The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-12-30
CAPTAIN MARVIN wOOING.
A Story of the Year 1900 of as Bold
Puritan as Capt. Miles Standlsh.

CAPTAIN MARt IN WOoINN.
A Story of the Year 1900 of as Bold
a Puritan as Capt. Miles Standlsh.
The curious minded used Some
years ago to search for the quaint
inscription that could be traced upon
a mouldy stone in the ancient bury
ing ground in old Lyme Regis,
known in these later years as Lyme
The memorial, when found, could
be deciphered thus:
This Deacon, aged Gs, is freed on earth from
serving;
May for crown no longer wait; Lyme
Captain Renold Marvin.
Yet,according to the tale that moth
ers told daughters for many years
more than a hundred, Capt. Marvin
found a crown whose gentle blue
eyed wearer ruled him and his i'm
perious will with the peaceful scep-
ire of love; and this is the tradl-
ton:
There were the sounds of break
ing branches and the tread of feet
that seemed heavily weighed, one
afternoon of early September in the
wear 100. These noises seemed to
be caused by some one laboring Sc
verely Just within the wilderness
that stretched lar back into Con-
necticut colony from the shore OF
the Sound. The man who heard
these ominous sounds peeped eau
tiouslv around for an instant and
then stared with wonder upon what
was revealed to him. He saw COM
ing from the woods another man,
half carrying on his shoulder, half
dragging and straining at every
muscle with the weight, a great
black thing that seemed the full size
of a well grown OK.
"'Tis Renold," said the man, 'and
be hath a bear" Then he went up
to the hunter.
"a bear. The bear, Renold. The
brute that has given US so much
concern. 'Tis monster"
The hunter loosened his hold and
painting with his exertion, seated
himself upon a Stone. He was 8
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 ,eso-
lutte eyes, the firm-set jaw, and the
defiant manner of the man, exhaus-
ted as he was, caused the other to
look with admiration upon him
rather than upon his prize.
'Tis a monster, Reuold. You
did not fight it all alone? ?"
Why not? Shall strong man
with blunderbuss and knife fear a
brute ?n
Many an armed man has been
killed by such as this one
bah None but babes and suck
lings. There, / am rested now.
Twas more difficult to fetch him
here than to kill him. You stay
here with him. Here, here, my gun
and kbife. to go for help to bring
him to the settlement"
"Ab, but, Renold, perhaps his
mate"
" Art fearful of dead brute? Yet
l slew him alone. Truly | did. |
lie not"
Il know you do not lie. Your
communication is always yea, yea,
and nay, nay"
Fear nothing, for l will soon be
back"
The young man, without another
word, went quickly down the high
way. a mile perhaps, until he stop
ped before clumsy rough barred
gate set in the stone wall. Then ne
strobe across meadow, heavy with
until he reached a well
sweep, whose bucket swung figh IN
the air. With the strength of one
sinewy wrist. he poured the water,
cool as a winter spring, upon his
head. ard with the other most ener-
geiically 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 )" wa
ter for strong men, milk for babes,
and rum for the weak and foolish.
Then. as be was about 20 start again,
be stopped in listening attitude.
Whats that | hear ? Thump,
thump. Alb, It's Betty, at her loom.
III speak to her"
He went over the slope whereon
the well was and just beyond came
upon a farm house whose lean-to
roof was pitched against the little
mill. so that in coming down he
might have walked right up to 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 upon her.
or upon her quick and graceful mo-
ton at the loom, though her face
was hidden from him. Then, too,
he saw-ard wondered why he nev-
er 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. That sight pleased
him so.
Soon he spoke, but the shnttle
and the loom made louder noise
than ne, so he advanced and touch
ed her She was not startled think