Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-11-09
KATE BEVERLY.
BY PIERCE H. sE1ToN.

old man to me, as we paused upon the
edge Of the mountain road, and looked
down into the valley of Wyoming be-
meath US. Well, that spot calm and
beautiful as it now is, was once the scene
Of massacre. God help mel the agonies
Of that day almost wrung my heart to
think Of them, even after the lapse of
fifty years
Il have heard it was fearful time,
and you have often promised to tell me
the tale of your own connection with it.
Yet if the subject be so painful to you,
dare scarcely make the request
No, boy, no. said the old man sadly (;
l viii tell it, for the promise is of long
standing, and 1 feel to-day, as if 1 could
narrate that tragedy with less emotion
than usual. Sit down on this rock and
give me a moment to rest / viii then
continue my story
While the old man wiped the perspi-
ration from his brow, and sat tanning
himself with his broad-rimmed summer
hat, / took the place pointed out by him
near his side, and spent the moments that
elapsed before he begun his narrative in
gazing on the landscape before me.
Setting on a huge boulder, on the head
of the mountain, just where the hill be-
gun to slope down into the valley, we
commanded a view of one of the most
unrivaled landscapes in the world. To
our left rose up the mountain, bold, rug
ged, and barren, ike the back of some
vast monster reared against the sky-but
On the right interposed to prevent the
view; whose loveliness SO far exceeded
my expectations, that for some minutes
I gazed upon the scene in mute admira-
ton. Beneath me stretched the valley,
diversified with gently sloping elevations
and sprinkled with fields of waving
golden grain while here and there q
patch Of woodland, with its dark green
hue, lay slumbering on the landscape
the surface Of the forest ever and anon
varying 10 a lighter tint as the wind
swept over the tree-tops. Right through
the centre Of the valley meandered the
river, now rolling betwixt bluff banks
and now stealing gently among the rich
meadow lands in the distance, until Al
length It turned to the left, and striking
the foot of the far hills, was lost behind
Che profile Of the mountain before u.s.
In the centre Of the vale was the village
with its white houses and airy churcf
steeple, smiling over the scene. Fal
away on the horizon stretched line o
hills, their dark blue summit half hid BY
the clouds which wrapped them as in 3
veil of gauze. No sound came from tht
valley. Occasionally the twitter of /.
bird would be heard through the sur
rounding trees, while the low tinkle 0
a tiny waterfall OF the left, kept mon
otonously sounding in our ears. Tht
morning rays Of q summers sun poured
down upon tie landscape, and ever.
thing around was bright, and gay, an,
beautiful I was still lost in admiration
at the Ioveliness Of the scene, when tn
old man sig0ifed his readiness to com
mence the tale.
1t is now fifty years, be begun
since I came TO this country a yOun
frontier man, with ahardy constitution,
love Of adventure, and the reputation c
being the best shot on the border; th
place was at that time settled principalI
by families from Connecticut and eve
then bore marks Of It's present luxurian
cultivation. Many Of the families wer
in good circumstances, others had see
better days, and altogether the sOciet
was more refined than vas usual on th
frontier. Among all lhe families, howeve
in the valley, none pleased me 50 muc
as that Of Mr.. BeFerly--aDd Of his fir
side circle his second daughter, Kate, va
nmy eyes, the gem. How shall I d.
scribe her beauty? Lovely, witho'
being beautiful, with a sylph-like form.
laugh as joyous as the carol Of q bird,
step lighter than that Of young faW
in sportiye play, a disposition 50 aniab
as 70 win, irresistibly, the love Of all tn
met her; Kate Beverly was scarce
seventeen, before she had Q host Of a
mirers, and might have won any you
in the valley. Why II was hat she pr
ferred me over al Tie resi-, cannot sa,
perhaps it was he consciousness Of son
mysterious sympathy linking IS togeth'
or perhaps II was that we both can
from tie same place in Connecticut, al
had been sehoolmates IN childhood
Il was. however. Il soon begun to
known throughout the valley that befo
y