The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-12-20

L uHGlSgui5Su SenLlin0nbS OF LIS ldlE S1ep-
daughter, who openly rejoiced at every
4 discontinue of the British arms, but
! increased his dislike and hatred to the
cause of Independence. On all occa
sions, even in the presence of the Brit
ish officers themselves, she fearlessly and
! warmly espoused the cause of her coun-
trynIen, to the great modification Of
| Isaac Wharton, an imperious aud over
bearing man, who could not endure such
infexible opposition in member of his
own house.
The visit of Michael to his house had
long since been forbidden, and latterly
he had met his betrothed only by stealth,
/ sometimes at house of a friend, and at
1 others in the open greenwood always
apprizing her of his presence in the
neighborhood, by some preconcerted sig.
nal which she readily recognized. Many
a stolen interview had taken place be-
tween them, little suspected by her un-
gracious step-father, who little dreamed
Of the artifdes to which lovers will re-
sort to elude the vigilence of these who
would sunder them forever.
Michael we'll knew how anxiously
Dora longed for his coming, and what
ever dangers beset his way, be seldom
| failed to hasten to her side, when the
public service permitted his absence
from the camp. Sometimes his signal
greeted her ears from the forest near her
dwelling, wheE the sun had but a few
hours commenced his course, and again
when It had sunk to rest, and the stars
of heaven were shining brightly in the
| illimitable vault, sometimes not uttered
from afar, unregarded and unrecognized,
save by herself, would cause her young
heart to fiutter with that strange sensa-
tion of delight only felt by those who
love passionately, and only to be ex-
perienced by them when after a long ab-
scence husband or lover returns to
repay them for the long vigil of love.
The sun was within an hour of his
setting, when the line of hazy vapor
which had long lain motionless on the
western horizon, began to grow dark and
dense as it loomed up fearfully in the
distance, and the wind, which had lulled
for near an hour, again sprang up; but
this time from the thunder cloud in the
west, in ftful blasts now surcharged
with vapor, and now hot and sulphurous
as the recking breath of valcano. The
muttered thunder began to groan and
growl in the west fearfully and deep, and
with its wings wide spread, the clouds
rode wildly down upon the gale, turning
day into night as its black shadow roll
ed over the earth. In an instant all ma
-t--re mingled in e,.fus.sssss he
sheeted lightnings gli1nmered and fash
ed necessarily; the deep toned thunder
shook the earth with its terrific tongue
and the tall trees of the forest bent,
shiyered and snapped in the gale-the
crash of their fall sH Hallowed up and lost
IN the yet louder thunders Of the below
ing storm.
As accustomed as Michael had been
to scenes of peril and danger, a feeling
of superstitious awe came over him, and
he felt like frail and helpless creature
of the dust, in the contemplation of so
! imposing and terrific scene. The mar
row pathway along which he rode,
stretched away through dense pine for
est, and on every side the tall trees
were broken and scattered around him
like stubble before the wind.
Michael would fain have turned aside
to seek shelter from the storm in some
of the scattered habitations that lay by
| the roadside, for the hurricane was now
upon him in all its fury but his past
experience had taught him to act with
cautious circumspeetion in a country
where civil war had loosened the hands
of society and set neighbors in bitter
and exterminating strife. Well known
through all that portion of the country
as an active and uncompromisiDg whig,
he was equally an object of terror and
bitter hatred to all who were enlisted
against the independence of their coun-
try. Fearing lest in seeking shelter
from the storm, he might unawaros place
himself in the power of the tories, in
whose hands his fate would soon have
been sealed, he hurried by dwelling af-I
ter dwelling, preferring rather to suffer
Exposure to the elements than to risk
falling into the hands of bloody minded
and unscrupulous men.
As the road, however, emerged from
the forest into AN open clearing of con-
siderable extent, he found himself with
in a few rods of house which lay upon
hisright, too dilapated in appearance to
render it probable that he might there
meet with dangerous adversaries. The
rain too, was nearly upon him, just as
he reached the narrow lane which led
down to the building. Hesitating only
feF==as-ss.ssssssnt he turned his horses head
and galloped up to the house, turning
his horse into the shelter of an unoc-
cupied stable, the door of which opened
into the lane. Entering the gateway,
where, half torn from its, hinges, the
gate hung obstructing his way, with
few easy strides he mounted the steps of
the piazza that tottered under his tread,
and raped loudly at the door for ad-
mittance.
Everything about the place wore a
deserted and cheerless aspect. The
magnificent shade trees around, which
seemed the growth of centuries, stood
unpruned and neglected, with their jag
ged boughs descending within, a few feet
Of the ground the rank grass was allow
ed to cover the entire yard, and grew up
even to the doorsteps, while here and
there refractory shutter, too rotten to
be retained by its hinges, was kept in
its place by rail or pole, cut from the
woods and placed as prop against it.
The hand railing around the piazza was
partially gone, and the pillars which
supported the roof we're nearly rotted
away at the base. Altogether the build
ing was as dilapidated and checrless as
if it had remained untenanted for a
whole generation.
His first summons falling to attract
| attention Michael knocked more loudly
than before, and in moment after, a
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