Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-10-30

taken the precautfon 70 give G bill OF
sale on his gear TO his neighbor, Alexan-
der Frazer, that could be trusted to do
right after tho law play was over.
"Thc whole settlement had great con-
tempt for Tougal Stewards conduct; but
no was headstrong body, and once he
begun to do wrong against my grand
father, he held on, for all that his trade
fell away; aud finally he had my grand
father arrested for debt, though you'll
understand, sir, that he was owing Stew
art nothing that he ought to pay when
he didn't feel able.
SIN those times prisoners for debt
was taken to Jail in Cornwall, and If
they had friends to give bail that they
would not go beyond the posts that was
around the sixteen acres nearest the Jail
walls, the prisoners could go where they
liked on that ground. This was called
'the privilege of the limits The limits,
you'll understand, was marked by cedar
posts painted white about the size of
hitching posts.
"The whole settlement was ready to 20
bail for my grandfather if he wanted it,
and for the health of him he needed to
be in the open air, aud SO he gave
Tuncan Macdonell of the Greenfields,
aud Kneas Macdonald of the Sandfields,
for his bail, and he promised, on his
Hielan' word of honor, not to go beyond
the posts. With that he went where he
pleased, only taking great care that he
never put even the toe of his foot beyond
a post, for all that some would jump
over them and back again, or maybe
swing round them, holding by their
hands. Every day the ncighbors would
90 into Cornwall to give my grandfather
the good word, and they would offer tc
pay Tougal Stewart for the other half of
the pillow, only that vexed my grand
father, for he was too proud to borrow,
and, of course, every day he felt less
and less able to pay on account of him
having to hire man TO be doing the
spring blowing aud seeding and max
ing the kalc-yard.
"All this time, you'll mind, Tougal
Stewart had to pay five shilIings week
for my grandfathcr's keep, the law being
so that il the debtor sworc that he had
not five pounds worth of property to
his name, then the creditor had to pay
the five shillings, and, of course, my
grandfather had nothing to his name
after he gnve the bill Of sale to Alexander
Frazer. a great diversion it was to my
grandfather to be reckoning up that if
he lived as long rs his father, that was
hale and strong at nincty-six, Tougal
would need six hundred pounds for him.
and there was only two pound five shil.
lings to be paid on the pillow.
$50 it was like that all suugTGf, NJ
s,ruuuIatncr Keeping hcartsomc, with the
ncighbors coming in so steady to bring
him the news of the settlement. There
he would sit, just inside one of the posts,
for to pass his jokes, and tell what Inc
wished the family to be doing next. This
way it might have kept going on for forty
years, only it came about that my grand
fathers youngest child-him that was
my father--fell sick, and seemed like to
die.
"Well, when my grandfather heard
that bad news, he was in terrible way,
to be sure, for he would be longing to
hold the child in his arms, so that his
heart was sore and like to break. Eat
he could not, sleep he could not; all
night he would be groaning, and all day
he would he walking around by the posts,
wishing that he Ind not passed his HE
lam word OF honor not to 60 beyond n
post, for he thought how he could have
broken out like gentleman, aud gone to
see his sick child if he had staid inside
the Jail wall. So it went on three DAYS
and nights before the wise thought came
into my grandfather's head to show him
how he need not go beyond the posts to
sec his little sick boy. With that he
went straight to one of the white cedar
posts and pulled it up out of the hole,
and started for home, taking great care
to carry it in his hands before him, so he
would not be beyond it one bit.
"My grandfather was not half mile
out OF Cornwall, which was only II little
place in those days, when two of the
turkeys came after him.
Stop, MIR. McTavish, says the turn
keys.
".What for would stopr says my
grandfather.
"'You have broke your ball. says
they.
III S lie for you, says my grand
father, for his temper hared Up for any
body to say he would broke his bail.
Am beyond the postG' says my grand
father.
"With that they run in on him, only
that he knocked the two of them over
with the post, and went on rejoicing,
like an honest man should, at keeping
his word and overcoming them that
would SANDER his good name. The only
thing that pesides thoughts of the child
that troubled him was questioning
whether he had been strictly right in
turning round for to use the post to de-
fend himself in such way that it was
nearer the Jail than what he was. But
when lie remembered how the jailer
never complained of prisoners of the
limits chumping Offer the posts so they
chumped back again in moment, the
trouble went out OF his mind.
"Prctty soon after that he met Tun-
can Macdonel of the Greenfields, com.
ing into Cornwall with the wagon.
"'And how Is this, Glengatchie9' says
Tuncan. For you were never the man
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