Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1857-05-07

FREEHOLD, |
young girl, far below me in rank as the
world goes, but Heaven knows how fal
superior she was to me in true worth and
excellence. My parents would not hear
of the alliance, and resolved to break it
off. upbraiding me with the disgrace they
said it would bring upon the family. ]
discovered Their intentions and Fastening
to my %betrothed, persuaded her to fly with
me to America. She consented, with
many tears, and that night | wrote a let
ter stating that | renounced all claim and
title as elder son to the succession, and
leaving it in my room fed with my Mary
to London. There we were married and
taking the first vessel came to this coun.
try.
We settled in Montreal. For a few
years all went we'll, and we were happy
in our new home. But it could not last
misfortunes crowded upon US, and unable
to endure the Suffering with which we
were visited, my angel wife sickened and
died. What agony | suffered none can
tell. For weeks | lay in a stupor and my
life was despaired of. I gradually recov-
cred and gained strength, but siuce that
blow ..have never been myself. All
my energy and the spirit which | had be-
fore possessed, fed, and | was a weak and
helpless being, without a friend to comfort
or assist me.
ut last determined to bury myself and
my SORROWS in the depths of the forest far
away front the haunts of men and the busy
bustling world with which my feelings so
little accorded, to mourn in silence the
loss | could never repair. l became a
hunter which life [ have led ever since.
at times retiring to my little log cabin on
the banks of the Ontario, spending per-
hapsa whole year in solitude; again on the
war path | have followed the trail of the
retreating enemy fo- weeks together. In
the war Of 1912 Ifonght withAsy-aassa44rxs
men at Lundy's Lane, Chippewa, and
Sackett's Harbor, besides many skirmish-
es with the outlying redskins; but since
the peace have hunted in the Canadas,
occasionally wandering as far as Lake Su-
perior, among the lodges of the Sacs and
Foxes, into whose tribes [ had been adop-
ted. | had followed the wood-life for
about sixteen years, when being one day
at Toronto, to sell my furs, [ received to
my great surprise and joy, a letter from
my younger and only brother, stating that
he was on his way from Montreal with his
wife to meet me, and that he would re
main at Toronto some time, and should
he not hear Of me there, would proceed to
the next town. He had entered the ar
my, and being sent out with his regiment
to America. had used every endeavor to
discover my whereabouts, which he had
at last succeeded in doing, from a hunter
whom he had engaged to guide him to To
ronto. Now the name Of this man was
Mackenzie, a fellow we'll known among
the frontiersmen as a scout, one who had
acquired a reputation for reckless daring,
and had If rumor were true, done some
dark deeds, deeds which report said
would hang him were they proved. |
knew the man well, and was fearful lest
my brother should happen to let him see
the money or yaluables to tempt his Gu
pidity. Mackenzie, l was confident would
not fail to obtain possession Of them by
fair means or foul. Ny fears were well
aroused for the safety of my brother, but
endeavoring to dispel them, l busted my
self in the town until night. That night
could not rest, so completely had this
idea had taken possession of my mind. |
could not endure it no longer, but started
IN the early morning to meet them, inten-
ding to stop by the way at the farm of a
settler with whom | had q little business.
The time appointed for our meeting was
on the second day from that, and | had a
pretty good knowledge of the road they
would take, so | conjectured they could
not be far off.
81 came to the house Of the settler
about shutdown, and having performed my
errand and rested a little, l started
through the woods to a lake, distant about
ten miles; which the trail crossed. 1t
was very easy work through the woods
free from all underbrush, and at any 9TH
er time | would have enjoyed it, but my
mind was too much occupied by other
thoughts just then. There was something
at my heart that told me that all was not
right-a dim f~oreboding that would rise
up before me, darkening all the bright
and pleasant prospects, all the sweet mem
cries of our happy home so wildly recur
ring to me.
"Thus it is, none can tell whence it ari-
ses or what causes it to arise, but all men
at some time in their life have felt that
same ~shadowy presentiment of evil which
cannot be driven away. Do what we will
it still haunts US, and the Imagination
runs riot with the emotion, until the vic
tim trembles at the visions his brains has
conjured up.
Il came upon the lake out of the forest
astonished to find myself so soon near my
journeys end, for it had seemed as though
| crept at snail's pace. The moon shone
down in her calm splendor upon the I'M
rutfied lake, the heightened shadows of
the deep foliage forming a gloomy fringe
to thesilver sheet of water, the wind light.
ly sighed among the leaves, and as the
bright breeze touched my fevered brow, |
looked around in silent contemplation for
a moment lost in admiration OF the beau,