The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-01-20
TiaE BL as APPRENTICE

1t was the darkest hour OF the Revolution for the
though the great mass OF the people remained firm and
determined in the cause OF. Independence. The British
army outnumbered the American forces as three to one,
but liberty was the prize to be won, and brave hearts,
led IN By " ~ashington, did not despair. What If they
were clad in tattered garments, and their feet were shoe
less. leaving marks Of blood on the frozen ground where
ever they followed their loved commander, SO long as
they battIed for the b~irthright OF freedom
At the period of our story, :here stood in the vicin-
ity Of the village of Brunswick, a log house of rather
large Dimensions, and built in Il manner that proved that
It's proprietor went 10 more for comfort than appearance.
as reg arded his dwelling. There was an air OF neatness
and taste about the garden that seemed to prove that it
was under the especial care of a woman, even though
currant bush, honeysuckle and hop vine, had been for
many days under tine SHOWS OF December. The proprle-
tor Of the house followed the double calling of a black
smith and a farmer. He was a hale cid man of about
sixty, and his family were composed solely of bis wife
Dorothy, and his daughter Mary, a beautiful girl just
budding into womanlood. In his youth, farmer Jonas
Hutton had advocated quaker principles of peace, but
in his aye his sympatnies were secretly enlisted in the
cause Of King George. Hi, conduct, however had been
circuruspect, be appearing to maintain a strict neutrality
y, ~re4.ried both the British and American cause, that,
tLongh suspicious were rife of his extending aid to the
former, he had, thus far, escaped actual proof. The
only person hired about his premises was a tall, ungain
II youth, Of about twenty years of age. and who served
rs helper in the smithy, when occasionally q %neighboi
wished his horse shod or his wagon wheel tired. His
name was Malachi Jones, and he hailed from the Bay
State, from whence ne mad wandered to his present sta
ton, some three years before, binding himself to Squire
Hutton till one+and-twenty. He had all he peculiari-
ties Of the migratory race of New England, and though,
as We have stated, ne was tail aud ungainly in his de-
pertinent, a warm heart beat under his homespun vest,
and he displayed much genius and tact tor the benefit OF
his employer. As a matter of course, he had been in
love tor a long time with the fair form and blue eyes of
his masters daughter Mary, though she had always
treated his case so ccn!ly, that any one else but a genu-
inc Yankee woocr would have left the field in despair.
No girl can bear to nave it said that her lover is an OBJ
lect Of ridicule, and Mary was well aware that tall
Malachi--the name by which her fathers apprentice
was generally addresscd-was the sport Of all the young
girls in the neiyhborhnod. And yet she might have
made many a worse choice, for he bid fair to become q
hrst-rate mechanic, was q crack shot with the rife, and
could out-"un, or out Jump, "a he expressed it himself,
anything that stood in two shoes. He was a FIRM al.
vocate Ct the American cause, and when his boss was
not by, and he could gain a listeners ear, he would
express his admiration for Washington in the highest
aerms.
Il was in the latter part Of December, and close upon
dusk, when a young man, attired In the uniform OF an
ensign in the Continental army, and mounted upon a
powerful grey horse, rode up to Squire Hutton's smithy,
and requested that his animal might be shod iumedi.
ately.
Friend, thou seemest to be in somewhat of a hurry
vas Squire Hsiron's reply, glancing at the stranger
AEG IA N1aiI'G - puSy tisC C@tthS, ~ ] AdSe
promised to have ~neighbor Parker's wheel tired in hall
an hour, perhaps thee had better apply at the next shop
which thee vii! find about a mile and q half farther on
the s.rsight road to Brunswick, and
A plague on the %neighbor Parker and his wagon
wheel said the young man impatientIy. 4 you have
stated, however, | am in a hurry. end bear important
disnatchcs to Washington, whom / understand is on his
va 20 attack cur enemies, at Princeton. May heaven
favor the r'-ht cause
Amen, said the smith, earnestly. But, as l have
Informed thee before, it will be impossible to attend to
the shoeing Of thy beast tonight. 1t is nearly dark,
end | seldom pro'racf my labor after night fall
The stranger unused ! moment, and then mutteTinE to
himself, it is not possible that | can have been misin
formed drew a paper from his pocket, and handed it to
Squire Hutton.
whats this p he exclaimed.
Something that it would not be polite 70 let every
~ae peFese IL these times; but [ have heard that you
are a staunch man in the cause of King George, and
can trust YOU. The exigencies Of nay case, will not ad
nit Of delay. Ny horse must be shod, and | must be
viii the British camp at Trenton, by tomorrow morn
ing
The old smith, with an air Of surprise, wiped bis
glasses to peruse the document, and by the last fading
light Of ;lay, recognized the we'll known signature Of
Lord Cornwaiiis.
He instantly g9aspsd the stranger by the hand, and
Said thaf, for The Just cause Of King George be would
peglcet every otarr job of work in the shop.
Hn. Thee will have a rough ride of it, friend the
roads are 10 ba.i conditions, and the wind will blow colo
and bit 'er 10 ;hy lace. | observe the whole It thy
iourafy.'
The stranger rcnars &, shat he had learned 70 laugh
3, snch adventures il the camp Of tie soldier.
.Av. friend. hut tie ni4ha will be black as pitch ~
boar iaier. and il :.:y l4as: is not sur..iooted, thee vii
scarcely reach Trenton - sslnriSe. However, | Will sex
shat thou ST, Will prepared ssr thy journey \ soof
cup OF tea, equal to that tue iooiifa ssoeis was'co II
Hossca ua.bor, made BY wife Dorothy, and , ss* wssa