Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-09
End of a Feud.
BY A. F. HILL.

In a certain quarter of the West,
noted for family feuds, there lived,
some years ago, young man, named
Martin IIaZen. Unfortunately, the
Hazens had been through many years
at enmity with a family named Morgan,
by a member of which Martins own
father had been killed in Il desperate
encounter. while he was yet a child.
Martin was now the only male member
of the family left, and he had grown up
TO manhood on the old homestead, under
the careful guardianship and teaching
of his widowed mother.
She had not taught him the lesson of
hatred. She had told him of his inn
petuous fathers death-that she hoped
TO see no more wicked tragedies-and
admonished him, although he might
never like the MOrgans, TO cherish no
thought of revenge.
The Morgans were four in number
Henry. a desperate and reyengeful
man. by whose hand old Mr.. Hazen
had fallen: his two sons, James and
Ephraim. much like him; and his
daughter Esther, who was not like him,
but who, with lovely face, possessed
the sweet and gentle nature of her
mother, whom sorrow had years before
hurried to the grave.
The two families lived in the same
community. Martin and Esther fire.
auently met-in the village, at church
and at social parties, and notwithstand-
inc the feud that had cast shadow on
both homes. they loved each other; and
10 the unbounded rage of Henry Morgan
and his sons. who hated Martin for his
fathers sake they deliberately went and
got married.
Esther and Martin well knew that
she must not dare 10 visit her old home
again after that; so she went with him
TO the house of the HaZans, and they
did not see any of the Morgans for
months.
But Martin was warned that he was
in danger. and he knew the Morgans
too well to doubt it. While he desired
TO live at peace with them, he deter
mined not to fall as his father had
fallen. if he could help it. Like most
people in that section, and at that time,
he went armed when away from home !;
and besides being one of that class OF
persons scarcely susceptible OF fear he
was one of the best shots, with rifle or
pistols in the community
One evening in autumn, just at dusk,
a few months after the marriage, he
was riding home from the village on a
spirited horse. when the Morgans sud-
denly came into his mind. He thought
over the strange history of the two
families, and began talking to himself,
as he rode leisurely along:
ssHow unfortunate-how foolish it
is.r he unused, ''that this enmity should
exist through whole generations, merely
because remote ancestors quarreled over
a line of fence, or the ownership of a
truanr pig, They hate me: l do not
fear them. vet I'd like to be reconciled.
L think | shall see them and talk it over
L believe could reason them into fair
ness. How TO approach them, though
He was then riding by a little grove
of timber. from which three men sprang
into the road. One grasped his bride
rein. while two stood with rifles leveled
upon him. 1t was not yet so dark but
that he recognized his assailants. They
were the Morgans. 1t was Ephrain
who held his bridle-rein, while bis
father and James menaced him with
their rifles.
ooh. Hazen,'' said the old man, with
an air of triumph, ''we've got you
You won't see the sun rise TO morrow,
YOU independent young dog. You'll
be with your father before that. What's
more. You'll steal no more daughters OF
mine. Stop that, don't offer to reach
for that shooter ~ he said, as Martins
hand moved toward his breast-pOcket
"At best. you've but minute TO live
while | tell you why l am going tc
shoot YOU, and how glad L am to wipe
out the last Hazen; but none of youl
tricks or you won't live a second ~
Martin Hazen, sitting in the saddle
with the calmness of tall trees by the
roadside-that looked, in the gathering
darkness. like grim spectres frownins
upon the terrible scene-felt that it wa'
no time now to reason with his enemie:
and he dismissed the thought. H'
waited, motionless, for Henry Morgan
to speak again. for he knew that thu
fs,y-geful man would love to gloa
over him before destroying him, ant
that his sons would await his command
Henry Morgan, with rifle still leveled
went on:
"Yes, young Hazen, the last of on
race
Quick as flash, Martin snatched hi
revolver from his pocket, and droppin,
his face upon his horses name, to con
fuse the aim of Henry and James Nor
gan. he fired at Ephraim, who fell Q
the earth: and the horse, startled b.
the crack of the revolver at his ear
dashed away at full speed.
Almost simultaneously, Henry MOI
gan fired at Martins head, missin
him: and moment later, James niue
confused by the sudden turn of affair;
fired almost at random, and the bulle
pierced Martins left thigh. He ha
not gone far before he discovered tina
the shot had broken the bone, and b
began to suffer such excruciating pal
that only the danger which he kne'
was still behind him, and his realizs
ton of how important it was to reac
home prevented him from reeling fror
his saddle in swOon.
He succeeded in reaching home, to
met at the gate by his mother, who tol
him that during his absence Esther ha
been forcibly carried away by her fathe
and brothers. Martin fell, rather tina
dismounted from his horse, dragge
himself into the lawn, and with tn
words. ssfThe MOrpans have shot me y