Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-10-16
B. R. COWEN EDITOR & PROPRIETOR.]
NEW SERIES, VOL. TX, NO 2.l

| into 6notner. ana ne came MOT, anu Will
fearful foreboding, making sad unrest in he
bosom, she retired, to dream ;of scalps an
burning houses.
At the daybresk, mother and daughte
were aroused by loud knocking at the dool
and having opened it, they found that Dea
con Eme: Grant, an old, whte-hared man
and the father oe Christopher, was come L
INQUIRE for his son, who had not been a
home since the afternoon Of the previous
day.
There leaned his musket against the wal
to tell that he had gone forth unarmed, ant
increasing the already tormenting fears o
the old man. Prudence trembled and cried
and hid her face, for if harm had come te
Christopher, che felt that it was herselfhad
brought it upon him, and because no one
accused her, her conscience accused her the
more. If he had carried his musket, if she
had gone with him, or even if she had s2ok.
en- kindly to him. he might have been well
at home, and his !ather's heart glad. What
would she not have given to have brought
back the time ..of her last interview with
him. but it could not be, and all she could
do was to wiring her hands and weep.
Mistress Hopewell tried to make comfort
able suggestions, but her heart misgave her,
and for all she said, she could only see the
lost young man made the target of some
terrible arrow.
All the neighbo-s, for miles round, were
summoned, ard the search began, first in
the meadow where the cows were pastured,
widening and deepening far across the hills
and into the forest; but hunter after hunter
came back with sad face and respondent
shake of the head. A: :he end of the week
Christopher had not been found, nor had
there been discovered any traces of him, by
which hope or fear might feel its way. The
Sabbath came serenely bright and cold and
still, and the people gathered in the meet
ing house, each one looking anxiously at
his neighbor, and inquiring whether the lost
had been found. Almost every eye grew
moist when old Deacon Grant came down
the aisle alone, feeling his way with astick,
for he had been used 10 lear on the strong
arm of his son ,and the moist eyes flied and
overRowed when the minister prayed that
the desolate and bowed mourner might be
lifted up and supported by the power of Goo,
and that heavenly love might flow in and
fill up the aching depths where human love
was dry; and that if the lost young man
lived, the good Shepherd might lead him,
and abide with him in the silence and gloom
of the wilderness; and that if he were dead,
the leaves might cover him softly, and the
wild beasts be led away from his grave
Then the thoughts of all the congregation
were turned from its darkness to the bright
morning OF the resurrection that would
break as gloriously in the wilderness as on
the cleared land.
At the head of the pew occupied by Mrs.
Hopswell Garret and her beautiful daughter
a strange gentleman was observed TO sit that
day, and it was remarked that his ruffles ,aad
the blue damask lining of his satin cloak
alone, had cost money enough to buy two
goats for the sexton, whose wife was sickly
and had been recommended, by great
doctor from Pemaqud, to diet upon goats
milk. This stranger of elegant apparel was
Arthur Harcourt, and from that day all the
wear theI eafter his attentions to Mistress
Hopewell were unremitting, though some
said the silver mounted rifle at the head of
the pew, and the gold lettered psalm book
he used, were put instruments of courtship
to Miss Prudence, and it was moreover hint
ed that he was but making pastme for him-
self, and would never bend his naughty pride
to the calling of little Prudence Garret Mis-
tress HarcouEt.
But there was no room for wise fore
thought in the heart of the damsel. She
knew that she was pleased and fiattered by
the civilities of the handsome gallant, and
she would only listen to admoniiion in the
scornful belief that it was born of envy
Her nature was all untempered to the re-
ception of unpleasant truth, notwithstand-
ing the experience that would have subdued
many another to the deepest humility. If
she had been left alone, conscience might
have questioned her more sharply, but as it
was, the sweet whispers of the new admirer
stifed its voice, and the old memory receled
more and more in the pleasant shining of
the new hope.
Mistress Hopewell had kept fast upon
fast, and prayed time upon time for the lost
Christopher, adding supplement to prayers
and iasts for Prudence, who seemed to her
scarcely lost than the young man; but no
tidings came of the one, and no change of
hear; to the other.
1t was November again, almost Decen-
Der, and, says the chronicle of the time,
",he rivers were frozen up, and they of
Charlestown could not come to the meeting
at Boston till the afternoon at high water. :"
"Many cows and goats were forced to
stay aboard (on ship-board) for the want of
shelter" And futher, "Arthur HarcOIrt,
leisurely young man of Boston. and one
of the congregation there, young maid,
the daughter of Mistress Hopewell Garret,
and four others, went toward Plymouth in a
shallop, against much gooc advice, and
about the Gurnett's Nose the wind over
blew SO much at the northwest as they were
obliged to come to a hillock al twenty
fathom; but their boat drave and shaked out
the stone, and they were put to sea, and the
boat took in much water, which did freeze
SO hard as they could not free her, SO they
gave themselves up for lost, commenting
themselves to God and disposing themselves
to de-"
"But," continues the account, "oDe o
their number espying land, they made shift
to hoist sail, and by special Providence
were carried through the rocks TO the shore
where some got on land; but some had thell
legs frozen into the ice SO they were forced
to be cut out"
Having come on shore, they kindled
fire, and slept on the ground together tha
night, and in The morning two OF The com
pany, Harcourt, who had escaped best,fron
the fact of being more suitably clothed
than the others, and young man named
Golf, set off toward Plymouth, which they