep, after his usual extemperaneous
fashion.
AS to the upstairs apartment, ltcon-
tanned little or nothing but its living
inmates, their bedsteads and tattered
coverlids, and had an air of even more
penury and discomfort than the room
below; SO that, what with squalling
children, scolding wife, and empty
stomach, and that cold and wet March
morning, it is little wonder maybe
Though no small blame) that Roger
Acton had not enough of religion OF
philosophy TO rise and thank his Maker
for the blessings ofexistence.