Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-02-18

the gentleness of their manners, OF these with
other influences which they seemed to have the
capacity to exert, combined were operating
upon certain of the younger mem
bers of the fraternity, Clovis, and William Bel
den, among the rest; tending to divert their
minds, and unfit their tastes, for snagger's
duties. The dangers to which the gang were
exposed, he continued, the terrible penalties
that would be inflicted upon them if detected
in their avocation; made it necessary chat like
their leaders, the arm of every snagaF should
be nerved to desperation his aeartassssled to
mercy; and his eyes and ears is,aasst3h to the
of beauty, or a praytsFtr pity
I" For these considerations" he said, or the
idea that necessity first drove us to, or despair
afterward detained us in, our present pursuit,
would have no weight with the "peers' by
whom we should be tried and condemned if
found guilty of the business of q snagger
Had Musgrave sent the strangers here, or had
they come with his approval, as they intimate
they did, he would have sent some token, or
given them some password, by which their
safety and freedom could be assured. Nothing
of this do they pretend" They were then, in
his judgement rightly held as captiyes, and
Pellet had been negligent in duty, in that he did
not take early and efficient measures to find out
Musgrave and acquaint him with the presence
of strangers at the Retreat.
These opinions were expressed with no small
degree of acerbity, and their sharpness was in
no measure palliated, in the judgement of Pc
let, by any consideration of the mental, or
physical, state of the person who delivered
them. The result was that Pellet found harsh
accusers, and very Indifferent defenders, of his
conduct They who openly, or secretly approved
it most, were they whose approval he would
least desire. Soured in his temper, yet secretly,
and sternly resolved, to make amends, to the
utmost of his power, when the future should
give him an opportunity, for any of his short
comings in the past ; he abandoned the point in
controversy sullenly and with no concession of
error.
1t is needless to say that Herbert and Alice
secretly rejoiced at the termination of his mis-
sion, when they understood how it was full
filled They were still apprehcnsive of Mus
graves early arrival, but the time of his COM
ing would not probably be hastened by any
message from the Retreat The mind of Alice
being relieved from this temporary addition to
its burthens, the weight of the collision be-
tween her brother and Rolph began tslpress up
on it as heavily as before.
Availing herself of the earliest opportunity,
she recalled the attention of Judith to the sub
ject of conversation in which they were en-
gagged, when their discourse was interrupted as
wehave before mentioned by the appearance of
William Belden. She hoped to gain access to
the presence, and the heart of Rolph, so far at
least as to soften the bitter, and seemingly
revengeful hatred he bore toward her brother
for she feared not 50 much the result of an
other personal encounter between the two, as the
untoward influence the former might exert upon
the mind of Musgrave, when he should arrive.
She knew not the difficulties she would have to
meet in this enterprise, but if' the winds had not
been tempered to the shorn lamb" she had of
late been so schooled in adversely and trials,
that she was the more able to encounter them
With this view it was that she requested Ju-
dith to impart to her more information concern
ing the condition, and temper, of Rolph.
& He is mending as haze tauld ye, at slow
gate Ye may gang wi me an ye wull. H'
may treat ye over discreetly an he is ma unfreen'
till ye; but ye maunna forget, and belikes he
wunna forget, the bluid O. yer brither rims i
veins o. yer ainsell twa, and maybe he is sa i'll
set until yer brther, he wull be ill-ar'd till yel
ainsell and a yer kin forbye."
cat any rate I will venture to go, said AL
ice. Twill speak him fairly and kindly, if a
all, and it may be he will speak as fairly ant
kindly to me in return"
"An ye say onything until him, hae care
an baud yer clavers anent yer ainsex any wadni
cross him for he Gamma bide the prattle o /
woman's clapper an it be ony anes but Judlti
McDermot's.
"If thought my presence would be so re
nulsiye to him should hardly incline to go, ,
said Alice.
:" An ye wad pit aft yer kilt, and yer ithel
womanly gear, and pit on my g gessssssaan's hreeks
We wad be mair like to win kindly greeting
He has unco sma' guide wull fora o woman
kind ye may depend O. It,"
+" How do you account for this singular aver
sion to our sex?" said Alice.
81 daur ma tell, answered Judith.
you know then, the reason of it," saiC
Alice.
"In troth do l." rejoined Judith. " An
suld tell ye,' she continued, after brief pause
"ye wad ken as weel as my ainsell wad ye ma
An yo ken d as meikle as myself whilk o us wat
ken the maist? Speer me that, my Teddy"
"Surely neither" said Alice laughing.
" In troth ye are wrang, my simple lassock
An ye ken d a. that ken, a that whilk ye kel
mair nor l, ye wad ken the maist, wad ye ma? =
said Judith, with an air of gratifed triumph.
Certainly" said Alice, "if you conced
that know the most, you answer your owl
question"
"In troth, do ! and is ma she wise taupi
whilk can do the like o. that, my hinny?"
Indeed it is wise woman who can answe
all questions of her own asking; but there ar
more who cannot answer questions of others
asking, and you are one of the latter class,
perceive, Mistress McDermot "
aye are ma sure o that, maybe, lassie. Al
ye wad gle me the evidents, wad gree ye are N,
wrang,"
a ill ..;va x,o,, tha ayi1anao 4Lo,, r,