Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-06-11
From Peierson's Magazine.
A II ER0INE OF 70.
ny ms. N. A. DESIsoS.

hammers. The dull sound Of laboring picks
breaks upon the ear with mono'onou' regu-
larity. They are making tracks for a rail.
road m this old 'cwn. am not pleased
with the improvement, as some call H.,
for a pleasant farm house and it, surround.
ing fields that slopcd IRON high and undula.
ting hills have vanished forever before its
nod
The great genius Of enterprise. with hi.
ugly shears OF commerce, Is clipping at the
poor wing. Of poetry and romance. till, |
fear, by-and.hy, they will have only power
to Dap along the ground. their ETHEREAL iacul.
ties chained down TO stock taking and in
voices.
T, am sorry the house has gone, for there
are some rccollcctions connected with It's
history. Tor the sake Of which /, would b.
pleasant could it have been spared An old
rel larm house. surrounded by fields OF wa.
wing grain and corn, in the autumn time,
and oycrhung by the branches of various
fruI, trees. golden with the fallne's Of time
is sight of picturc'que beauty in a rich
valley especially IT a iinc old mountain looms
up IN the back ground, or a line Of forest
tree, stretches away into the clear, mellow
atmosphere beyond.
| In that one before ", q am speaking now
as II i, stood in the old 'po,,) the widow Of
a noble Captain Piermon, lived some twcn-
ty years ago. Tho lady was a ine specimen
OF old time women disnIGed, even com.
maudlns in manner, with fresh bloom mp.
on her check, a finely moulded forehead,
and deep, earnest expression in her yet
bright eyes.
. She was woman Of refined and cutiva,.
ed intellectual powers, a woman who in
youth had known No stint Of wealth, whose
mind was stored With classic lore who had
never tll she emigratcI TO the wilderness
of the new world snilci her white fingers
with even household worE
Father an 4 husband wcro both dad The
bones OF the fo'mcr rgposci in another
country beneath marble mjnumont; the
latter had now slept two year. in the little
buryins ground beside the wooden church
in sight OF the red farm house, and ,mall
gray stone marked the 'po, where his ash.
Q, mingled with the dust.
. One day, during the hardss. campaign
Of our sturdy soldiers, MADAM pierpont was
alone a, the farm. Prmp, a negro servant,
had gone on some crrand which would de-
tain him till nishtf,l and Alcck, the hired
man had wounded his hand in the morning
with an axe, - that ho was quite disabled
aud Obliged - roturn to his homo about a
mile distant, which by the way was the
nearest homestead TO the old rcd Arm house.
/ The widows iolr brave suns. OF ages va.
rying from eighteen to twenly.siN. bad star.
ted but two days previous for tho Geld Of
their country's battle.
While the widow, realized that in all
probability ,ome, perhaps all OF her nea'-
ar, would be smi,,en by the ruthless hand
Of war, her cheek wa. still unbanched, and
a holy hop. 'nt IN the rcPo'' OF her bcauii-
nl features. Only a,w and then she turn.
cl to the opan bible before her aud read a
fow cons,liug passages. aud .irals'tway re-
sumed her work with a trusting smile. Ah!
patriotism found an enduring home in many
,uch gentle breast.
Suddenly, from the distance came sound
like the trampling Of horses iect, and a
great cloud of.m,kc bstokencd the approach
Of traveller. hurryins to their destination.
The widow moved to tie door, aud shading
her eye. from the intense sunshine, watched
their progress. They drew nearer, and in
another moment three hOrscmen drew up
before the door.
They w,rc military costume AMI were all
Gne looking men. The foremost gentleman
far exceeded the Others by hi. imposing fg-
ure aud the greatness Of his countenancc.
IL needed no introduction 10 assure the wid-
ow that this was George Washington.
With that courtesy which always charar-
terized HIM, he bowed gracefully to Madam
Pcrpont az he blanlly asked if no could
find rest aud relrcshmeni.
Z" Our horses are wearied-we have rid
den since nine this morning, aud would iain
recruit" he added.
Certainly, gentlemen, and welcome
she replied, smilingly, throwing wide open
the inner door as they dismounted.
"our poor beasts" said one Of the OIL
GERS, pat,ing lis smoking horse, | would
they could be attended to Immediately. IL
there a groom or servant about your house
madame. who could rub them down and
feed them? will reward him llberally.'
1--WE would ask no reward in this house
hold, cir, replied the widow "if you will
lead them round, they shall he cared for"
MAKE yourselves perfectly comfortable.
gentlemen" said tho widow, land excuse
me while prepare you refreshments You
must be hungry as w,ll as iatieued."
In another moment the widow was IN the
stable unsaddling the poor horses-work to
which she was no, accustomed, but which
she nevertheless could DO IN time Of need.
being woman Of strong muscular frame,
and great energy. She knew 1t must be
done by herself or no. at all. As for men
aud horses they were completely jjaded out.
She with clean straw rubbed the animals
l hn,.,, .r,,h Ln- n,rr hnnLa lnI ihnm into