Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-03-12
TIE FORGED PATENT.

THE FORGED PATENT.
The changes which the last twenty years hav,
wrought in Illinois, would be incredible to any
one who had not witnessed them. At that time
the settlements were few, and the spirit of en-
tcrprisc which now peryades every corner of the
State had not awakened. The bluffs of the
beautiful Illinois river had never sent back the
echo Of the steam engine. Without a market
for their produce, the farmers confined their Ia
bors to the wants of their own families. Corn
was nearly the only crop raised, and from the
time it was laid by" near the end Of June till
pulling time,' in November, was n holiday,
and the intervening period was passed in idle
ness, except Saturdays. On that day, duly as
it arrived, the settlers, at the dstiilery amuood
themselves with shooting at mark, trading
naSs, and too often, WIN the tin cup passed
freely round, in fighting.
This Is by no means picture of all the set
Elements of that early Ieriod, but, that it is
graphically true of many, none of the oldest
settlers will deny.
One Saturday afternoon, in the wear 1919.
young man was seen approaching with slow and
weary steps, the house, or rather, distillery, OF
Squire Crosby, of Brent's Prairie, an obscure
settlement ON the Militar, Tract As usual on
that day. large collection of people were anus
ing themselves at Crosbvs. who owned the dis
tillery in that region. and being n magistrate,
was regarded by the scttlrs as rich, and consc-
quently great man.
The youth who now came up to the group
was apparently about twenty-one years of age
and Of slender form, fair and delicate complex
ion, with the air of one accustomed to good So
ciety, and il was evident At glance that he was
not Injured to the hardshipS Of frontier life, or
labor of any kind. But bis dress was in strange
I,
wore a hunting coat of the coarsest linsey wool
sey common straw hat and pair of doeskin
moccasins. a large pack completed his equip
ments.
Every one gazed with curiosity upon the new
conner. In their cagcrness to learn who he was,
when he come, and what was his business, the
horse swap was left unfinished, the rifle laid
aside and even the busy tin cup had a tempo
rary respite.
The young man approached Squire Crosby,
Principal nci Ters6h among them. and as the
quired for a house where be could be accU..: '.'
dated, saying that he was extremely i'll, and felt
all the symptoms of an approaching fever.
Crosby eyed him closely and suspiciously for
n moment without uttering a word. Knaves
and swindlers had recently been abroad. and
the language of the youth betrayed that he was
Il Yankee a name at that time associated, in
the minds of the ignorant, with everything that
is base. NIistaking the silence of Crosby for a
fear of his inability to pay, the stranger smiled
and said. Il am not without money" and put
ting his hand to his pocket to give ocular proof
of his assertion, he was horror-struck 10 find
that his pockct-book was gone. 1t contained
every cent of his money, besides papers of
great value to him.
Without farthing. without even paper or
I, IL. l. 4.
in strange land, and sickness rapidly coming
upon him, these feelings nearly drove him to
despair The Squire. who prided himself on
his sagacity in detecting villains now found the
use of his tongue. With a loud and sneering
voice he said:
stranger, you are barking up the wrong
tree if you think to catch me with that ere Yam
kee trick O. yourn."
He proceeded in that inhuman strain second
ed by nearly every one present, for the esquire"
was powerful, and few dared to dispease him.
The youth felt keenly his desolate situation, and
casting his eyes around the group, and in tone
of deep anxiety, inquired;
as there none who will receive nv?"
ayes, will" cried man among the crowd;
''yes, poor, sick stranger, will shelter you."-
Then in lower tone he added II know not
whether you are deserving, but do know that
you are fellow-being, and in sickness and in
want; and for the sake of Him who died for
the guilty, if not for your own sake, will be
kind to you, poor stranger"
The man who stepped forth and proffered
home to the youth in the hour of suffering was
Simeon Davis, an elderly man who resided near
Crosby and the latter was his deadly enemy
Uncle Simeon, as he was called, never retaliat-
ed, and bore many prosecutions of his yindic-
tive neighbor without complaint. His family
consisted of himself and daughter, his only
child, an affectionate girl of seventeen.
The youth heard the offer of Mr.. Davis, and
heard no MORE for, overcome by his feelings
and extreme illness, he sank insensible He
was conveyed to the house of his benefactor
and physician called. Long was the struggle
between life and death. Though unconscious,
he called upon his mother and sister, almost
constantly, to aid him. When the youth was
laid upon her bed, and she heard him calling
for his sister, Lucy Davis wept, and said to him,
"Poor young man, your sister is far distant, but
| will be to you sister" Well did this dark
eyed maiden keep her promise Dayand night
she watched over him, except during the short
intervals when she yielded her post at his side
to her father.
At length the crisis of the disorder arrived
the day that was to decide the question of life
or death. Lucy bent over him with intense
anxiety, watching every expression of his fea-
lures, hardly daring to breathe, so fearful was
she of awakening him from the only sound
sleep he had enjoyed for nine long DAYS and
nights. At length he awoke and gazed up into
the face of Lucy Davis, and family inquired,
"Where am l ?" There was intelligence in that
look. Youth and good constitution had OBJ
tanned the mastery. Lucy felt that he was
spared, and, bursting into flood of tears, rush
ed out of the room.
1t was two weeks more before he could sit up
even for short time. He had already acquant-
ed them with his name and residence, but they
had no curiosity to learn anything further, and
forbade him giving his story until he became
stronger. His name was Charles Wilson, and
his paternal home Boston.
A few days afterward when Mr.. Davis was
absent from home, and Lucy engaged about her