Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-06-19

/
and the ringing of, merry voices reached
the earssof -Four excited young men, ant
their relations Of ahtagonism sat' one
changed.a Logan walked away in the'di
rections from which the voices came
while the other two renamed where they
had been standing! 70 siai9 ? s9i4 sFt5t
a" Why didn't you knock him down p
said the companion of Wilson. = q - -
| The latter, whose face was now very
sober and very pale, shook his heac
slowly. r. He made no. other reponse. -dft
"I believe you are a coward!'pexclain1
ed then other. impatfently7; and turning
gan. h'R. t4 10 - ~
O The moment Wilson was alone be sea.
ted himself'on therground, concealed from
the party whose voices had interrupted
them. by a'larrge rock, and covering 1his
face with his hands, continued motionless
for several minutes How much he suf.
fered in that little space of, time we will
not attempt to describe. The struggles
with his Indignant impulses had been very
severe He was no coward in heart. -
What. was right and humane he wasiever
sical and mental suffering. Clearly cons
scious was he ofthis. Yet the con-
sciousness did not and could not protect
his feelings from the unjust and 7stinging
charge or cowardiCe so angrily, brought
against him. In spite of his better rea-
son, he felt humiitated and there were
moments when he half regretted the for
bearance that saved the lnsolent Logan
from punishment. They were but few
momentssof fweakness in the strength of
manly character he was quickly himself
again.
The occasion Of this, misunderstanding
is easily told. Wilson made one of a lit
tie pleasure party from neighboring viii
lage, who were spending an afternoon in
a shady retreat by the bank of mill
stream. There were three or fopr. young
men and half-dozen maidensi and, as
it often happens on such occasions, some
rivalries we're excited among the former.
These should have added a piquancy
TO the merry intercourse of all, and would
have done so, had not the impatient tenn
permanent Of Logan carried him a little be-
yond good feeling and generous deport-
ment towards others. Without due reT
Fiction, in no sarcastic spirit, Edward
Wilson made remark on some act Of
Logan's that irritated him considerably.
An angry spot burned Instantly on his
cheek. and he replied With words Of cut
ting insult SO cutting that all present
expected nothing less than blow from
Wilson as his answer to the remark
And to deal a blow was his first impulse;
but he restrained the impulse, and it re-
quired more. courage to do this than 10
have stricken the insolent young man to
the ground. A moment or two Wilson
struggled with himself, aud then turned
slowly away.
His flushed and then paling face. his
quiyering ptand unsteady eye, left on
the minds of all who witnessed the scene
an impression somewhat unfavorable.-
Partaking of the Indignant excitement OF
the moment, many of those present looks
ed for the instant punishment of Logan
for his unjusti6able Insult. When there
fore, they saw Wilson turn away without
even a defiant answer. and heard the
slow, sneeripgly uttered word, "1coward"
from the lips Of Logan, they felt that there
was a craven spirit about the young man.
A coward we instinctively despise and
yet how slow we are to elevate that high
er moral courage which enables man to
do what he thinks to be right, above the
mere brute instinct which in the moment
Of excitement. forgets all physical conse
auences.
AS Edward Wilson walked away from
his companions, he felt that he was re-
garded as a coward. This was for him a
bitter trial and the more so, because
there was one in that little group Of star
tied maidens for whose generous regard
he would have sacrificed all but honor.
1t was, perhaps, half an hour after this
unpleasant occurrence that Logan, whose
heart still burned with an unforgiviug
spirit encountered Wilson under circum-
stances that left him free to repeat his in
sulting language, without disturbing the
rest OF the party, who were amusing
themselves at some distance, and beyond
observation. He did not succeed in OBJ
tanning personal encounter as he had
desired.
Edward Wilson had been for some time
sitting alone with. his unhappy thoughts,
when he was aroused by sudden cries of
alarm. the tone Of which told his heart
too plainly that some imminent danger
impended. Spring to his feet. he ran in
the direction of the cries. and quickly saw
the cause Of the excitement. Recent
heavy rains had swollen the mountain
stream. fhe turbid waters of which we're
sweeping down with great velocity. Two
young girls, who had been amusing them
selves IN boat that was attached to the
shore by a long rope had. through some
accident, got the fastening loose, and
were gliding far outinto the current, with
feartully Increasing speed, towards the