Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-05-03

er, WnOm ne never remembered TO have seen,
and on whom, with the usual evity of boyhood,
he seldom or never bestowed passing thought,
Gerald Clynton, or Gerald Lyle, as he was
constantly called after his uncle-and most
people knew not that he bore any other name
naturally imbibed the opinions and senti-
mentS of his protector and, when the civil
war was openly declared, followed him to the
camp. The reflection never crossed him. that
the unknown author of his being might be en-
gagged in the ranks of the enemy that his
uncle and his father might chance to meet face
to face upon the battle field that either his
real parent or the parent of his affections,
might fall by the hand Of the other To do
justice to the feelings Of the youth, no idea Of
the kind had ever been suggested to him by
his uncle, not word mentioned Of the pollti-
cal sentiments of his father Colonel Lyle
for such became his rank in the Parliamentary
army-was man of firm adherence to his
principles, and although a cold, hard man, in
all things but his affection for his adopted son.
too earnest and eager a supporter of the par
ty for which he battled'' to allow such prose
lyte to what he considered the Just and upright
cause-such a follower in his own footsteps as
bis nephew-to escape him on account of any
family considerations, which he stigmatZed as
"prejudices to be despised and set at naught
in so holy a matter"
Enrolled as a volunteer in his uncle's regi-
ment, Gerald had, in some of the scanty mo-
mentS of peace and repoSe Snatched between
the quickly following phases Of the struggle,
found opportunities to cultivate the acquaint-
ancc Of an old friend of his unclc's-an officer
in the same rcgiment-or rather, it ought to
be owned without reserve, the acquaintance Of
the fair daughter of that friend In these
troubled but precious moments it was. that
Gerald's Young heart first awakened to love !:
and when. upoa the death of his uncle Colo
mel Lyle, who never recovered from the wounds
he had received upon the field Of Naseby. old
Lazarus Seaman received the command of the
regiment, it was again the bright eyes of pref
ty Mistress Mildred that served as a loadstone
to attach him to it, and to attract him to fol-
low the troop which garrisoned the lone man
sion upon the eastern coast OF England for
Colonel Lazarus Seaman was the governor or
commander of this impromDtu sort Of fortress ::
and Colonel Lazarus Seamau's daughter, his
only and motheross child, Quilted her fathers
side as little as possible She it was who was
the tenant of the room appertainng to that
balconicd window, & those bright & carefully
tended flowers, to which the ewes of Gerald
now so often strayed, as be paced up and down
the dull court, to perform the duties of senti-
mel
Gerald's thoughts however, as already init
mated. were not placed. nor we're they exclu-
sivelv occupied by the object Of his affections
They dwelt. from time to time. with grief up
Oh his uncle, whose death had excited in him
so many bitter regrets; and those sad rccol
lectous. in their turn, called forth in him 9th
er reflections of q new and painful nature lie
recalled to mind how, in his diving moments.
the sefelectcd father Of his youth had sum
moued him to his side. and talked TO hlm of
that other father whom he had never known !:
how he had sDokcn. in broken accents and
With much remorse Of the possible hatred en-
rendered between father and son : of his own
REGRETS now first clearly awakened in him, that
he himself might have been the cause of such
a coDsummation and how then. with his last
breath, he in vain endeayored to murmur ex-
pressions of bitter repentance for some cruel
wrong done, the nature of which no longer
met the ear of the anxious listener and was
soon lcf. forever uueXplaincd in the silence of
death. These sad remcmbrauccs led to train
of thought Of a most painful aud harassiug
description. His position as voluntary sup
porter Of a cause rcpnguant to the principles
Of a father whom. although unknown to him,
il was his duty to honor aud obey, and as afi-
anced to the daughter Of man whose repub-
Iican principles were so decided, appeared to
him involved with the most perpexing difficult
ties. New and conflicting feelings had arisen
in the Young mans breast There was already
within him bitter struggle between love and
duty-betwecn long inculcated opinions and
rewly awakened emotions. As the one or the
other feeling predominatcd, Gerald walked
backwards aud forwards with gloomy face, or
turned to gaze upon The window, the closed
easement of which seemed then to call forth