, 1861-03-14
The Renegade's Mother.

ton, there dwelt an aged woman, known among
the settlers Of that region BY the name Of Hester
Madge. II was rumored that she had sought
the solitude Of the woody shores to evade the
punishment due her for the preparation Of some
heinous but unknown crime many years before
in the city Of New York. To have attempted to
trace this rumOr 70 its fountain head would have
been futile; and men were content to believe II
after one glance at the lowering, black.brOwed,
ard scowlng visage Of the shriveled hag, who
seemed to have no affinity for any Of her Species
save for tall, lean savage-laced man, who called
her MOTHER" or "deviI," as the humor suited
him, and who appeared at long intervals to make
a brief sGiOurn at the lonely log hut in which
she passed the greater portion Of her existence.
Sometimes the hunter, strOlling by accident past
the only door Of her dwelling, might pause to
stare in wonder at the witch like shape, smoking
. pipe in the doorway and glaring with baleful
eyes at the waveless lake, as IL she envied the
water its calm, and would conjure Q storm to
tear it from the distant and rocky shores. But
he would soon hurry from the step when the
bag leaped toward him ierociously, hurting stones
and curses after him. Otherwise, no visits were
made to Hester Madge.
The rumor Of the rapid approach Of Burgoyne,
with an immense force Of redcoats and redskins
from the Canadas, was driving all those whom
the British fury stigmatized as Grebels" from
the sparsely settled region Of Lake Champlain;
and while the women and children were hurried
to the safety Of the interior, the men hastened
to join the American army, that was springing
! to armed life from every town and hamlet to
check the boastful invader.
tester Madge did not fly from her mountain
home; but perched upon projecting rock that
overlooked the borders of the lake. screamed her
mad dersiOn at each fugitiveladen boat AZ It
glded by. Save the loud jeer OF some reckless
| lab ho rho1o ok haR finor
was given her but the silence Of contempt
"Run, run, We dogsi and may the redskins
give all Of ye bloody night-capsl" !" was her con-
tinual song, until the last boat had vanished
from her sight.
One moonlight and silent night, after day Of
cursing, because no boat had passed her door,
she sat crouching over gloomy fire, shoulder
ing upon her hearth, muIteTiRg: "They are all
gone, and aIn queen Of the lake.-Queen Of the
lake-queen Of the lake But the redskins
viii roast them. They hated me, and hate
them-curse them all! Curse and blight every
one!"
Hours Of this senseless jargon had flown by,
| aud the weird stiffness Of midnight had settled
upon shore and water, when, as she heaped fresh
fIggots upon the embers her long absent son
threw open the unbarred door and entered
dragging after him bound and beautiful girl.
He was a man whose shaggy and uncOmbed
| OcAS Wete aireauy sIIhseeu, oue mOEo " OtiuS
than by time and his cat-like eyes, greenish
and phosphoric, cleaned from a visage stamped
with every feature Of vice.
The captive, whose white and tender arms
were bound with cruel thongs Of buckskin, 90
tightly knotted that the small and delicate hands
were purple and swollen, was a maiden Of some
seventeen years. tail and stately, despite her
mis-; and with large black eyes flashed scorn
and defiance upon her unmanly captor. Her air
and dress were superior to such as usually be-
longed to the girls Of the frontier, and her whole
bearing was that of refined and brave woman
above all misfortune.
"D'ye know her, motherf" were the first
words Of the rufiian, whose semi-savage and
semi.civiized garb denoted one Of those soulless,
mercenary renegades, who sided with the Brit
ish; not from loyalty to the king, but because
the Ted-coat was in the ascendancy. Atthe first
turn Of fortune, Abner Madge would have
changed sides, to have Stayed his former CON-
pani0ns. t5o
The hag pIucked brand from the FIRE, and
held its flame near the face Of the pale, proud
captive; gazed intenty for moment, and then
slapped the deienseless cheek with her open
| palm. 1901
"Do know herr" she screamed, with flend-
ish glee, and tossing alOft the brand "Do
know snake from fshl Il Is the daughter
Of Henry Upson, the rich rebel to the king, and
the man who would hang Hester Madge were
she In the grip of the law. Hal minkl you
may curl your lip at me, but when I tell you
that your father saw me do what my hate made
me do"
Bahl" exclaimed Abner impaticntly, "out
with Il, old woman. You drked my step father,
because the old man had made up his mind
never to die, and We wanted his gold. Henry
Upson saw itdone, and saw me help. So we fed
from the city ten years ago, and having heard
that the only witness Of the decd had settled not
many miles from here year ago. we have laid
in wait to put him out Of the way, that we may