The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-09-30

was visiting my grauutatner wnen III
tie boy, a long time ago. 1t was, think
three or four years after the memorable battle
of Waterloo. The armies then stationed ir
the towns and villages in the interior Of Ire
land, were not yet disbanded. A great nun.
Der of the ysomaury were still under arms. =
The country was much disturbed; farmers
burdened with enormous taxation; laws par.
TALLY administered; Orangeism rampant;
while robbery, outrage and yagabondism OF the
darkest dye. were matters of almost every day
occurrence. sa
My grandfather was reputed rich; one OF
those Irish farmers denominated middlemen f,
in good circumstances His house VAS COM
Portable, goodly-looking mansion of the cot
tage order of that day, substantially built on
the roadside, one mile from Dromhair, in the
hospitable county of Leitrim. The old gen.
tleman was at the time of which write, about
eighty years of age, yet sturdy and active, for
person so far advanced in life. His consort,
who was not my grandmother, but his wife by
second marriage, was nearly twenty years
younger than he. Che was in personal ap.
pearance anything but a pleasant woman to
look on, and was, besides, cursed with sour
temper, always unhappy, sulky AID dissatis-
fed. So very dsagreeable was she to the
children of bis frs. wife, that seldom any Of
them could be induced to visit tho old family
mansion, or endure to call her even by the
cold, icy appellation Of stepmother. Yet,
strange 10 say, believe she liked me. in some
queer kind of way peculiar to herself, though
must confess TO my shame tina. her cold par
tiality was never duly reciprocated.
Besides the old couple, the other inmates Of
the cottage consisted Of a middle aged man Of
many years servitude, and young girl,
brought up in the family almost from her in
fancy.
1t was in the latter end of September, a
dark, cold, windy night, about IL o'clock; the
old man aud his wife had retired to their bed
chamber, sleeping room off the parlor; the
hired man crept TO his bunk in the garret, and
in short time was sound asleep. The giil
and were still up at the kitchen fire, telling
stories of FAIRIES. goblins kings sons and daugh
tiers Of good old Ireland 10 happy days gone
by. She was fine, fat, fair, bouncing young
blonde of about twenty-five summers, full Of
good humor, Irish wit, and vivacity; honest
and faithful to her old guardian; devoted to
her religion; and, really believe, as virtuous
as vesfal of the Golden Age. l was at that
time eight or nine years Of age-a little slim,
spindle shanked, white hea, ed, gabby kind Of
codger, immoderatcly fond of listening to tales
Of the marvellous, and as Winny possessed an
mex austIble fund Of that kind of lore, and
had most fascinating way Of telling her sto
ries, it was only natural TO suppose that loved
the girl, and at the same time preferred her
society to hat Of any other living being on the
face Of the earth.
The girls bed stood in small closet of the
kitchen fire, kind Of convenient sleeping
place called pouch, 10 farm houses II that
day; aud as | never had, up to this ii ne, slept
alone, and could OF endure the idea Of lying
with the old couple, or the hired man, it was
not thought indecorous in virtuous old Ire
land that gaffer of my age should sleep with
the servant maid provided the fair damsel her
self should have no ohjecrion. Winuy hadn't
tie least, neither had /, and accordingly At
about half past eleven O'Clock, We found our
selves n the warm pouch bed, with the fire
raked, and the lights extinguished.
1t might have b?eu half an hour after We
retired, when gentle rap was heard at the
front door.
"Who's there?" asked the girl, with kind
of tremulous voice, giving me at the same
time slight nudge with her elbow to arrest
my attention.
"a friend, Winny; open the door" was tho
reply from rather gentle voice outside.
II can't till know who you are, aud what
the bed and commencing to dress herself
snake no fuss, Winny," said the voice;
"don't wake the old man colleen, | only
want to hand in this story book to the little
boy. 1t was sent to him by me, and in troth
il'll mako him laugh till the bultons fly off
his jacket Here, take it out of my hand,
and don't keep me standing in the cold all
night"
The girl still hesi.ated, but the temptation
Of story-book, and one so tunry, was more
than little boy fond of the marvellous could
resist. kicked off the blanket, leaped out Of
bed, and in two springs was at the front door,
drew back the bolt, the cross bars, and
swung tho heavy door full open.
But, horror Of horrors! instead Of the
smoothtongued bearer of funny story book,
in marched six or eight hugs fellows, with guns
in their hands and faces blackeneJ.
The foremost of tho Williams stroked me on
the head, called me good boy, bid me not
ieaf, anu takiue me up Ih nis ieit uauu no u
/ had been young kitten, and laid me back
in the bed and commanded me to cover up my
head, and keep my mouth shut, on pain Of
being instantly shot, If gave the least alarm.
Poor Winny she was bound hand aud foot,
blindfolded, and put to keep me company
The man ia the gar ct was similarly dealt with,
after receiving crack from the butt end OF a
musket that nearly fractured the poor mans
skull.
One scoundrel stood sentinel at the door
with fixed bayonet. Another in he centre of
the floor, with cooked musket, threatened 10
shoot the first who attempted to utter sylla
bic. Two others weEt into the old gentle
mans room, while two more commenced to
ransack the house for booty. Everything val
uable that could be borne away was collected.
Yarn, linen, bacon, butter, bed covering and
wearing apparel were stuffed into sacks brought
for the purpose, aud piled on a cart in waiting
at the door. The old gentleman was then
rudey lifted out IF bed, blindfoded, and put
in an arm chair in front Of ihe kitchen fire. =
His wife was served 10 the same manner. He
was then commanded to give up his money