Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-10-09
Gboitt M(isttIlang,
From the Saturday Evening Post.
PRUDENCE GARREF:
A TALE OF THE PCRITANS.
BY ALICE CAREY.

MASON was maSter-the same being manneI
with fifty seamen and thirty pieces of or
dnance, the wind coming to north by west
among many others, one John Garret, to
gether with Hopewel. Garret, his wife,
woman of excellent good sense and stead
fast piety, and Prudence. their daughter.
maid of ten years, having a comely face
and beneath it proud spirit that brooke,
not very sweety the severe restraint OF he
parents. In the rainy weather she was SURF
to be found dancing, after her own untaugh
fashion, on the vessels deck; nor would she
be induced to go below, without much pout
ing and ado, no matter with what violencs
the sleet and wind beat against her pretty
red cheeks.
When the gentlewomen refreshed them
selves with wine and pleasant talk, little
Prudence was sure to be found in the midst
with gaping eyes and ears attentive. especi.
ally to all she should not have teard.
When the sea went very high, tossing
the ship violently up and down, she would
steal forth all times at night to watch the
light which hung out upon the mizzen
shrouds.
One day complaint was made TO the mast.
er of the ship of an injury done BY one Of
the under officers to one Cyrus Craddock, q
landsman, whereupOn. after prayer, counseI
was held, and the offender commanded to be
tied up by the hands ,and basket of weights
to be hung about his neck. When this
punishment was adiudged, little Prudence
her great wayward heart swelling with CON-
passion. fell on her knees before CAPTAIN
Moses Mason, and in presence of all the
councilmen, besought him for some mItiga-
ton of the severity; and when they hustled
her aside, she would not hold her peace, but
exclaimed, in the hearing of them all.
"Blesscd are the merciful, for they shall
obtain mercy!"
All the gentlewomen were terribly scand-
allied by this vehement outburst of charit-
able nature, and GooGwfe Garret rave her
forward child twelve stripes on the naked
shoulders with Timber switch. good store
of which she had provided previous to tax :
ing ship, and, moreover, to complete her
humiliation and teach her reverence and re-
spect for snperiors, she ted up the pnutng
mouth of the unsubdued little one with her
own garter of strong list.
But, notwithstanding these remedial pro-
cesses, the loving nature of Prudence was
not pinched in one whit; and fndipu her
way to the under officer, who was in great
torment, as may be supposed, she tossed the
stones out Of the BASKET into the sea.
The fortieth day out there was high wind
and rain, and towara night, lying with her
helm weather, the ship making no wav
but as she drove, John Garret, who for a
long while had been devoid of all strength.
save what came of faith, died in the great
cabin, and the day following, his body. with
most solemn service, was committed to
the deep, and his spirit found rest with the
God of "those who so down to the sea in
ships
Saturday" says chronicle of the time,
"after passage Of twelve weeks, about four
o'clock IN the morning, it was discovered
that we were near our pert; we shot of
some pieces Of ordnance, and sent out our
skit to ship lying in the harbor, and in
about an hour Mr.. Allerton came aboard us
in shallop as he was sailing to PenaGuid
We stood toward the harbor, and seeing an
other shallop coming, stood in to meet her
and passed through the narrow strait be-
tween Bakers Isle and Little Isle, and
shortly came to anchor. Mr.. Lnvett, Capt
Endicott, and others, among them an active,
cheerful lad named Christopher Grant, came
aboard, and we all supped together on veni-
soE-pasty, and good strong beer"
There was great rejoicing among all the
company, and Captain Endicott so far un-
bent as to take little Prudence on his knee,
aad kiss her in the name of the Lord, as he
said. Hearing widow Hopewell Garret be-
wailing the loss of COW, and one of txo
goats which had made good part of her
husbands property young Christopher Grant
approached and modesty but after a most
comfortable sort, told he- that his father had
ar excellent cow, of which he was willing
to sell share; and for his part, ho sand
bravely, he would do the milking for moth
ing.
Little Prudence w6s delighted, ana runn-
ing up to Christopher, seized his hand, and
begged that he would take her at once to
his fathers house, and show her the COW.
As they went ashore, the hand of Pru-
dence was in that of Christopher, aud Mrs.
IIopewcll Garret walked behind them with
4 more cheerful face than she had been seen
to have since she parted company with the
precious piece of clay that had once been
her husband.
Nearly five years after :he lonesome vov-
age OF Mistress Hopewell and her child,
there crossed the water in the Talbot, a
handsome, spirited young man, named
Arthur Harcourt. His family, in the Old
World. were Of some distinction, and in
consequence of it, he held himself loftilv
among the New England people.
| Prudence was grown to be a woman now
and Christopher had gotten a beard that he
had no need to he ashamed of, and the two
were excellent friends, anc had seen each
other nearly every day of their lives since
the coming Of Hopewell to the settlement
Christopher had not oyer-estimated his IA
ther's liberalty, who had very readily sold
share of his best COW to Mistress Hope
well, and rec eived no paymen; therefor but
her gratitude, and the frequent sunshine of
her pretty daughters face.
Christopher had been as good as his word
and had MIXED the cow for the most part
always insisting that Prudence should stand
by to see the milk honestly divided, DUTY
which she was quite willing to perform.
The cabin Of Mistress Hopewell was
within stones throw of Mr.. Grants house
and for mutual comfor; and protection, the
two families were in the habit of walk
ing to the mee'ing-house together. ant at
all times whsn the Indians threatened dang
er, ChristoPher's musket might be seen at