Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-01-23

am 4 plain man, Major, and you may not
FsIike 10 hear plain statement of facts from
NJ. Some of those facts lie beyond my un-
I4rstanding. l do not pretend to explain
Them. only know that they happened as
r-Iate them, and that pledge myself for the
ruth of every word of them
began life roughly enough, down among
II. uOtteries. / was an orphan; and my ear
re,t recollectiOns are of a great porcelain
rlnufactOry in the country of the pOtteries,
where | helped about the yard, picked up
ubst haIf-pence fell in my way, and slept in
,ba harness-lOft over the stable. Those were
bsr,l times; but things bettered themselves
!, grew older and stronger, especially after
George Barnard had come TO be foreman OF
the ward.
George Barnard was WesIeyan-we were
alStlv dissenters in the pOtterleS-sOber,
rIrar-headed, somewhat sulky- and silent, but
GOOD fellow every inch of him, and my best
friend at the time when | most needed good
friend. He took me out of the yard, and set
NE % the furnace-WOrk He entered me on
N. books at a fixed rate of wages. He help
Il me to paw for little cheap schooling four
nights a week; and he led me to go with him
ri sundays to the chapel down BY the river
.;Ie. where | first saw Leah Payne. She was
If, sweetheart, and so pretty that | used TO
FORGET the preacher and everybody else, when
lgoked at her. When she Joined in the
singing. | heard no voice but hers. Ii she
asked me for the hym-book, used TO blush
and tremble | believe | wOrshipped her, in
uv stupid, ignorant way; and | think | wOr-
shipped Barnard almost as blindly, though af-
,-r a different fashion. felt l owed him ev-
,-ything. ] knew that he had saved me,
soLv and mind and looked upon him as a
savage might look upon a missionary.
Leah was the daughter of 4 plumber, who
lived close TO the chapel. She was twenty
aud George about seven or eight-and-thirty.
some captious folks said there was too much
difference in their ages; but she was so seri-
Gus minded, and they loved each other 50
earnestly and quietly, that, if nothing had
come between them during their cOurtship,
don't believe the question of disparity would
ever have troubled the happiness of their
married lives. Something did come, howev-
r. and that something was Frenchman,
raled Lewis LarOche. He was painter on
porcelain, from the famous works ut Sevres
lui our master, it was said, had engaged him
for three wears certain, at such wages as
none of our people, however skillful, could
hope To command. Ii was about the begin
1iur or middle of September when he frs
anne among US. He looked very young wa:
,naH. dark, and well made: had little white
.ltt hands, and silk mOustache; and spoke
English nearly as well "a | do. None of u:
liked him, but that was only natural seeing
now lie was put over the head of every Eng
>hman in the place. Besides, he was al
ways smiling and civil, we couldn't help seeing
thai he thought himself ever so much better
than the rest of Us and that was not pleas
ant. Neither was it pleasant TO see hin
,trOlling about the town, when working hour:
we're over, smoking good cigars, when We
we're found to be content with pipe of com
non tobacco; hiring horse on Sunday after
noon when we were trudging afOot; .anC
ing his pleasure as if the world was made
.or him to enjoy and us to work in.
Ben, bow" said George, there's some
thing wrong about that Frenchman."
Il was on Sunday afternoon, and we wer,
sitting on a pile of empty seggars agains
tie furnace-roOm, waiting till the men shout,
III have cleared out of the yard. Seggers ar,
deep earthen boxes in which the pottery i
put, while being fired in the kiln.
looked up inquiringly.
About the Count ;" said |, for that wa
he nickname by which he went in the pottery
George nodded, and paused for a momen
sith his chin resting on his palms.
He has an evil eve" said he; and
Else smile. There is something wrong abOu
him.
drew nearer, and listened to George as
le had been an oracle.
Besides" added he, in his slow, quie
way. with his eyes fixed straight before hin
IS if he was thinking aloud, there's a youn;
l0Ok about him that isn't natural Take hin
il,t at sight, and you'd think he was almost
boy; but look close at him-see the littl
the wrinkles under his eyes, and the hare
ines about his mouth, and then tell me hi
lge, if you cant Why, Ben, boy, he's as OLE
i | am, pretty near; ay, and as strong, too
You stare; but tell you that, slight as h
looks, be could fling you over his shOulde
Is if you we're a feather. And, as for hi
lands, little and white as they are, there ar
muscles of iron inside them, take my wOr,
for it."
But, George, how can you know?"
Because have warning against him,
replied George, very grayely. Because
Eheneyer he is by, / feel as if my eyes say
clearer, and my ears heard keener than a
other times Maybe its presumption, but
sometimes feel as if had a call to guar
nyself and others against him. Look at tn
children, Ben, how they shrink away frOI
Inn; and see there, now. Ask Captain wha
be thinks of him. Ben, that dog likes hill
20 better than do"
looked, and saw Captain crouching by hi
kennel with his ears laid back, growing aud
oy, as the Frenchman came slowly down tn
steps leading from his own workshop at tn
upper end Of the yard. On the last step h
paused, lighted cigar, glanced around as
10 see whether any one was By, and the
walked straight over TO within a couple o
yaids of the kennel. Captain gave a short
angry snarl, and laid his muzzle close dow
UPON his paws, ready for spring. Tn
tfenchman folded his arms deliberately, IKE
ls eyes on the dog and stood calmly smok
Ag lie knew exactly how far he dared &c
and kept Just that one foot out of harm
say. All at once he stopped, pulled
youthful of smoke in the dogs eyes, burs
a'0 hooking langh, turned lightly on hl
leels and walked away, leaving Captain
staining at his chain and barking after hlr
IKE a mad creature.
Days went BY, and /, at work in my Owl
department., saw no more of the Count Sun
gay came-the third, think, after | ha
.siked with George in the yard. Going wit
ueorge to the chapel in the morning, L nc
ueed that there was something strange an
ANXIOUS in his face, and that he scarcel
opened his lips to me on the way. Still
aid nothing. 1t was not my place TO ques
lion him and / remember thinking TO mysel
Saat the cloud would all clear off as soon a
Ae found himself by Leah's side, holding tn
zane book, and joining the same hymn.
gld not, however, for no Leah was there.
looked every moment at the door, expecting
70 see her sweet face coming in; but GeOrg
never lifted his eyes from his book, or seeme