The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1858-11-12

and a half dozen maideps; anb Is it
happens on such occasion, sdme .ri-
vairies vera excited among he for
|mer. j. .Thesd should, only HSvs sAd.
[ded. piquancy to~tke merry fnter-
course Of oil parties, and would bave
done so, had not the impatient tenn
lperament Of. Logan carried him a
little beyond good feeling and gen.
erous department towards others
Without due reflection, yet in no sar
castle spirit, Edward Wilson made a
remark on some act of Logan that
irritated him exceedingly. An an
CRY spot burned instantly on his
check, and he replied with words of
cutting insult; 80 cutting, that all
present expected nothing else than a
blow from Wilson as his answer to
the remark. And to deal a blow
was his first impulse. But he re-
strained the impulse; and it required
more courage to do this than to have
stricken the insolent young man to
the ground. A moment or two Viii.
son struggled with himself, and
then turned Of and moved slowly
away.
His flushed and then paling face.
his quivering lips and unsteady eyes
left on the minds of all who witness
cd the scene an impression some
what unfavorable. Partaking of
the Indignant excitement OF the mo-
ment, many of those present looked
for the instant punishment OF Logan
for his unjustliisble insult. When,
therefore, thcy saw Wilson turn
away without even defiant answer,
and heard the low, sneering uttered
word, coward from the lips Of Lo-
gon, they felt that there was craven
spirit about the Young man. A
coward we instinctively despise; and
yet, how slow we are to elevate that
higher moral courage. which enables
man to brave unjust Judgment rath.
er than to do what ie thinks to be
wrong, above the mere brute in.
stinct which, in the moment Of eX.
element, forgets all physical conse-
quences.
As Edward Wilson walked away
from his companions: he felt that he
was regarded as a coward. This
was for him a bitter trial; aud the
more SO, because there was one in
that little group of startled maidens
Tor whose generous regard he would
have sacrificed all but honor.
1t was, perhaps, half an hour af-
ter this unpleasant occurrence, that
Logan, whose heart still burned
with an unforgiving spirit, encoun-
tered Wilson under circumstances
that left him free to repeat his in
sulting language, without disturbing
the rest OF the party, who were anu.
sing themselves at some distance,
and beyond the range Of observation.
He did not succeed in obtaining a
personal encounter, as he had desir-
ed.
F, Edward Wilson had been for some
time sitting alone with his unhappy
thoughts, when he WAS aroused by
sudden cries of alarm, the tone OF
which told his heart too plainly that
some imminent danger impenjed.
Springing to his feet. he ran in the
direction of the cries, and quickly
saw the cause OF excitement. Re-
cent heavy rains had swollen the
mountain stream, the turbid waters
of which were sweeping down with
great velocity. Two young girls,
who had been amusing themselves
ut some distance above, in a boat
that was attached to the shore by a
long rope, had through some acci.
dent, got the fastening lose, and
were now gliding down, far out in
: the current, with fearfully increas.
,, ing speed, toward the breast of a
;nill.dam, some hundred of yards
below, from which the water was
laundering down height of ovei
twenty feet. Pale with terror, the
poor young creatures were stretching
out their hands towards their com.
paniou on the shore, and utterins
heart rending cries for succor.
Instant action was necessary, OF
all would be lost. The position o
j, the young girls had been discovered
while they we're yet some distance
above, and there happening to bt
another boat on the mill-dam. ant
} that nigh at hand, Logan and two
: other young men had loosed it from
the shore. But, the danger Of being
:, carried over the dam, should an,
q one venture out in the boat, seemed
n 80 inevitable, that none of them dar
ed to encounter the hazard. Nov
Q screaming and wringing their hand
: and now urging these men to tr.
g and save their companions, stooo
Q the young maidens of the party, OF
8 the shore. when Wilson dashe
T. through them, and springing into tn
:. boat, cried out
II Quick, Logan! Take an oar, o
:, all ia lostr
d But, instead of this, Logan step
', ped back pace or two from the bos
ldt Chile his face grew pale with feal
y, Not an instant more was wasted
N At a glance, Wilson saw that il tn
= girls were saved, it must be by tn
: strength of his own arm. Bravel
- he pushed from the shore, and, wit
- giant strength, born of the momei
OF and for the occasion, from his higl
81 unselfish purpose, he dashed Il
,, boat out into the current, and, benz
&c 20 ing to the oars, towards the poi