East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-11-22
TUE PRESS GANG AND POISON.


though was only lad ; but you see the crowncr
quest set all things right, and after that IL wa
no use asking further questions. IL must be mig
| fifty years ngo-lfty years." he repeated, ha
closing bis eyes and pausing ms his mind tnveie
over the space which had brought so many an
great changes even to that quiet ldtle village
" that an old sea-faring man, they called Capital
Meredith, lived-at least that Is 10 say, lodged
| in the house of widow named Pcnrhyn. 70
might see the SPOT from the hill, for tho hons
itself has been pulled down since then, Well, h
might have been Captain or not don't preten
10 say; II is certain he had bit of money put by
and lived comfortably enough. Some said he ha'
| been in the smuggling trade, and made none,
that way However, il don't much matter; d
was woll respected, and though he had no wit
living, be had daughter as was called Ellen
and was the prettiest lass in Cowsand and 70
miles around Well, now this old woman had
son uamed Paul. and n strange artcie he was.
remember MIN; alittle handy legged chap will
red hair, and the people used 20 call him doctor
"Was he a surgeon, then 2" 1 interrupted :
"l'm going to tell you. lie had been pren
ticed to n chemist in Davenport 1--WE used to cal
it dock in those days,) and after his time wal
out he had been stopping with his mother to TAKE
enre Of her, OF perhaps because he couldn't find Q
situation readily for himself. Tho old widow hat
put something by, suppose, and Paul had beer
at home about year when the Captain came Il
lodge there with his daughter This Pau's room
at the top Of the house, where his light would
be seen burning Mt time Of the night when all
honest folks we're in bed and asleep. Sometimes
he would be out all night, when he was met in the
morning returning with bis arms full Of weeds
and plants, which he used to take up into the
doctors shop ns they called H." VI lI
"Ah a botanist, ! remarked, ..a
4" don't know about that" replied my friend,
slightly puzzled; "but the people said he made
pissen out Of them. Any way, once when Paul
was passing by the blacksmth's, tho dog ran out
and bit him, and the next day Paul was seen to
give him piece Of bread and the dog was dead
within un hour, and reoollect, when youngster,
calling after him, There goes Doctor Night
shade y and his stopping and saying, If had 10
doctor you, my lad, you wouldn't shout so loud
Well, shortly after Ellcn and her father had been
lodging at the widows house, it was clear to see
that Paul wished TO court her; wherever sho went,
sure enodgh Paul WAS net far behind and things
went on In this way for about six months when
one dark and wintry night, the wind blowing
great guns and the sea running high, the widow
saw signals Of distress from some vessel OF the
point. There was no little boat in the place and
our small craft couldn't have lived minute in
such weather In the morning we saw no signs
Of the vessel, and we supposed she had gone
down and all on bonrd lost. However. We hoard
during the day, that one POOR fellow had escaped,
and though cut and bruised had contrived 10
crawl up TO the point there whoro he had been
found by Captain Meredith who brought him
home TO his own lodging and nursed him. lle
was n fino young follow, an orphan he said, by
the name Of William Randall and had been
working his way to Liverpool in hopes Of obtain
ing employment.
The clergyman Of the pla. e-you may sec
the church on the right as you go towards Edge
cumbe Pcrry-Leard Of this, and becomnga good
deal interested in the young man, offered him
place MS gardener, or general servant, or some
thing or other. Bill was handy clap and soon
made friends with the people, anj was persuaded
to stop here instead Of going TO Liverpool ms he
had intended lie didn't want much pressing for
any one could &c there was girl in the case
aud that girl was Ellen Meredith aud it didi,'t
want more than two eyes 70 sec that She liked
him.
