The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1866-02-14
From the New York Observer.
THE PURITAN OF 1863.
BY MRS. n. D. C. ROBBINS.


/ 1t was in the early part of October, =
that the Rev, MIR, Allen started to walk t
Farmer Owens over the hills. lie had t
cross two low spurs OF the Green Noun
tains, and as he climbed to the top Of tn
second the rich valley of the Otter creek Ia,
spread out before him. AT any other tim,
he would have stopped to admire its, gen,l,
undulationss its great flower garden of tores
trees, rich in every color and hue; its silve
threads winding their way to the waters O.
the Champlain, and the glorious autumn
light which lay like golden mantle ovel
them all. But this afternoon he seemed
oppressed by the beauty which surrounded
hun. he looked upon it with eyes misty
from tears. There was dull, heavy weight
upon his hearts weight which even the
long, tervent prayers that he had uttered
30 Increasingly since noon had failed to
move. Between him and that land -scape,
We might almost say, between him and the
mercy seat, there moved slight, tall boy.
with laughing blue eye, clustering brown
| hair, and lips always ready with a merry
pleasant word. To-day, there was Benny,
nuttlng under the bare, brawny arms of the
butternut tree; throwing his liue into the
brooks, that came bubbling down from the
steep nountain side, driving his cows along
the narrow foot.path; standing with Bios
som under the bright maple, aud shouting
with pride and JOY as she wreathed her pret-
ty lace in the gay leaves 3 .f..n
''Oh, Bennie! Bennie!" Mr.. Allen hard
ly knew he was calling the name, until it
came back to him with such an empty,
nockihg sound, from the heartess echo;
almostP'-Mr.l Allen thought, startling
himself by the seeming impiety of the
words" almost if there was no great, kind
Father over us all " t tF =
AS he came near Farmer Owens house,
he saw his oxen yoked to the plow. He
knew they had been there since the teie-
graph came. Mr. Owen had read it in the
hek. gone to the house and forgotten them,
and no one had dared to put them UP. He
was man fully capable Of taking care of
his own affairs under any circumstances,
never having been known before to forget.
Mr. Allen beckoned TO an Irishman who
was passing, and asked him to take care of
them. The M an CAME with an awcd look
upon his face, as if even there he stood in
the presence Of great surrow, and without
the least noise oheyed.
MIR, Allen walked on slowly toward tho
house. lie had known MIR Owen for many
years, and he knew him wsll. Indeed there
was peculiar bond Of sympathy between
the two men. In oil his large parish there
was not oncupon whom the minister relied |
as he did upon this strong, sturdy farmer.
Many and many an hour he had walked by |
his side whom he was upturning the brown
earth, and had discoursed with him on |
topics which would have sounded harsh and |
repuSive to common ears, hut which were |
fraught with deep and vital interest to them.
Mr.. Owen was II direct descendcnt of the |
Puritans, and every drop ct llood in his |
veins was tinged with as strong and as true
a blue, as if he himself had landed in
the Mayfower. He took naturally to the
strrner doctrines of religion. while Mr..
Allen, verscd in all the modern lore, oues-
toned and doubted. The keystone of Mr..
Owens theology was the sovereignty of
God Shall not the Judge of all the earth
DO right This was the man upon whom
God had laid his hand so heavily; and Mr..
Allen felt that if the trial brought no mur.
nier, no. rebellion against that mighty Sow
elign, the stern old faith We're indeed rich
one in which to live and die. lie knew that
one element in this war was Puritan Sons
of the Roundheads filled up the ranks of
the Northern army. They marched to bat
tie to strains of cid tunes that had fingered
IN the nursery and the sanctuary from the
day that Cromwell and his soldiers chantcd
them on Marston Moor. All down the
aisles of time came tramping to the music
mailed men, bearing on their shields the
two wnr-ls, Liberty and Equality They
tremblcd on Mr.. Owens lips with his part
ing blessing to his boy. Would he remcm-
Der them, and would they comfort and give
him strength nO,r?
Where. there is affiiction in the house, the
minister is at home Mr.. Allen entered
Without knocking, and made his way to the
arge, old-fashioned kitchen in which he
vas sure of finding the family. |
There, by table, with his arms folded
md laid heavily upon it, sat MIR. Owen
lis wife was in small rocking chair by
ne fire, and Blossom, young girl, sat be-
ween them.
MIR. Owen rose to welcome him, so did +,
Blossom, but the wife did not notice him,
he sat still, rocking herself to and fro, look
ng at the blazing wood.
=, MIR. Allen put hand in the brawny one ,
hat was held out toward him, and laid the
th'r on Mr.; Owen great heaving breast.
MY friend he said, how is it with the
lecfees of God?" 'iaU 4 ar',,"a 'NO
JusI nnn true are all thy ways, thou ,
<ing Of Saints, faltered out the man. l.,
There was something strange in his voice !
"a thin. womanly sound, 30 unlike the {
eep, stentorian, tones in which he had a.
ways spoken before. Mr.. Allen, when he :
card it, almost felt as if it had dealt him a !
low. 49,
Thank God! He has not, then, forsaken
ou, and from the depths of this deep trou. ,
lcIyou can still say, The Maker Of all
:. Yes, yes, and for an instant thcre
llmmered from his dull eye. spark of the =
ID controversial fire you don't suppose .
have held on I'd that anchor when the /.
sies were, cloudlcss, and the little waves
list rocked my bark, to let aloue of it now low Z
now, when the great waves and bilows =
re- going over mo, do YOU? I've planted "
firm, and it don't YIELD no, u dom neiT !.
ut the strain is terrible. God send Il NAV .
.rry ne into port; oh! Mr.. Allen, saw I \
Ill. II has seemed to me 10 day so dsrk q
, wonderful, SC. inscrutable, that he NV y =
'cnli.! Mr. Allen, there is a good u;ss s . .
urposc behind it all. Can YOU see itp'' :
.NIc FIRING YOU nearer tho kingdom, y said 4
6r -" eau \