The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-02-14
Written for the Free Trader,
LOCUST VALLEY;
OR,
MONEY Is POWER.
~ DIR. STElNWAi
CHAPTER ".

numerous dolls, and | read my BOOKS -!
mother had suffered me 10 read Robinson IrU
soc. and afterwards the Children OF the Abbey
with the promisc from me that | would thei
take IN the New Testament and rcau i
through; that should take my BLDG VIII
me and when The Old Testament was referred
IN | WAS To refer to IT, and in tins way shOuIo
get some knowledge of the entire book oh'
vas not anxious that should read the oo
Testament consccutivcly through, AS there was
uuch in il that She could neither explain OF
embrace. But she had read to us many OF it
most engaging aud wonderful stories. kne"
where to find them, and often when l became
weary of the New | turned over to the VIC
and read to my attentive listener some OF the
stories about Adam, or Moses, or Joshua, OF
Ruth. or Esther and Hannah, and David ano
Saul and Solomon. One day my sister Mar
tina. after listening at,entvely to the oitread
story of Esther, the Jewish queen, sad:
"How high, Ned, do you think vas the tree
from which Hannah was hung
at was not tree my dear, from which he
was hanged, but a scailold that he had himself
built from which to hang Mordecal Let Us
see. Matte, it was fifty CuDits high, about sew
spty.five feet reckon about four times MS
high as this tree pointing to the white OAK
under which we sat
Martha opened her great, brown eyes wider
and said Wasn't it dreadful, Ned-lf he
had fallen 1t would have killed him"
yes my dear goosey, but he had to die any
way; I reckon 1t did not hurt him any more
20 choke to death away up there scvcniy'tive
feet than if he had been ten feet from the
ground But | suppose more people could
See him. and that would make him feel worse,
Is he had intended that MorJecM should have
been seen by many people, think it was
real good for him" However, | guess was
somewhat bloodthirsIy about those days as !
will relate;
1t has been inlimatcd that my next older
brother, Aaric, was II great tease For in
stance, after tossing halt the night, and then
dropping into q slumbcr from four to SIX
O'clock would be enjoying my most refresh
ing and nvigorating sleep, a slight tap at our
door was to wake my elder brother. My faith
er and mother had frequently charged the other
BOYS that must not be disturbed until just
before breakfast, that my feeble frame might
be so refreshed that | might endure the IA
igues of the day--ior did not spend all my
time IN reading with my sister, but every day
performed a certain amount OF manual labor.
But the earlier it was the more vcxcd was my
brother that he must rise and leave me in bed.
SO he could not leave me without IL series OF
plpchcs or punches in the RIBS, or without
dragging the covers off me, or doing some
1t was in vain that carried the bootjack to
bed with me and cndeavored to pummcl him
with it IN the morning He was SO much
stronger that he soon caught ii from me and
punched nc with ii. My mother often scoId'
ell him, and my father chastised him; but the
love Of dcviluy was SO strong within him that
he could not dcsist. So the persecution went
on from four to five o'clock in the morning
10 eight and nine O'Clock at night.
At length my mother took her bed, and my
father could not be bothered with my tales any
more. AS it was made to appear, by eXhibl
billions of violent temper, that | was nj times
greatly at fault, often had to endure my share
Of the chastisement that was occasionally al.
ministcred by him. Thrown upon my own
resources meditated day and night dire
revenge. had no contdapt but the devil and
my own wicked thoughts. Cam did not hate
his favored brother more than hated my biz
brother who leased the life out of me, and YET
ihOrlty over me
Ut length the favored time came. One
!nOrning, after teasing me for half an hour, on
the way from the meadow to our house he left
me and ran rapidly from me toward iavorte
maple tree to see about and arrange the trough
10 catch the sweet, dripping sap. stopped
down and caught! up fiat stone about the size
and weight Of "A new silver dollar and as he
turned 10 give me last sallie from his ready
tongue, sent the little missile, that the devil
carried with unerring aim to point just be
low the left eye, and my poor brother fell to
the Garth as II hit by u muSket ball. | ran t.
him. He Immediately Sprang TO his feet, his
face batlicd in blood but there was no passion
Ihere-He were both terribly frightened, the
cash being TO the bone and small vein was
severed We hied Us 20 the well near by, and
Tor hall an hour bathed the cut in the grea,
trough until the entire contents was red with
blood, and still the wound would not stop
bleeding. We were ANXIOUS to fix up the cut
and make II look as trfling as possible, but
were Obliged 10 repair to the house with the
cheek ana face presenting CHASTITY and war
like appearance. But We had gotten over our
fright, Tor he assured me that he would not
die, and therefore | would not be hanged for
The murder Of my brother Fortunately it was
at a time when my eldest sister was at home
50 That with the assistance OF the housekeepcr
The nasty wound WAS hound nm and an, N, a. ,,