"The folks used to jcer Paul about his nose
smith, rs owed him grudgc for ihe dog, dsttd 10
say well, doctor, how's your nose 10y this time J
But they said the doctor only used TO turn white
aud rub his hands, il was n way be h1d, and he
did the same when he gave the dog The bread
"Well, things prspcrcd so well with young
Randall that at last he made up his mind to ask
the Captain for his consent that he and Ellen
should lie married and as the old fellow was
Jolly, oasy going customer. and liked Bill very
much besides, 1t wasn't long before lac gave L.
j ust atout this time the folks in the village we're
nt the report that the press gang were
out that they had been ms far as plymouth, four
or five miles from the town there, aud had pressed
thirty or forty men,
"Tbo Caltain and Ellen wanted to put oiI tho
marriage, but Bin wouldn't hear 10 it, and,
strange to say Paul os WIS his worst rival, as
you may say, sided with him.
"Well. on the very day afuro the welding
strange man rs hadn't Lccn secn in the village
afore. called ut the house TO see Paul and
neighbor az happened to lie present nj the time
said afterwards he had seen them talking together
ON the road 10 Plymouth. Now, mind me, in the
evening just rs they wore sitting dOv IA 10 supper
and drinking healths, Paul, who was late, IAN
into the room leaving the door open behni him,
and cnircated William 20 look To himself, as the
press gang were already in the village: and afore
poor nlll could get away the press gang were in
side and had seized him. and In spite Of h'e
struggles und Elcn's cries and Papl's cntreaiisS,
carried him 10 inc pencn, where boat lay ready,
and took him away"
ais that all?" asked
"Not exactly, mate" said my friend, finishing
bis rum; "the strange part has not come
So replenishing his glass and resuming his pipe,
he continued
"Well. every one Of course was very much
cast down at this, but poor Ellen particularly. -
However, for many months she Kept brave
heart, always telling the Captain that she knew
William would return, and they should bo happy
yet I; and dye see no ono liked TO tell the ptor
thing differently, although very few thought
they'd over sec him again.
'At any rate, il was clear that DIR. Paul didn't,
for after a while he began again to pay his ad-
drerses 10 her and this time more in earnest than
before, but IL was no use. Elton would have
nothing to say to him at all. Now about two
years after they had prcssed poor Eli, when It
was getting ON towards tho winter timc-thefe
had been good deal pf dirty weather about, and
several vessels had been lost upon the coast-
there was n report thnt several crews had been
paid of, and then Ellen made up her mind more
than ever that William would return, when one
day a noighbor comes in and says he had heard
that vessel like the Spitiire-that was the one
that William went out in had gone down ca the
Sicllys. and it was feared all hands had pershcd;
he had il lac said from party over to Davenport
the day before on sOine matter Of business. ihls
was Lad news for the poor lass, but believe she
still hoped and prayed for her sailor sweetheart
and all along kept telling the Captain thai he
would live to sec her and Will Randall BRIDE ana
bridcgroom yet but about fortnight after ti,'s
Paul comes in, IN a great way, aud shows the
Captain n bottle which he said had been picked
up on the Cornish coast no doubt having driited
in and in it was n paper saying that the Splihre
couldn't live through the night, praying that
whoever found the bottle would, for Heavens
sake, send It TO Captain Meredith, of Cowsand,
with the last prayers Of poar Will.
This was dated back, and was about square with
the day when the Spitirc was said to have gone
down; and so now there seemed no hope at all,
and 80 POOR Ellen seemed to think at last, for she
rot paler and leaner every day and moved ahoHt
like ono who had nothing TO live for, To make
matters worse the Captain got into debt and
difficulties got bigger and higher We'll, one day
all ON a sudden, the doctor goes to him and offers
10 marry Ellen GU, Of hand, promising to pay all
the Captains debts and stating that his long and
strong attachment had induced him 10 make the
proposal. The Captain, rs you may believe,
didn't much farcy Paul for a son-in-law, but he
1T last reiented and pressed by his debts and
troubles, urged Ellen 10 accept him. The poor
lass refused for n long time, but when she found
her fathers liberty and welfare depended on u
and besides had Lost all hope Of ever seeing VIII
Randall again, she consented"
/" But You don't mean TO say thatthey got mar
ricd at last 2" l interrupted.
"In two or three months they were, and q
pretty couple they must have made she with her
tall figure and pale, and he with his red head and
bowed legs shambling along by her side. They
1 he