Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-03-13

From the London Monthly Magazine,
THE LOVE-CHILD.

poet 10 nave becn u fOau wagon, MY mOtner was
with me, and often wept most bitterly, without, 50
lar as l could perceive the least occasiun, Tor we
had plenty VI straw and plenty OF playtellJws.
10 me tue circumstances in which we were placed
seemed glorious: she, however, thought different
ly. AT last We Quilted The wagon, aud proceeded
on foot across several fields, iR which haymakers
were at work | began tU grow tired she took
me in her atIEs, and | fell asleep. Ga awaking, !
was in "a small room. aud my mother appeared TO-
be quarreliug with two or three other persons,
who called the brat" aud threatened 20 throw me
E ont vt doors. To appelsc them, mu3h to my
nmazcment, my mother said, with great earnest
ness, that | had taken off her ring while she was
thinking OF something else. and lost it among the
straw in the wagon. This seemed SO to increase
the wrath of the others that | screamed with all
ing might, that | hai done nothing OF this sort.
My mother now hastily wrapped me up in her
cloak and rushed cut. | struggled to get my
head at liberty, but she pressed me closer, aud
hurried on. Presently | heard voices OF persons
apparently in pursuit. Terrified TO the utmost,
fearful OF their overtaking Us, | gasped out
run, mother. run ~ In a few moments | felt a
sensation OF taliing-a heavy splash followed, aud
the roar OF rushing waters was IN my ears. | clung
convulsively to my mother, and after a briet aud
painful dream aud Il long ound sleep. | suddenly
awOke. aud Deg IN to cry tor water, my mouth,
throat and stomach being as 1t seemed. lined W I'll
red hot iron. Somebody now got out of the bed
in which | was lying Il hustle ensued and pres
emily the people with whom my mother had been
quirreling, one by one appeared, and ministered
10 ny wants with the greatest tenderness and
solicltude. After my thirst was u little quenched.
j looked about for my motber-Gut she rgS not
there.
BY the foregoing facts the horizon of my mem.
ory is bounded. | recollect nothing with continu'
Gus distinUtness of tha. part OF my life which
ensued, until | became eight or nine years old.
Tbencefurth events seem to have formed u perfect
cbain-and can trace them link by link. a
glance at the first will show that | had not been
moving in a very enviable sphere Of existence.
There was a field bounded on three sides 10y q
copse, in which pheasants were most rigidly pre-.
served, and nuts, crab.apples, and bitter sloes
abounded it, the copse, | cant conceive why, was
called Cuokold's llarem. The Squire owned it;
but the field which abutted on its boundary was
the freehold Of Il morOse farmer who would not
part with his inheritance-and immense offers
had been made to him-tOr love or money
lie had about sixty acres Of the best lard III the
parish, lying in the very heart of the Squire's i'm
mense estate, across which he had no less than
seven distinct rights Of way, and one Ut these ran
right in front OF the magnificent manor house.
Tue Sluire's name was Patch, the farmec's Belroy
Patcn's grandfather had made an enormous for
tune by roObing his employers, while acting rs a
slave agent on the Gold Coast: BelrOy was prOba-
bly, u descendant of one OF the Normans who had
helped to beat Harold at the battle Of Hastings.
The ouly deed which he possessed as evidence Of
his title to the Llud he held, was a bit of parch-
ment scarcely so big as the palm of his huge
hand, bearing the date as Magma Churta, ami
purporting to have been sealed by John the
King in the presence Of Maud, Cicely, and Eg
bert Baron Of Burr. In very bad Latin it recited
and confirmed u grant by William the Norman tt
Thibaut Belroy and his heirs Of all the hundred
of Passover, including Squire Patch's property
how the original donation had been so clipped
that nothing but It's nucleus remained in the ten
ure Of the first donees descendants did not ap
pear. But on this nucleus no human being Sc
so high a value as its owner. Nothing could
tenn t him to part with IL.
Ali this 1 ascertaiued subsequently to my frs
q we'll remembered encounter with him in the fell
that abutted on Cuckold's IIareni. We met on
little bridge, formed by II felled oak sawn in two
and fLnked BY rude posts and rails. that crossed
slow, silent brook, which crept like a snake from
the Squlre's cover, along the side Of the field, AM
formed u puul in the heart Of Belroy's little free
hold. At the first glimpse he laughed at me mos
heartily. | was attired in a coat OF the last Geo
fury il had been wOrn by his grandfather. tn
-kneebands of whose respectable velvet breeche
dangled at my a~Dkles-whIle the broad lapel
of his upper garment, bedecked with tarnishe'
embroidery, was dragged In the mire at M.
rear.
Here's nm imp y quoth he, adding, as he turn
ed to a beautiful child of about my own age, VIII
accompanied him, don't come on the bridge
Agnes for its slippery. Why how's this, IL.
gentleman WHATS the use of my setting u
scarecrUws to keep Oft the damned pheasants frOr
my corn, it you-yOu little oOsbert, make d bus
OF roboiog them? You must be punished fu
this" / began to blubber, and the little girl sol
bed. "1Uu must be punished for this" adde
he, after a short pause. Stay here till l retur
keep the pheasants off and perhaps | may fol
give you"
lie then turned back, and walked away with hi
pretty little daughter, who several times locke
over her shoulder. to see what l was about.
Differed on the bridge un;il they Disappeared. an
then rather pleased than otherwise with my ao
ted punishment, | strutted about the field wit
off .i,i ,p,,crtor.o an I l,puaI FIR on dalinnnnt
pheasant to alight within "a stones throw. Not
bird. however, yeu:ureI to appear tor above tw
hours; when. weary with walking, / went up
the scurecrow, and leaned against the stick whic
supported it. In u few minutes a bird flew iroI
the copse into the middle Of the field, and, aft'
Tapping his wings, crowed as Justify as though /
had been perclied upon the topmost branch OF q
oak two or three hen pheasants soon Joined hin
aud perceiving that they tearlessly approacht
me-, | retrained from throwing the capital pebb
with which | had provided myself, until l cou
make tOlerahly sure Of my aim. The golden o
portunity soon arrived | let hy, and hit the COZ
bird on the side of the head. lie fell. and beGa
TO tumble about the burrows, Happing ~prOdiglun
ly, but not SO as TO alarm his companions The
were not aware Of what | had done while two
them gazed with curiosity at the phenomenon, Il
third 6ristled up and began to peck and spur
him most furiously The moment ! saw the su
cess Of my silent artillery, | went forward
speedily as nv cumGrous habiliments would pc
A4lhf " hi"hO N'p w my op'" ~ oS''NN "s
advanced a couple Of yards when my career vi
arrested by a loud shout. The hen pheassu
ran of into the preserve at the sound, and
turning to that corner OF the field from which
had proceeded, perceived Farmer Belroy advau
ing towards me with hasty strides. S~uspectin
from bis violent gestures. that | had committt
some error. | started of in an opposite direcrio
but soon tumbled ~headlong. The next moment
felt myself in the clutch Of my colossal enem
and commenced a series OF desperate vancouver
the aim and intent Of which was 10 wri,he mys'
on, Of bis grandiather's clothes. In this | shOu
most probably have succeeded, had be NOT caug
me up in a lump aud Rugged me to his breast,
that, my arms being pinioued, | was comparati'
~ powerless. | say comparatively, for my le
being still Mt liberty, Idrummed away upon /
stomach with all my might, and fastening Il
teeth in his cheek, did all in my power to ma
The farmer, however. almost instantly chok