The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1858-10-28

Of their property there, so it must be.
relinquished entirely. or purchased,
anew, and yet it had been bought in
good faith, IA fair valuation, at the time
having been paid for it. To some of
it, too false claims were set up, which
claims had to be looked into and some
times court of justice could only de-
eide who was the legal claimant
That, which was in reality govern
ment land, but which had been pur-
chased Of the squatters, by paying
them the highest price for their bet
termcnls, as the improvements they
had made were called, gave me no
inconsiderablc trouble, for when it was
ascertained to belong still to the gov
ernment, oitentimes, as many as two
or three persons would stand ready
to enter it for themselves. Then a.
gain, on land to which the title was
reall y valid and indisputablc, settlers
in several instances, were found to
have come in, built a log cabin, clear.
ed a few acres, and supposing they
had a squattcr's right there, made
themselves quite at home. Andit was
generally very hard to make them uG-
dcrStand that any one could have a
prior, and better claim to it than they
had when they located there be.
fore a stick was cut, or stroke made
for subduing the wilderness.
But by dint of calm reasoning and
explanation, and paying for the labor
they had done, |, usually, succeeded in
adjusting matters without
many enemies, or paying |
much more than ought for the little |
they had done for the improvement of |
the portion on which they had located
themselves.
But, TO unravel the whole skcin Of
this most perpcXing business took Il
much longer time than | at first sup
posed it would. Every Spring,
thought | should have finished it by
the Autumn, and when the Autumn
came and found me still at work,
was sure another Spring would have
set matters all to rights, SO | might
be, once more, free man again.
| was planning to return to you
to speak to you, the deep, pcnt-up feel
ings Of my soul, for it seemed to me |
couldnot write them, and yet, though |
was always hoping, the time dad not
appear to draw any nearer. And yet,
| intended you should understand all
my designs and intentions towards
Yourself from the kind of letters !
wrote. tancicd you did, for it al
ways seemed to me that you could
read my heart and know all its hopes,
desires and fears, with the motives
that controlled my actions, even bet
ter than did myself. | was certain
that you could not misapprchcnd me,
and was equally certain that your
heart was mine, and that | had but to
come, to claim my love and bear you
to my home. Twas sure you loved me
and my hopes were always bright.
At last | was through my perplex-
ing toll, both of mind and body. My
business, except a little Of minor i'm
portance, was all closed up. The very
first year of my sojourn, in that coun-
try, selected the pleasantest locality
of all the region, as most desirable
spot for home, when should be rca-
dy to occupy it. Little, by little, |
bcau,ilicd and adorned the place, call
ing both nature and art to my aid to
embcllish the scene.
The last year, my house had been
built, II neat, tasteful cottage, in a
grove of forest trees, of natures own
which had been Intentional
ly left there for that very purpose,
near the waters, of one of those small
sand-margincd lakes with which the
region abounds. had selected thia
spot as one which would especially
please your tastideous taste, and every
natural and acquired charm, which
belonged to it, gave me additional
pleasure, as looked at it, from the
it was beautilying the home
one day hoped and trusted would be
shared by you.
BY topping and trimming the low
er branches of the sheltering trees,
views were opened in different direc-
tions to the shelvy shore OF the lake.
for the spot selected Tor my cottage
was on portion of land which had
the water on three sides Of it, and of
course running out into the embracing
waters. To the east the ground rose
gently ascending almost to a hill,
while in front or TO the West, it sloped
down to the very margin Of the beau