Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-12

cal strength, l should sink from ex-
Ihaustion before you would begin to feel
the effects Of fatigue. From early boy
hood l accustomed myself to long and
tiresome walks, and believing that 1t
would facilitate the acquisition or
knowledge, I adopted and rigidly ad-
hered to the rule of living on the small
est possible quantity Of food; so that
the ills we are now suffering are pre-
cisely those l am best fitted to bear
Let me add, too, that there Is a grea?
deal in a firm resolution to drive away
every approach to dependency. Try
it. l am sure the happiest effects will
follow"
II have tried It," was the reply. land
it does not ease the pangs Of hunger
That night Crosby complained Of
great drowsiness, and, as soon as the
fire was lighted, stretched himself on
his blanket before the cheerful blaze.
There was nothing to eat, and Burr
soon followed his example. Sleep, the
sweet sleep which Is almost always the
reward of toll and temperance fell
upon him. No fearful dream disturbed
his repose. No nightmare warned HIN
that mans most dreaded foe was
crouching by his side. The morning
reveille reused him from his long Ie-
pose, and he shuddered to find his am
encircling a lifeless corpse. The strong
man had passed away. The sinewy
| frame had withered at the touch OF
hunger; and his boy-comrade, dragging
the cold body a little ways off, spread
his blanket over it, heaped upon that
a mound Of snow and ice, and left
him to his cold and lonely sleep In
the gloomy woods.
Thus day after day rolled off, until,
at the end Of little more than seven
weeks, the gaunt and famine stricken
remnant of that gallant troop caught
sight of the battlements Of Quebec.
They had performed march unparal-
leled in the annals Of the world. One
half of their number had perished by
the way, and the hollow cheeks and
sunken eyes Of the remainder told
terrible tale of suffering no pen is ade-
quate to record.
| In sight Of Quebec, Arnold made
careful inspection Of his command, and
even that daring leader, who rushed
20 battle as the tiger rushes to its
bloody banquet, was forced to aban-
don the idea of an immediate assault
upon the enemy's works with the spec
| trail forms about him. To commune
cate with General Montgomery, and
obtain his cooperation was the only
course 1t would be honor enough for
that remnant of an army, originally
only eleven hundred strong, to main
tain it's position until succor arrived.
To open a communication with Mont
gomery, it was necessary that the agent
selected for that purpose should ira
verse one hundred and twenty miles
Of a territory peopled by foes whose
vigilance was aroused, and whose fears
were excited to the utmost by the ap-
pearance Of a hostile army from will
derness hitherto deemed impossible.
Aaron Burr was selected by his COM
mander as the one best fitted for the
task Heretofore he had given unmis-
taxable evidence of courage, firmness,
and endurance. Now he was called
upon for the exercise Of higher quail
ties-self- elf-composure, tact, skill, and
sagacity; these, and these alone, could
avail him. Disgusting himself In the
coarse robes Of a Catholic priest, he
went directly to a convent of the order
of st. Francis, and, knocking at the
gates, demanded admittance and shell
ter from the peltings Of the pitiless
storm that was raging without. The
shades of night had fallen upon the
| earth; the air was filled with flakes of
snow and this, together with the cowl
drawn closely about his head, effect
ually concealed his features from the
prying gaze of the servitors who an
swered his summons at the gate.
Whatever may be said of the Catholic
clergy i'm other respects, 1t Is certain
| that the duties of hospitality are
among the last they have ever been
known to neglect. The doors Of their
religious houses, in all ages and in all
countries, have been open to the weary
and heavy laden. Nowhere and at no
time have hunger and suffering ap-
pealed to them in vain. The young
priest as he was supposed to be, was
ushered to the private room Of the su-
perior, and all the convent could supply
of refreshments was ordered for his
use, before a question was asked as to
his name his business, or his destina-
ton. After the grateful meal was
concluded and the attendants had left
the apartment, the superior for the
first time manifested desire to learn
something more Of his guest than that
he was a tireG and hungry man.
You are very young. sir" he said
in a tone of inquiry, ito have taken
holy orders"
1T is a secret 1 purpose to confide
to your keeping; and l do so the more
cheerfully from having been taught
long ago that he who trusts to the hon
or of Catholic priest is as safe as If
his words were only breathed to the
mountain rock
His gaze rested upon the features OF
the monk so intensely, while speaking,
that it seemed as If he had power to
unvail the very thoughts within his
bosom. The good father felt the infiu-
ence of that glance that in after years,
on the battle field, at the bar, and In
the fierce partisan conflicts that fol-
lowed the Revolution, never failed to
awe an enemy or to cheer a friend.
Large, dark, and lustrous, there was
no passion that eye could not express,
no mood ii could not subdue. When
he chose, 1t was soft and melting as
that of the cooling dove. When angry
passions stirred his soul, it flashed
with a lightning glare, before which
the boldest quailed. No secret was
safe; no cunning was proof against its
magical power. Mems minds were to
him an open book, wherein he read
whatever he wished to learn: and craft