Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-24
CAPTAIN MARYIN'S WOOING.
New York Sun.


The curious minded used some
years ago to search for the qsaint in
scription that could be traced upon a
moldy stone In that ancient burying
ground in old Lyme Regis, known in
these later years IS Lyme. The mem
orial, when found, could be decipher-
ed thus:
This Deacon, aged sixty-eght is freed on earth
from serving;
May for a crown no longer walt; Lyme captain
Reynold Marvin
Yet, according TO the tale that
mothers told daughters for many
years more than hundred, Captain
Marvin found a crown whose gentle,
blue-eYed wearer ruled him ard his
imperious will with the peaceful scep-
ter of love, and this is the tradition:
There were the sounds of breaking
twigs and branches and the tread Of
feet that seemed heavily weighted one
afternoon of early Septem Der IN the
year 1900. These noises seemed to be
caused by some one Iaboring just
within the wilderness that stretched
far back into Connecticut colony from
the shore of the Sound. The maa who
heard these ominous sounds peeped
cautiously around for an instant, and
then stared with wonder upon what
was revealed to him. He saw coming
through the woods another man, half
carrying on his shoulders, half
dragging, and Straining at every mus
Gle with the weight, great black
thing that seemed the full size Of a
well-grown OK.
'"Tls Reynold," said the man, "and
I, l. L
the hunter.
ga bear. The bear. Reynold. The
brute that has given US so much con-
Germ. 'Tis Is a monster"
The hunter loosed his hold, and,
painting with his exertion, seated him
self upon q stone. He was a young
man, and, though the blood of the
beast had stained his face SO that the
color almost masked his countenance,
yet the dark and resolute eyes, the
frm-set Jaw, and the defiant manner
of the man, exhausted as he was,
caused the other to look with admira-
ton upon him rather than upon his
prize.
'"Tis monster, Reynold. You did
not fight it all alone2"
''Why not? Shall a strong man
with blunderbuss and knife fear q
brute"
''Many al armed man has been kill
ed by such as this one"
''Bah! None but babies and suck
lings There, am rested now. Twas
more difficult to fetch him here than
TO kill him. Here, here, my gun and
knife. go for help to bring him to
The settlement"
"Ah, but, Reynold, perhaps his
mate"
art fearful of dead brutea Yet
slew him alone. Truly did. lie
not"
ST know you do not lie. Your COM
munication is always yea, yea, and
nay. nay"
''Fear nothing, for [ will soon be
back"
The young man, without another
word, went quickly down the high
way, mile perhaps, until he stopped
before clumsy, rough-barred gate
SET In the stone wall Then he rode
across meadow, heavy with after
math, until he reached well sweep,
whose bucket swung high in the air.
With the strength of one sinewy
wrist, he poured the water, cool as a
winter spring, upon his head, and
with the other hand most energeti-
cally bathed his neck and face till
the skin was almost as ruddy as the
stains his late slaughter left upon
him.
There" said he at length; "water
for strong men, milk for babies and
rum for the weak and foolish" Then,
as he was about to start again, he
stepped ia listening attitude.
whats that I hear? Thump,
thump. All, tits Betty at her loom.
I'll speak 10 her."
He went over the slope whereon
the well was and just beyond came up
a farm house whose lean-to roof was
pitched against the little hill, so that
in coming down he might have walk
ed right up the roof to the ridge
piece. He turned aside, however, and
stood upon the kitchen door-sill, and
then he saw the maid at her loom,
Though she saw him not. 1t seemed
to please this strong man to look up
on her, o. upon her quick and grace
full motion at the loom, though her
face was hidden from hin. Then,
too, he saw and wondered why he
never took heed of them before-that
two long and truly braided braids of
hair hung far below her waist. SO that,
as she sat there at the loom, the ends
Of them seemed to rest upon the floor.
The sight pleased him, too.
Soon he spoke, but the shuttle and
the loom made louder noise than he
SO he advanced and touched her. She
was not startled, thinking some IN
mate Of the house mad summoned her.
But when she saw this strong man
looking down upon her she was con-
fnsed for an instant, with a pleasing
confusion, and then she arose and
greeted him.
''Reynold you spoke not Twas not
seemly thus to startle me-"