Mountain Democrat., 1857-03-21
NUMBER 1.

an energy Of delivery that forbade tho
! supposition Of extreme age. listened
with an interest took no pains TO con-
rcnl TO his rambling, impatient discourse,
! for it opened 10 me a new and sad aspect
Of iI;'; one Of which had till that mo.
mcnt rcycr dreamed The thought was
| horrible; of an energetic and vigorous
| life pa'>i"t and worn out in this slow tor
turc, oi hauger-on to government; this
| degrading consciousness Of noble powers
AMI attributes, utterly thrown away. 1t
was sad TO contemplate man so possess
| ed with one idra--Ia very devil, like those
of Old time, tearing hm) that all else in
liIc--bo i great or little was made sub
snrvirnt and auxiliary to it. For him,
alas. the Precedent and the Congress
w"rc only chosen, TO aid in securing this
cirim Of his. He was man of intellect
and education and his whole manner
proved it, and hOw had not the cruel pro-
cess of years Of suffering, with this cling
ing to his onc idea, broken and subducd
him.
Were these other men, pacing slowly
up aud ii ~, or listlcs>i% standing beside
the ,plashnS fountains, also, poor tide
waiters--pOcr LeGgarS for charity, or pur
srtrrs -oi spf.ie- faHeiel claim, -he.eoching-
II tarly government ~ some glicvous
wrong:
His rcvclationH hfd given me new in
tcrcst III the passers, and Ir0gardcd them
aS something more than mere common
~ Their histories possessed for me,
ignorant ~ I was of them, strange iii
trrcSt ard felt singular commisers-
tion tor the many faces around me. In
tAc new excitement he had awakened in
10y breast, forgot that his was probably
IN exceptional case, even in the sad ranks
Of oilire-seckcrs and claimants; and !
overlooked the probability that the great
or number Of those strolling through tho
grounds, were, like myself, strangers, inl-
PEELED " curiosity, OF residents and mem
b'rs taking their Usual promcnadcs. SO
iI' was carried by my snIagination, that
began to speculate upon the heavily
bearded man ("hom | afterwards found
was sam ll0u>toll who sat not far from
Us, ~ lrottnd meditation. occasionally
carc~.ng his grey mou-tacIlc
WAS ut length upon the po'nt Of at
dressing him, when the sllken rustic of
d"cH; ,tal God me from my purpose, andI
NaW statciy lady, with grave, sweet
smile upon her face, standing directly be.
!Nr" Us. | think in all my life | never
behcld 50 beautiful creature. An angel
from ,hc highest hcalcng could hardly
wear more bUnlgnant, more tender as
.pect. while from her soft brown eyes thero
shown q icpth Of lore for the unfortunate
being at my side, for the sake of which,
ten thousand lives like his were we'll was
ted Her form, too, was most oucenly,,
and hcsidc the poor claimant, she stoods
very empress.
Henry she snid, "shall we not ride
home, my dearY The doctor thinks that
YOU arc not strong enough to bear 70
much exposure"
Vie had not, ,brforc observed her, but at
the sound of her voice. u change, sudden
and startling,s sIs an electric shock, came
over the man. His feeble form erected
itself; the light in his eyes flashed clear
and strong, and rising, he stood beforcmc
--no longer q broken down claimant, but
Il gentleman and proud one.
had i;nown it from the first, and in
voluntarily uncovered my head, to do her
reverence
i!t .lA2hccn telling YOU cur history,
J SeH," She said, with Il quiet, and not
joy|c~S smile.
We got our claim few weeks since,
and poor Henry has been very ill. Tho
doctor says, that the disappointmcnts hc
has suffered these fifteen years past, so
broke him down, that he had not power
TO bear the good news at first, hut that
change of scene will make him better
S9on You would hardly Think" she adj
drd, with glance towards him Of tender
compassion, that he is only forty-sevcn,
to-day. '-.lyS. ,StrYArnS' -Nee MontAly.