Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-01-21
From an old manuscript:

manned in ignorance.
When | was twenty my mother died,
and resolved to leave the desolate
place where had been born and seek
a more active field. Before going
made inquiries of Il neighbOr concern
ing my parents sOjOurn in those parts
and was told that they had come there
several years before my birth and had
for a time lived as gentle folk, but sub
sequently they dwelt as did their
neighbors My father had from his
coming appeared to have a cloud on
his mind. My mother had told me be-
fore her death that a sum of money
had been put in Il bank for me at the
nearest town. and. going there.
claimed it and took passage for Eng
land.
On my arrival in London | went
about looking for work. Going into
the office of q merchant for the pur.
pose, he asked me my name. When I
told him he looked up at me in sur
prise.
where were you born?" he asked.
l told him all | knew about myself.
He regarded me with compassion and
gave me employment.
At intervals when introduced to a
person | was regarded with certain
interest or curiosity-I could not tell
which. noticed that such persons
were always of superior education.
No illiterate person even manifested
any especial interest in me. Some
times these people who did would turn
away from me with apparent disgust,
while others regarded me compassion
ately. One day | asked my employer
for an explanation Of the mystery that
hung over me. After thinking some
time te told me that it would be bet
ter for me not H. know it. He advised
me to change my name.
| tried to be cOntentcd to remain in
ignorance, but the secret weighed upon
me- and | lOnged. yet dreaded, to know
it. Finally decided to try another
country, thinking that whatever it was
hung over me would not be known
there. America seemed the most in
vitng ground. and | went to New
York, reaching there shortly before the
breaking out of the second war with
England. Registering at Il hotel, the
clerk looked up from my name to me
in establishment.
We'll" l exclaimed, irritated, what
is it,"
"What is it? Why, nothing. Will
you 20 to your room, sir?"
| found in America that more people
showed that dreaded interest in my
name than in England, and a different
interest. On being introduced to me
most persons showed a repulsion,
though many strove to conceal it. |
burned with desire to know what it
all meant; but, remembering the advice
of my London employer, | refrained
from asking, and no one offered to en-
Tighten me. To occupy my mind
went to a library to read. There l
stumbled on the secret.
The wisdom of the advice given me
by my former employer was now APP
parent Under an assumed name
enlisted in the American army to fight
against England. | knew now that,
though | had been born abroad, Amer
lea was my native land. | burned to
do some important work for her, to
die for her on the field of battle.
There were no important engagements
except that at New Orleans. which was
fought after peace was declared. AS
| had entered the army. Il private, |
came out Il private. Under my as
sumed name | went into business and
prospered.
Then | fell in love. had vowed
that | would never bring a child into
the world to suffer the blight under
which | suffered, and l strove to crush
the natural longing that had taken pos
session of me. My sulferings were
tenfold what they had been before.
Meanwhile it was evident that l had
won the heart of the girl l loved. 1t
was essential that | should explain my
conduct toward her. l told her my
secret.
She loved me all the more, from pity,
that | suffered from anothers fault.
She reminded me that each successive
decade would carry me and mine fur
Their from the original transgression
and that my successors would feel it
less than those of my own genera
ton. Persuaded by this view. | asked
her to marry me. | continued to live
for a time under my assumed name.
but when | joined the tide of emigra-
ton settling westward l resumed my
own.
This is my secret. In the Revolution
airy war an officer of great merit and
prominence on the patriot side turned
traitor, attempted to deliver to the
British an important strategic position
and fed to the enemy. Living in Eng
land, where he was despised, he
brought up family. My father, one
of his descendants, shrinking from the
stain. went where he would be I'M
known. He must have been an espe-
cially sensitive man, and l doubtless
have inherited his disposition.