Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-12-21

horror that she had brought off the cat instead
of the baby!
All through that memorable night the terror
swept onward toward the north with speed
which seems almost miraculous, producing eve
rywhers the same results. At midnight horse
man clad only in shirt and breeches dashed by
our grandfather's door, in Hayerhill, twenty
miles up the river. "Turn out Get mus
ket! Turn out % he shouted "the regulars
are landing on Plum Island - "I'm glad of
it, " responded the old gentleman from his cham
Der window =" I wish they were all there, and
obliged to stay there" When it is understood
that Plum Island is little more than naked
sand ridge, the benevolsnce of this wish can bo
readily appreciated.
All the boats on the river were constantly en-
ployed for several hours in conveying across the
terrified fugitives. Through " the dead waste
and middle of the night" they fled over the
border into New Hampshire, Some feared to
take the frequented roads, aud wandered over
wooded hills and Slr9ugH, awamps where the
SHOWS of the late winter had scarcely melted.
They heard the tramp and outcry of those be-
hiud them, and fancied the sounds were made
by pursuing enemies Fast as they fled, the
terror, by some unaccountable means, ontstrip-
ped them. They found houses deserted and
in the hurry of escape. Towards morning, how
ever, the tide partially turned. Grown men
began to feel ashamed of their fears. The old
Anglo-Saxon hSrdihood paused and looked the
terror in its face. Single or in small parties,
armed with such weapons as they found at
hand-among which long poles, sharpened and
charred ut the end were conspicuous-they be-
gan to retrace their steps. In the meantime
such Of the good people of Taswch as were una
bic or unwilling to leave their homes became
convinced that the terrible rumor which had
nearly depopulated their settlement was TN.
founded. Among those who had there awaited
the onslaught of the regulars was young man
from Exeter, N. IL Becoming satisfied that the
whole matter was dclusion, he mounted his
horse and followed after the retreating multi
tude, undeceivng all whom he overlook. Late
at night he reached Newburyport, greatly to
the relief of its sleepless inhabitants, and hur
ried across the river, proclaiming as he rode the
welcome tidings. The sun rose upon haggard
and jaded fugitives, worn with excitement and
fatigue, slowly returning holneward, their at
isfaction at the absence of danger somewhat
moderated by an unpleasant consciousness of the
ludicroas scenes of their premature night fit
ting.
Any inference which might be drawn from the
foregoing narrative derogatory to the character
Of the people of New England at that day, on
the score Of courage, would bo essentially crro-
neous. 1t is true they wera not the men to court
danger or rashly throw away their lives ior the
mere glory Of the sacrifice. They had always a
prudent and wholesome regard to their own
comfort and safety; they, justly looked upon
Sound headr and limbs us better than broken
ones life was to them too serious and mpor-
tant, and their hard-gaincd property too vana-
Bile to be lightly hazarded. They never at
tempted to cheat themselves by under estimating
the difficulty to be encountered or shutting their
eyes to its probable consequences. Cautious
and wary, schooled in the subtle strategy of
Indian warfare, where self preservation is by no
means a secondary object, they had little in
common with tho reckless enthusiasm of their
French allies or the stoid Indifference of the
lighting machines of the British regular army
When danger could no longer be avoided they
met it with frmness and iron endurance but
with very vivid appreciation of its magnitude
Indeed, it must be admitted by all who are ia.
milar with the history of our fathers that the
. element of fear held an important place among
their characteristics. 1t exaggerated all the dan.
, gers of their earthly pilgrimage and peopled
the future with shapes of evil Their fear o
Satan invested him with some of the attributes
J, of omnipolence and almost reached the point OF
reverence The slightest shock of an earthouak
, filled all hearts with terror. Stout men trem-
bled by their hearths with dread of some para
lytic old woman supposed to be Il witch And
when they believed themselves called upon tc
grapple with these terrors and endure the aflc.
tons of their allotment, they brought to the trial
a capability ofsu fring undiminished by the chic.
roform of modern philosophy. They were heroic
, in endurance Panics like the one we have de.
scribed might bow and sway them like reeds in
the wind but they stood up like the oaks Of
{ their own forests beneath the thunder and hail
Of actual calamity