The National tribune., 1900-10-18
CHAPTER Y.
BANQUET OF THE CINCINNATI.

In order to have clear conception OF
| the character of Aaron Burr the reader
must keep in mind the fact that the event.
narrated IN the preceding chapter occurred
after he had challenged Gen. Hamilton t.
mortal combat. Though he believed thai
Hamilton would not IRE at him, and there
was hope that he might withdraw from
the affair altogether, yet Hamilton was d
brave man, and it was possible that he
| might in fit of desperation send n bullet
to his heart. But Burr, instead of think
ing Of death, or the crime he had deter
mined to commit, was carrying on a dis
graceful Irritation with Mrs. Chick. And
this was the son of the Reverend Aaron
Burr, the eminent divine, the gentle, kind
hearted man, and grandson of Jonathan
Edwards How falleni
Aaron Burr had not the love of the Lord
Jesus Christ in his heart. He was wise
he had an iron nerve and frame, but, like
a great ship without a rudder, his powers
| only drove him on to more certain ruin.
lie had no moral guide. Following Vol
taire instead Of the Bible and his pious
,.arents, he was led to eternal ruin in this
world and the world to come. BUrr's aged
aunt once said to him:
Il have thousand tender memories as
sociated with you. | took care of you in
your childhood, and | feel the deepest con-
cern over your erring steps. You have
| committed great many sins against God.
| beseech you to repent, and fly to the
blood and righteousness OF the RedeemcI
for pardon. / cannot bear to think of you
being lost, and | often pray for your sal
yation."
The prayer of this earnest Christian
woman was unheeded by q man too utterly
selfish to be anything but a skeptic.
II is said that Burr passed the interim
while in New York before the duel in pur-
ing with his pistol. This has been de-
MED by some Of his biographers; never
theless there is strong evidence that he
spent an hour each day improving his
skill as a marksman.
Alexis" he said, ''get me a board as
| tall and wide as man." When the
! board was brought by his servant he set
it Up in the rear of his garden.
1t CHANGED that on this afternoon Harry
Granger, who was in New York, called
at Richmond Hill and inquired for Col.
Burr. He was told he was in the gar
den. Being on familiar terms he walked
into the garden, which he had just reached
when he heard the report of a pistol. He
looked over some shrubbery, from which
he saw pale-blue smoke lazily curling
upward, and discovered Col. Burr reload
ing his pistol, while 10 PAGES away, was
board six feet high, with the figure of a
man painted on it. Burr, looking at it,
said:
That is the right side toward me. The
| heart being on the left the ball must pass
half through the body"
Then he raised his pistol and fred
again.
IAN excellent shot, Colonel" said Har-
ry, stepping from behind the shrubbery
and advancing toward the marksman. For
| a moment the face of the Vice President
was crimson with confusion, but quickly
| recovering he said:
1T was an accident, Harry, wholly an
accident. l could not hit the side of a
barn, though | come here sometimes to
| amuse myself with pistol practicing."
Calling Alexis, he told him to remove
| the board, and asked Harry to come into
the house. The subject of Burr's marks
manship was not again referred to.
"You are just in time, my dear Harry"
said he, when they were seated in the
library. 81 was going to send for you"
why, Colonel?'
II owe something TO you, and whatever
may be said of A. BIS failings, ingratitude
to friends is not one of them. No, /
never forget friends nor forgive enemies.
Such doctrine is not exactly orthodox.
| il in my power to in part reward you.
There is to be banquet of the Society
| of the Cincinnati on the Fourth of July,
only two days off. There will be many
| distinguished ladies and gentlemen pres
| ent, and among the latter will be n GER
tain Miss Maude Livingston. Would you
| like to Gomez
Would he? Needless to ask. He was
delighted to be near Miss Maude, 70 even
see her, though he was forced to admit
his was hopeless love. He realized his