Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-01-26
CHAPTER XVII.
Popularity,

is come, and the voice Of the turtle is
heard in our land; the fg-tree put
telh forth his green figs, and the BIOS
SONS of the vine smell sweetly. Arise,
and come away
Yesterdays trial. and its unlocked
for issue, have raised Roger Acton to
the rank Of hero. The towns excite
ment is intense; and the little inn,
where he and Grace had spent the
night in gratitude and prayerful praise,
is beseiged by carriages full Of lords
and gentlemen, eager to see and speak
with Roger.
Humbly and reverently, yet pre-
serving an air Of quiet self-possession,
the laborer received their courteous
l<indnesses; and acquitted himself OF
what may we'll be called the honors of
that levee, with dignity native TO the
true-born Briton, from the time OF
Caractacus at Rome to our own.
But if Roger was demi-god. Grace
was at least goddess; she charmed
all hearts with her modest beauty
Back with the shades of night, and
the prison-funeral of jennings, fled
envy, hatred, malice, and all unchari-
tableness: the elderly sisterhood OF
Hurstley, not 10 be out of fashion
set by titled danes, hastened to ac-
knowledge her projections; Calumny
was shamed and hid his face; the un-
cles, aunts, and cousins Of the hilltop
yonder, were glad to hold their tongues
and bite their nails in peace: farmer
Floyd and his Mrs. positively came
with peace offerings, some sausage
meat, elder.wine, jam, and other dain-
ties, which were to them the choicest
sweets of life; and as for Jonathan,
he never felt so proud Of Grace in all
his life before; the handsome fellow
stood at least a couple Of inches taller.
Honest Bon Burke, too, that most i'm
portant witness, whose coming was as
Blucher's at Waterloo and secured the
well earned conquest of the day, tho
ii must be confessed that his appear
ance was something Of the satyr, still,
had he been PhGbus Apollo in person,
he would scarcely have excited since
rer admiration. More than one fair
creature sketched mis- unkempt head,
and loudly wished that its owner was
q bandit; moro than one bright eye
discovered beauty in his open counten-
ance, though little soap and water
might have made IL more distinguisha-
BILE. Well. well. honest Ben. they
looked, and wisely looked, at the frank
and friendly mind hidden under that
rough carcase, and little wonder that
they loved II.
Now, TO all this stream Of hearty
English sympathy, the kind and prop
er feeling Of young Sir John resolved
TO give a right direction. His fashion
able friends were gone, except Sill
phant and Poynter. both good fellows
in the main, and all the better for the
absence (amongst others Of that pad
ded old debauchee. Sir Richard Hunt,
knight Of the order Of 81. Sapphira,
that frivolous inantity, Lord George
Pypp, and that professed gentleman
Of gallantry, Mr.. Harry Mynton. The
follies and vices had decampod. had
scummed of, so TO speak, leaving the
more rectdod spirits behind them, TO
recover at leisure, as best they might,
from oil that iermont Of dissipation
So then. there was now neither ridi.
cule, nor interest, TO stand in the way
Of young aud wealthy heirs we'll
timed schemes Of generosity.
woll-timed they were, and Sir John
knew IL, though calculation seldom had
footing In his warm and needless
heart: but he could not shut his eyes
10 tho fact, that tho state Of feeling
amongst his hereditary laborers was
anything but pleasant. In truth.
owing 10 tho desperate mal-practices
Of Quarles and Jennings. perhaps no
property in tho kingdom had got so
III a name as llurstley, discomfort
reigned paramount; ineendiary fires
had more than once occurred: threat.
ening notices. very Ill spelt. and signed
by one soi.disam Captain Blood, had
been dropped. in dead Of winter, at
the door.sills of the principal farmers:
and oil the ether fruits Of long-oon-
tinued penury. extortion. and misgov.
ernment, were hanging ripe upon the
bough. a foul and fatal harvest.
Therefore did the kind young land
lord, who had come 10 live amongst
his own peasantry. resolve not moro
nobly than wisely, TO seize nm oppor.
tunity so good as this. lor restoring,
by q stroke of generous policy. peace
and content on his domain. No doubt
the Baronet rcjoiced. as we'll he might,
at the honorable acquital Of innocence
and the mysteries Of murder now
cleared up. he made small secret Of
his satisfaction NJ tho doom Of Jen.
nings; and rs for Bridget Quarles, by
oil he could learn Of her from tenants
and other female dependants. he had
no mind 10 wish her back again, or 10