Frostburg mining journal., 1883-11-10
THE
LAST OF THE MOHICANS.
BY
j. Fenim0re Cooper.
Continued from last week.

y
say, handed down from honest fore
fathers. Pm an admirer of names,
though the Christian fashions fall
far below savage customs in this par
ticular. The biggest coward | ever
knew was called Lyon, and his wife,
Patience, would scold you out of
hearing in less time than a hunted
deer would run a rod. With an In
dian tits a matter of conscience; what
he calls himself, he generally is-not
that Chingachgook, which signifies
big sarpent, is really snake, big or
little; but that he understands the
winding and turning of human natur',
and is silent, and strikes his enemies
when they least expect him. What
may be your calling?"
81 am an unworthy instructor in
the art of psalmody."
"Ananw
81 teach singing to the youths of
the Connecticut levy"
"You might be better employed.
The young hounds go laughing and
singing too much already through
the woods, when they ought not to
breathe louder than a fox in his
cover. Can you use the smooth bore,
OF handle the rifle?"
"Praised be God, have never had
occasion to meddle with murderous
implements J"
"Perhaps you understand the COM
pass, and lay down the water-courses
and mountains of the wilderness on
paper, in order that they who fol-
low may find places by their given
names ?"
81 practise no such employment"
"You have a pair of legs that
might make a long path seem short
you journey sometimes, fancy, with
tidings for the general"
"Never; follow no other than
my own high vocation, which is in
struction in sacred music I"
""Tis strange calling" muttered
Hawk-eye, with an inward laugh, "to
go through life, like a cat-bird,
mocking all the ups and downs that
may happen to come out of other
mems throats. Well, friend, sup
pose it is your gift, and mustn't be de-
MED any more than if twas shooting,
or some other better inclination. Let
us hear what you can do in that
way; twill be a friendly manner of
saying goodnight, for tits time that
these ladies should be getting
strength for hard and long push,
in the pride of the morning, afore the
Maquas are stirring"
"With joyful pleasure do l con-
sent" said David, adjusting his IRON
trimmed spectacles, and producing
his beloved little volume, which he
Immediately rendered to Alice.
'What can be more fitting and con-
solatory, than to offer up evening
praise, after day of such exceeding
jeopardy"
Alice smiled; but regarding Hey
ward, she blushed and hesitated.
"Indulge yourself" he whispered /;
sought not the suggestion of the
worthy namesake of the Psalmist to
have its weight at such moment?"
Encouraged by his opinion, Alice
did what her pious inclinations and
her keen relish for gentle sounds,
had before so strongly urged. The
book was opened at a hymn not i'll
adapted to their situation, and in
which the poet, no longer goaded by
his desire to excel the inspired King
of Israel, had discovered some chas-
tened and respectable powers. Cora
betrayed disposition to support her
sister, and the sacred song proceeded,
after the indispensable preliminaries
of the pitch-pipe and the tune had
been duly attended to by the meth
odical David.
The air was solemn and slow. At
times it rose to the fullest compass
of the rich voices of the females, who
hung over their little book in holy
excitement, and again it sank so low,
that the rushing of the waters ran
through their melody, like hollow
accompaniment. The natural taste
and true ear of David governed and
modified the sounds to suit the con-
fined cavern, every crevice and Granny
of which was filled with the thrilling
notes of their flexible voices. The