Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-12-18
CAPTAIN MARVIN's WOOING
New York Sun.

ScrIptlOn That could be traced upon
moldy stone in that ancient burying
ground in old Lyme Regis, known in
these later years as Lyme. The mem
orial, when found, could be decipher-
ed thus:
This Deacon, aged sixty eight, is freed on earth
from serving;
MAY for a crown no longer walt; Iyme's Captain
Reynold Marvin.
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
twiqs and branches and the tread of
feet that seemed heavily weighted one
afternoon of early September in the
year 1900. These noises seemed to be
caused by some one laboring just
within the wilderness that stretched
far back into Connecticut colony from
the shore of the Sound. The man who
heard these ominous sounds peeped
cautiously around for an instant, and
then stared with wonder upon VIII at
was revealed to him. He saw coming
tnronrh ~" wHodG 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
ell-grown OK.
otis Reynold, said the man, "and
he hath bear" Then he went up to
the hunter.
"a bear. The bear. Reynold. The
brute that has given us SO much con
Germ. IT'S Is a monster"
The hunter loosed his hold, and,
painting with his exertion, seated him
self upon . stone. lie was a young
man, and, though the blood of the
beast had stained lis face so that tn {
color almost masked his countenance,
yet the dark and resolute eyes, the
lirm-sct Jaw, and the defiant manner
Of the man, exhausted as he was,
caused the other to look with admira
tiCn upon him rather nan upon his
prize.
'Tis a monster, ReynOld. You die
not fight it all alone2'
"Why not? Shall 4 strong man
with blunderbuss and knife fear a
brute"
MANY an armed man has been XIII
ed by such as this one.n
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, Rsynold, perhaps his
mate -
Art fearful of a dead brute9 Yet
slew him alone. Truly did. | lie
not.
81 know you do not lie. Your com
mtunlcatIOn 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, mile perhaps, until he stopped
before Il clumsy, rough-barred gate
set in the stone wall. Then he rode
across n meadow, heavy with after
math, until he reached we'll sweep
whose bucket swung high in the air
With the strength of one sinewy
wrist, he poured the water, cool as 8
winter spring, upon his head, anC
with tho other hand most energeti
cally baLhed his neck aud face til
the skin was almost as rudy as tn,
STAINS his late slaughter left upon
him.
"There, said he at length; "watel
for strong men, milk for babies anG
rum for the weak and foolish" Then,
hn al - Cfo at Ia
stopped in listening attitude.
What's that | hear2 Thump
thump. All, It's Betty at her loom
I'll speak to her
lie went over the slope whereon
the well was and just beyond came up
farm house whose lean-to roof was
pitched against the little Hill, so that
III 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 s9w him not. 1t seemed
to please this strong man to look up
on her, or upon her quick and grace
full motion ut tho loom, though her
face was hidden from him. 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,
rs 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 mSde 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
fused for an instant, with pleasing
confusion, and then she arose and
greeted him.
"Reynold you spoke not Twas not
Seemly thus TO startle me-"
II spoke. You heard not. Truly
did"
why, what's happened you9 See,
your garments are rent, and here. why
here there's blood, Rsnold, and there
half-washed stains upon your cheeks.
Has there been trouble With the In
diansg Are you hurt2
IT'S nothing. l, this morning,
met the bear that's made havoc here,
and killed him."
You, aloneiN
why not aloneW
Went you out alone TO seek him3"
Yes, at dawn"
Twas foolish bravery. And you
had struggleG'
Bears are not slaughtered like
sheep, uuyieldiningly, 1 gave MIN
my muSket first, and he came at me
and gave him my knife at the
heart. But, mistress, you've been busy
Wove you this Eomespun this morn
ingf"
"Yes. Truly l did"
Ills fine piece. There are no
swifter nor truer fingers in all this col
ony than yours. What are you doing
nowg,
She had hustled about and now
brought HIM bread and cheese and
great brown nut cakes, and she said:
You have eaten nothing that |
know. Eat this, and will bring
you milk"
You are a thoughtful maid, but
bring no milk; water for such as /.
As he began to eat she saw that the
sleeve on his right arm was badly
rent. She saw more, and with little
exclamation grasped his arm.
HYou're hurt Ravpold The hear