The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-10-22

all in double eagles, after the latter's
mill was burned? But, then, he took,
an unconscionable rate of interest
seven per sent. Not dime less !;
what regular old Shylock he must be!'
And as set off to his riches, don't
he drink wine every day at dinner,
with his fathers awful fate beforehim {?
and amt he forever with pipe be-
tween his teeth ? and didn't he play
cards and carouse, and sing songs all
night, and drive about the country all
day with those friends of bis who came
up from Boston? Old mates in the
mines, were they? Humph Guess
gamblers, wore their superfne broad
cloth, and their gold chains and things. /"
So went the gossip, and Nick cared
for it all not red cent, but went on
his way, turning neither to the right nor
left; farming little dabbling little
in fancy cattle: oftner going off for a
days shooting or fishing; more oftener
going down to Boston for nobody
knows what, evidently enjoying life in
his own way, despite all that was said
of him and his goings on.
At last the war broke out. A religi-
Gus fever ragged up there in the back
parts of New England. None before
them in the holy crusade against the
destroyer of the Union! The young
men volunteered by hundreds-by
thousands! Weeping mothers packed
their kits and bade "God bless them ,
Sad broken circles met around homely
boards in the brown farm houses.
Poor old Puritan fathers, with stern
faces and sad hearts, strained every
nerve to make both ends meet while
the "boys" were away fighting, and
sweet-hearts and wives sat themselves
down to weep over lovers and husbands
marching away for the cruel swamps
of Virginia.
In the midst of all, report began
to spread "that Nick Dudley was Se-
cessionist" And, indeed, his conduct
was somewhat suspicious.
Before the storming of Sumter, he
was heard to say dozen times that he
"sympathized with his misguided South
ern breathen." Since that momentous
era, ne had held his tongue, never join
ing in the excited harrangues of bis
neighbors at the village school-house /;
attending no war meetings ; offering no
[money for the cause, and doing moth
ing to encourage enlistments. 1t looks
bad, certainly. at length the public
feeling ran so high that Nick heard OF
it, but he only laughed, called them a
pack of fools for their pains and said
he would give his opinions when called
upon for them, not before. But no one
cared to ask him point blank what he
thought, for wholesome fear of Prov
ess was prevalent in Springdale. But
Nick got caught at last!
Cicily Hopkins-sweet Cicily Hop
kins, from New Hampshire-down for
visit to her cousin, Lizzie, came
blooming into Springdale one June
morning, like veritable little Puritan
rose, and Nick stared at her whenever
and wherever he could, like a real hea-
then as be was and before many days
he had made some pretense to call over
at the Deacon's, where he straightway
received an introduction to pretty Cici-
Ily, who wondered much at his great
moustache, and rather liked his looks,
but denominated him a perfect bear
afterwards, when she and Lizzie were
talking him over. Then he invited
Miss Lizzie and Cicily, of course to
ride over to Accomac ponds with him,
to fish for perch and gather water-lilies,
and, indeed, carried them both there
in his handsomest wagon in grand
style, and made himself So agreeable
that they would never listen to word
in his disparagement again. Yes,
Nick was caught! and Cicily, though
half afraid of the great fish she had
hooked, felt proud of her conquest, and
got TO looking for the dreamy eyes and
black moustache with little fiutter at
the heart and gush of crimson bushes
plump cheeks and milk-white neck.
But, then, he was Seceshionist, they
said and she, staunch Union damsel
She would never marry Secessionis
never She said as much one da,
, in Nick's hearing, but he only smiled
and remarked that she would not either
if he could"
, And so the summer was slipping by
and Cicily's visit drawing to close
I only ono dav of ~ royoo;naJ