The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-09-20
The MaldOns OF Poplar Hall.
A LgGAND OF NEW YORK.

Somewhere about the year of our Lord
1779, there stood. not very far from the
present site ofo ofthc handsomest houses
Of which Fifth avenue can boast, large,
old-fashioued country mansion, occupied by
aneldeny English lady and her only SON,
and styled, from the taII, dark poplar trees
which grew before 1t, Poplar Hall. 1t was
a square, soldly- dwelling, with dormer
windows and broad piazza running round
it, and just to the left Of this piazza was a
deep stono well, with long sweep, and a
great, brown, mos'-covered bucket. which
took all the strength Of the man servant S
arm to lit when he came to draw it up to
All the pitchers for the dining-room, or the
tubs and pals for the maid on washing days.
But. then, the man servant vas old, like
everything about the place, and not so strong
as he had once been. The lady, Mrs. Nal
don, was proud, cold woman. who seemed
to have no love or sympathy for anything
on earth except her only son but she doated
upon him. and would have shed her hearts
blood to save him from single pang. He
returned her love. and it was strange to see
how soft those two handsome faces, which
were SO hard and cold when turned on other
people, could become when they were speak
ing to each other. EFEF h EE4
For Guy Maidon was like his mother, and
held himself loftily above those felow-b beings
he chose to consider and style common
people," "a Pess0* "f ( Faa'
Some said that this mother and son had
been much richer and of more considcra ton
in their own country, and that Maldon was
an assumed name. Nay, they even whis-
pered that there was title in the family, for
when the old servant grew excited, or forgot,
in any way, the presence Of strangers, he
always called Mis- mistress "My lady" BE
That as it may, they we're both Tories, and
had no osentimcnts for the rebel colonists save
those Of anger and disdAin; and whom the
English forces trod the shores Of North
America. young Maldon joined them, and
fought for the land Of his birth against the
land OF his adoption. A handsome, gallant
gentleman he was-albeit he was our enemy
--and they say he acted bravely, IS q soldier
might, leading his men TO many folorn
hope, and riding always at their head, gi:-
tering mark for the bullets Of his foes.
She, the mother, stayed in the old hall,
: and counted the moments which intervened
between his letters. She never wept, OF
seemed nervous or anxious, but her form
grew thin, and her eyes weary from the long
night watches she kept at her own chamber
window, peering through the poplar branches
and listening to any sound which might tel
her OF the far-off battle.
At last, sad news came to the hall. The
young and brave Guy Maldon had been
wounded, and they were bringing him home
rs he had begged them. to die in his old
mothers arms.
She did not weep when they told her, and
was the first to meet the men who bore theil
helpless burthen over the broad hall stairs
but her hair was only streaked with gray
that night, and before morning it was whittier
than the newly fallen snow. Little cared
she now for the raging battle, for the far-of
booming Of the cannon, or for the blaze o
burning houses upon the distant hills-al
she loved or cared for lay before her in thai
narrow chamber, and would lie ere long il
narrower one, shut from her sight foreve
for skillful surgeons had done all the!
could, and had no power to save the poo
young officer, or even to case him OF hi
pain.
Day and night he tossed, ard turned, an
moaned, and talked dsliriously, as men tall
when feverish blood is in e:r veins, an
day and night this mother s. and watches