The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-01-24

Some three miles from Pleasant Valley. OF
the road to Edge-hill, where Squire Saunder
lived. is the Foster Farm. By that title il i
known in all the country round, for five gcner
ations ofFosters have owned il in life, aud nov
lie in the little graveyard By the corner of III,
orchard. A comely, tall, sinewy race the,
were, frank Of speech, honest OF purpose, ant
not afraid Of hard work Wen il was for then
that they possessed the latter virtue, for al
that they could wiring. BY hardest labor out o
their scanty patrimony had been comfortable
living, and the satisfaction Of handing dowf
the homestead. from father to son. nubnr,lenet
BY debt.
The present occupant ot the place had il
his boyhood. been one Of Bessie Littleton's
most devoted admirers. though he contentee
himself with thinking Of the charmer as he FOL
lowed the plow, and never dared TO give hi,
love tongue.
She knew il well enough, the little gipsy
for all that; she hal read in his face huntircl
times, and laughed over II. in private rs often
When Bessie came back from the city. Da.
vid Fosters father was dead, and his widowed
mother and he were living at the farm togeth'
er. People spoke OF him US u likely young
man, and when they saw that he never lingesed
at the door to chat with the girls after meet
ing, they said that he was wise enough to
avoid his torcfather's errors For one great
cause that had kept the Fosters poor was, the
number OF whjtc-headed little olive-branehes
that always had clustered around their table
DAVID aiinse!f was the Grst ouly child ip the
annals Of the family.
But when il became known that Bessic's
city match had been broken oil, and that the
race for her hand Was again open, he suddenly
discovered that there were many things in the
settlement Of his fathers estate--a simple job il
was, heaven knows-rcquirng legal advice
and his boysh friendship with Tom Littleton
was renewed. and strengthened with bonds oi
silver. In the cold winter Sundays, too, when
his mother could not come to meeting, Tom
rarely missed him at tea-timc.
And while other suitors came and went,
lured on by Bessie's destinations, aud then dis
couraged by her scorp. or else awed under
Sam Saunders terrible spell, David made
slow aud sure progress. II was more than a
year before be found courage to put TO Bessie
the tremendous question, and when he had
done it, he sat like one who had spoken with
an oracle, and waited TO hear his fate from in.
spire.l lips.
Bessie had il IN her heart TO answer him u
frank yes for, in that year oi intimate friend.
ship, the young farmers manly truth. and hon
est warm feeling had won upon the best part Of
her nature, more than she would have liked TO
conkss. But old habits OF flirting. US Of any
thing else are hard to eradicate. Yield with.
out struggle she could not. say no, she dared
not, lest the youth, unyersed in woman's wiles
should believe she meant it, She had not even
the great resort Of yonng ladies in her predica-
ment father to refer 10. And so, finally, as
the best thing she could do, she said that he
must breach the matter 10 her coysin Tom. aud
she would be governed by his advice.
Tom was at the Office that evening. but the
ardent lover could brook DO delay. Away he
went, his heart beating rapidly. and his face
flushed with excitement, siriding along with such
steps a. men Can only TAXI when travelling to-
wards happiness. or away from danger; aud
when he reached the Office, he flung l,nck the
door with crash, that started from profound
deliberations not only its owner. bat the gentle
man with whom hc was eonycrSing learn
Cd professional brother, Squire Samuel Sauu-
ders.
The great erraml on which he had caue. sank
uDuttered from Davids lip., when he saw the
terrible Squire. The glow fioi from bis lace,
but not before j, had been noticed and its Inn
port guessed by one Of the party. lie got 10
chance 10 open his heart 10 Tom that evening,
and when Squire Saunders. rising TO 40. propo-
sed 10 set him down at hpmeas b. passed Foster
Farm. David followed him INCREASINGLY, ~ ir
the terrible spil were m him already,
Their conversation ss they rode along was
Aery interesting so much 20. that the next
morning David rode ovf 10 Edgehill 10 I'm
isb il.
That you may see. said the lawyer IN his
dry. argumcntativr way. that nm only teil-
ing you the exact truth will read yGn few
lines from the greatt-t authority IN the law.
This book il blackstone Commentaries. and !
read from the 443d page Of the first volume.
II The wfe BE- Hdebfed 6sfme marriGgs. fhs
husband is bouad otferrmrds 10 pay 1. debf ;
for he hos odopfet her aad her circumstances 10
gdher.'
The lawyer glanced sbalthily ut his compaIl
ion n he closed the book but i,ayd had bu
riel his face in his han'i- aud appeared To i'c IL
profound thought. t.
Suppose il CONES To this, said H.. at l,sigth.
e can you take away my mother right IN the
farm
"Of course not, was the r,ply; your moth.
CT 8 thirds for her own tic. viii h. left untouch
cd. But the execution will certainly sweep
away all the rest
Then my mind made up, said the Young
man. rising. III Bessie knows ibis and viii
h. my wife thank God I've plir Il strong
harsls and an honest heart Your executicn
canbot take them Sqlirr -aunfrs.'
Saving this. he marched out of the room.
without even look si his oppDents iaee.-
Had h. takru one. h. world have r.7s ,hen an
expression, M, ip,ie,i happy. but lar dif-rcn'
from the angry ooc ho imagined.
That same afternoon Bessie IIt,leiOn Was az
tonished by the announcement that Squire
Saunders was 10 the par'or and wished 10 se
her.
she turpd dsdy pal al the nentiou of his
name, and ber beart sank a. sbe conFcturcd the
purpose of his visit. OfteD a. thi- iBplaoable
enemy hal crossed br Path Of late, b. never
before had comc to wage the conflict or enjoy
his revenge in isr prvsncc
The conflict. The thougbi fasis,l acroe~ lsr
mind that there never Lad been any coaAici
before. His plans hal worked sea1etly. and shs
hal known them ooiy by tbeir certain efbct.
There mnst h. sous fault in them ihi. time. ~
be woad not te forced to appear " person On
the 6eld.
The blood rushed back to her ilrc az tlns et-
ultant thought rose IN ber mind. -be xas
Abou, to msi h,r ine, lace To face. and .he en-
tered the yarl0r resolved on a terrible struggle
I ne 6rst giaacs .he cast Ga sam was is,ensiei
To make him quail. she might a. vel have
tired with sach irowa % stay m Impending
ayAlADcIss. or ave into sssseefee granite col.
Il e l. -