Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-10-29

nected with thoughts OF his friend, who ha
just passed from earth. What deposito
~ of relics must an old mans heart be I
Not buried Pompeii or Herculaneum pre-
sent more subjects of thought than one hu
man heart, could We look beneath the lava
rubbish and dust with which years and in
tercourse with the world have covered it
The crust is often deep and hard to b
penetrated, but now and then an openin,
is made, and we have glance al tn
depths beneath. 1t was thus now wit
Father Morris, and the wise man, had b
been there, looked at the shattered hopes
which, like beautiful ruins, were scatteret
over that life, and at the stranded wreck
upon the shore, would have exclaime'
anew: Gall is vanity and vexation of spir
it." But poor Alice thought only of los
ing her story. Seeing the mood of he
grandfather, she sat down by his side, ant
leaned her head upon his knee. The trem
bling hand was by the power of habit in
voluntarily laid upon It; but the touch re
called his wandering thoughts, and he said
81 must follow soon, Ally. Ny ole
companions in-arms are almost all dead
Ny armor is worn and rusty, and I mus
soon lay it aside; but will not disturb
your young heart with sad thoughts. Gt
bring my pipe, and 1 will tell story of ole
times, but it shall be about this same Majol
safford-I can think of no one else this af
ternoon."
"Pd rather hear about something else.
thought Alice, but she never thwarted hel
grandfathers wishes.
So lighting his pipe from the embers o.
the kitchen fire, she returned with her knit
ting work, and resumed her seat.
"You see, Ally" said the old man, aftel
taking few whiffs from his pipe, and
knocking the ashes therefrom, holding il
in his hand moment, and glancing at his
snug little cottage and garden which rus
tied amid the shrubbery like birds nest
in the green leaves of tree. "You see,
Ally, matters were not always as pleasant
and peaceful as now. In the early settle
ment of Vermont there were stirring times
amid these green hills, and it was not with
out many a bloody fray and fierce battle
that we settled down 50 quietly under 'our
own vines and fig trees" as the minister
says in his prayer.
"You had to fight the Indians, l sup
pose," said Ally.
"Ten times worse than that, dear child
we had to fight the York tories. 1 cannot
explain all TO you, for it is long sto-
ry, and would puzzle your little head; but
to make it short, you see, the folks over the
Hudson thought they had claim to the
lands on this side, and they sent out to
England and obtained, as they said, a royal
authority to the claim. Then they sent
officers here with parchment rolls, and pa
pers they called deeds, and threatened to
turn US out of our homes, and drive us
from the lands we had with so much labor
cleared.
Well, the Green Mountain boys, with
Ethan Allen at their head, determined to
resist, and You know, for you have often
heard me tell, how they fought.
But speaking of those times reminds me
of what | meant to tell you when l began,
that is sort of love story, in which the
Major and myself were interested"
At these words, Alice dropped her knit
ting-work, though it was not in the seam
needle, and looked up with much interest
--"In which you were interested, did you
say, grandpas'
ayes, child, when was young and fool
ish, and easily taken with pretty face ;
and the love part would not be worth re-
peating now only as connected with the
courage of the Major"
sOh, tell the whole, grandpa. don't
like half stories.'
"Well, well, don't interrupt me, and [
will proceed. Isaid the courage of the old
Major. 1t requires some courage to enter
battle field, and stand there as mark
to be shot at by the enemy, and feel that
your body may be food for carrion; but TO
defy the minister in his pulpit, with all his
church to back him, requires more STILL"
81 thought it was Above story, grandpa?'
"Have patience, child, and I'll come to
the point at last. We'll, you sec, our min
lister was tory, and though he didn't say
so in plain words, I've no doubt but he be-
lieved in the divine right of kings. AT any
rate, he had great deal TO say, about the
powers that be, being ordained of God,'
and he always prayed for our lawful sover-
eigl, as he termed King George, and that
I'VE might be the true and loyal subjects
But Stafford was staunch Republican, and
would have fought the old King any day,
could he have had chance. So there
grew up mortal enmity between the par
son and the young man, and when the
former, With all his dignities, viz: powder
ed wig, three cornered hat, and silvered
buckles, walked the streets, Stafford never
bowed, but walked straight along as if he
scorned obedience to one who would bend
the knee to an earthly King. But he still
continued TO go to meeting, and would sit
as patiently through the long sermons and
loyal prayers, as good old Deacon Burr him
self. The truth was, this same Deacon had
one daughter, and prettier girl than Pol
ly Burr never entered a village church; or, l
might say, graced palace. She had a
roguish black eye, and her hair curled nat
urally; you never saw it in paper even in
the morning; and then she was so neat
and trim in her gingham short gown and
white petticoat, and at meeting she looked
pretty enough to make young mans
heart ache. r sr--,
"She was the belle of the village, and at
cuttings, and paring-bees, and dances, she
was the life of company. | had long had
my eyes upon her as the choice of my heart