The Van Buren press., 1876-02-01

MISCELLANY.
Story of David Matson.
By JOHN G. WHITTIER.

| Who Of my young friends have not
read the sorfowful story Of " Enoch Ar
den,' SO sweetly and simply told by the
great English poet? 1t is the story of n
man who went to sea leaving behind a
sweet young wife and little daughter, He
was cast away on desert island, where
he remained several years, when he was
discovered and taken off by passing YES.
sci. Coming back to his native town,
he found his wife married to an old play
mate--a good man. rich, aud honored,
with whom she was living happily, The
poor man, unwilling TO cause her pain,
resolved not to nassfliinsef known to
her, and lived and dids ,.He. The poem
has reminded me OF Il very similar story
Of my own New England neighborhood,
will try to tell, not in poetry, like Alfred
Tennyson's, but in my own poor prose
| | can assure my readers that, in its man
particulars tbs a true tale:
| One bright summer morning, more
| than three score years ago, David Matson,
with his young wife, aud his two healthy,
barefooted boys. stood on the bank of
the river near eird.elling. They were
waiting there for Pelatiah Curtis to come
round the point With his wherry and take
the husband and father to the porta few
miles below The Lively Turtle was about
to,sail on q voyage to Spain and David was
going as her mate They stood there in
the level, morning Sunshine, talking cheer
fully, bat had YOU been near enough you
could have seen tears in Anna Matson's
blue eyes, for she loved her husband, and
knew there was always danger on the sea,
And David bluff, CHEEKY voice, trembled
little now anl then, for the honest sal
lor loved his snug home on the Merfi
mack, with the dear wife and her pretty
boys. But presently the wherry came.
along side, and David was just stepping
into 1t when be turned haek to kiss his
wife and children once more.
" In with YOU nIan. said pelatiah Cur
It's. There no time for kissing and
such foolefies when the tide serves =
And SO they Faflel. Anna and the
boys went back To HEIR home, and Da
vid to the port. waeare lie sailed of in
the Lively Turtle Aaa months passed
au umn followed saaaer, aad winter the
aaumn, and then s{tfing came; .anon il
was summer on The river sidt. an ae
did not come btck An another petr
pissed and thea the Old sailors and fish
crnen shook their hot3s solemnly, aud
said the Lively Taf@ie was q lost ship,
and would never co4ne sack W port. Aud
poor Anna had her bambazine gown dyed
in black aud her straw bonnet trimmed
in mourning ribbons. and henceiorth she
was only known as the widow Matson
And how was ii all This time with Da-
vid himself
Now, yoa mast know that the NOLAN
medan people of 4 Agi4.> u ffipoli, and
Magadore and Salee, on the Barbsry
coast, had for long time been in the
habit OF Citing out aalleNs and armed
boats to seize upon merchant vessels OF
Christian nations, and make slaves Of
their crews and passengers,
The Lively Turtle fell into the hands
OF one of these rowing sea robbers, and
the crew was taken to Algiers and sold
in the market place as slaves, poor Da-
vid MaJson among the rest
When u boy he had learned the trade
of shipcarpenter with his father, on the
Merrimact and now he was set at work
in the dock-yards His master. who was
naturally Il kind man, did not oyerwork
him. He had daily his three loves Of
bread, and when his clothing was worn
out its place was supplied by the coarse
cloth of wool and camers hair. woven by
the Berber women. Three hours before
sunset he was releasra from work, and
Friday, which is the Mohammedan Sab
bath, is Il day of entire rest.
Once Il year, at the season called Ram
aden, he was left at leisure for a whole
week So time went on--lays, weeks,
months and years His dark hair became
gray. He still dreamed OF his old home
n the Merrimaek, and OF his good Aa
ma AID the boys. He wondered il they
y ct lived, and what they were doing. The
hope Of over seaing them again grew
fainter. and fainter, aud at last nearly died
out land he resigned him to his fate as a
slave for life,
out one day a handsome, middle aged
gentleman, in the dress Of one of his own
countrymen, attended by great officer
w bit law, tlttISi btC Sltil ldia' anu
called Hp before him the American cap
tives The stranger was none other than
Joel Barlow, Com mmissioner of the Uni
ted States to procure beraton OF slaves
belonging to that Government. He took
the men 10y the hand as they came NJ,
and told them they were tree As you
might expect, the poor fellows were VERY
grateful some laughed, some wept for
joy, some shouted aad san4 and threw
up their cap-, while others. witn DHyi
Matson amoAg til N, k1elt Oipvrnu the
chips AM .h1uaet Gri for 4ne great i
hvprnuCr
d, Is = Te lf.tltag sttl,, sal
the c'.n missioner. F.pllg as rtes /
must keep .ir mp er-iol ul II .or nv
Cpluinbtad j., and 1t aHiug out nj, tan
les he proceeded to write an apustruphr
to freedom, which afterwards fonnd a
place in his great epic.
David Matson had saved little mon
ey during his captivity, by odd jobs aud
work on holidays. He got y passage to
Malaga, where he bought nice shall for
his wife aud watch for eaeh,,of his little
boys lie then went to the quay, where
an American ship was lying, jast ready