The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-06-26

| iuB Hei CoLntCHauCC StSuuily' LUZ
ing towards him at length, she said
Ninety eight |" 1t must be old Ma
jor Stafford"
"Grandpa-grandpa," she repeated
in louder tone, sit must be the old
Major, for there is no one else in town
so DID,"
But the old gentleman had fallen
into a reverie. From the length OF
time which the bell tolled, he knew
for whom it rang those sad tones, and
his heart was now busy with the past
Memories of other days, of days when
the blood circulated swiftly through
the youthful limbs, aud he could boast
of health, strength and vigor-Acenes
of strife and tumult, of battle fields
and council-chambers, Of tyrany resis-
ted and independence achieved All
these were connected with thoughts of
q friend who had just passed from
earth. What depository Of relics
an old mans heart must be L! Not
buried Pompeii, or Herculaneun pre-
sent more subjects of thought than
one human heart, could We look be-
meath the lava, rubbish and dust, with
which years and intercourse with the
world have covered it, The crust is
often hard to be penetrated, but now
and then an opening Is made. and we
have glance at the depths beneath.
It was now thus with Father Nor
ris, and the wise man had he been
there and looked at the shattered
hopes which, like beautiful ruins, were
scattered over that life, and that the
stranded wrecks upon the shore would
have exclaimed anew, "All is vanity
and vexation of spirit" But poor
Alice thought only oil losing her sto-
~, seeing the mood of her grandfather,
she mt down by his side and leaned
her head upon his knee. The trem-
bling hand was by the power of habit
involuntarily laid upon it-but the
touch recalled his wandering thoughts,
and he said:
I must follow soon, Ally. My old
companions in arms are almost all
dead. My armor is worn and rusty,
and l must lay it soon aside-but I
will not disturb your Young heart with
sad thoughts. Go bring my pipe, and
I will tell yon story of old times, and
! 1t shall he about this same Major SAT-
, ford~-I can think of no one else this
afternoon
! "1'd rather ear about something
else" thought Alice, but she never
thwarted her grandfather's wishes
SO lighting his pipe from the en-
bers Of the kitchen fire, she Immediate
| y returned with her knitting work
and resumed her seat. 'You see, Ally,
said the old man, after taking few
whiifs FROM his pipe, and knocking the
ashes therefrom, holding it in his hand
a moment, and CHANGING at his snug
little cottage and garden which rus
tied amid the shrubbery like birds
nest in the green leaves of tree
"You see, Ally, matters were not so
pleasant and peaceful then as now. In
the early settlement Of Vermont there
were stirring times amid these green
hills, and it was not without many
bloody fray and fierce battle that We
settled down so qnietly under our own
vine and fig trees"
'You had to fight the indiana, /
suppose" said Ally.
"Ten times worse than that, dear
child. We had to fight the York
tories. I cannot explain 1t oil to you,
for it is too long O story, and would
puzzle your head but to make it
short You see, the folks over the
Hudson thought they had claim this
side, and they sent out to England and
, obtained, as they said, royal authority
to their claim. Then they sent off,
GERS here with parchment rolls, and
papers they called deeds, and threat.
ened to turn us ont of our homes, and
from the lands we had so much labor
expended oil.
"Well, the Green Mountain Boys
with Ethan at their head, determined
, to resist, and You know, for you have
, often heard me tell how they fought.
''But speaking of these times re
minds me of what ! meant to tell yor
, when / begun, that is sort OF low
story, in which the Major and mysel
were interested.
At these words, Alice dropped heI
f knitting work--though it was not ii
the seam keedle-and looked up will
q much interest "In which you are In
o terested, did you say, grandpa ?"
s Eyes, child, when / was young ana
foolish, and easily taken in with I
D pretty face; and the love part woul'
E not be worth repeating now as onl.
connected with the courage of tn
D major"
, E0h +all tho whole GRANDMA