Year: 1862

city OF lovers, tor they had wooed and
won the five fair daughters of the house
of Morpeth, notwithstanding powerful
array of rivals, some of whom had almost
induced the old man to waver in his plan.


The baff1ed rival suitors retired, more
content than if they had known that there
existed a greater obstacle to their wishes
than the fathers will. The knowledge
of rivalry would have made their efforts
greater but they lacked that bitter spur
to suitorship, happily for them and for
all others concerned.


Two of the more favored five were lite
raj 'Northerners ; the other three were
natives of Maryland and all were really
Union men at heart, though they forbore
any downright expression of opinion on
that head before Mr., Morpeth not choos-
ing to incur any useless risk of extra pre-
judice against them, when the hour should
come-if it ever should conle-when
they might candidly express their views,
and reasonably expect it to be a plant
hour for listening fathers ear.


AS the war advanced, all Maryland was
in state of feverish uncertainty. The
headstrong Baltimoreans had been baffled,
and Western Virginia was the scene OF
Union triumphs. Stories of maraudine
-, rt;oc boo,,,a ,,,o,o o,d ,,o,o rroo,,o,t
and alarming, particularly to landowners,
and old Morpeth, contrary to his resolu-
ton, sought advice of every body, though
distrustful of all.


His timid uncertainty inspired each Of
the five young men to gain his favor, by
enlisting his confidence in their foresight
as to which way the warcurrept would
with him on that head, each claiming


great influence over large body of ac.
quaintances, who would rush to his assist
ance when needed, and each enjoining
upon Linn to trust nobody but me-


But each of these confidence men told
a different tale, equally in earnest, and
equally plausible to him, SO that they con.
fused and alarmed him all the more.


'They all sing the same song, in one
respect, sighed he. Trust nobody bu;
me! Trust nobody but me !! But how
the plague can do that, when they dis
agree themselves, though alike friendly
and positive, to all appearance | CAM
be on both sides at once-not easy War
ren is positive | should be t-and ou
Union, for the Unonists will sweep the
State, and ruin all who oppose them
Gordon says they have majority, to be
sure, but will inure nobody who keeps
neutral William is sure l shall lose all
life and daughters included, if I dom
make bold stand for one side or the
other, so that, in emergency, l shall fine
firm supporters against irresponsible ban
ditti and he advises me TO plank my
foot somewhere, it don't matter where
and keep it there. Robert says I mus
stick TO my Southern prjudices, ano
trust in secessonists to defend ME bn
not have much to say. And Alexander
is quite as positive that should have {
great deal to say, and in favor of disunion
for the Virginians will tolerate no milk
and water friends. He even advises me
to make rampant speech against the
North And after all this contrary ad
vice, I am to Trust nobody but me
Trust nobody but me = Dear me | fee
as shaky and uncertain as weathercocb
in a hurricane and l expect hurricane
will be here before long, and find me, like
a fool, exactly where all fools plant them
selves, square on the wrong side. o my
dear farm! o my poor, plump. unfortu-
nate daughters! In the hour of ransack-
ing, fire, murder, rapine, and plumber,
who shall defend them .


Finding that Morpeth did not appear
to regard them with any greater favor
than before they had endcavored to win
his grateful confidence, the young men
grew gradually impatient. Each had
failed Of special confidence. Each sighed
more sorrowfully as he looked at his in
amorata, and saw her, in Imagination,
given away to a Southern planter-for old
Andrew adhered to his determination as
firmly and openly as ever.


Love is impatient. Love is an intriguer.
Each despairing Of any special exception
in his behalf, the five lovers became five
joint conspirators. hoping, as a last resort,
that their united efforts might carry the
fathers heart by grand assault.


One day they came to him breathlessly
one after another, with arms in their
hands, with reports that an assault was to
be made upon the house that very night
Some insisted that it would be from a
Southern party; others from a Northern
one that the old wornout cry of Beau
ty and booty would be the watchword
and they declared that they, the FIVE,
would risk their lives against all assaults