Year: 1866

themselves under the shelter of roof
Having refreshed themselves with the sub
stantial supper set before them, they cX
pressed a wish to retire. They were shown
into the travellers room, and went to rest
in their respective beds The peddler, be-
fore retiring, had called the landlord aside,
and given into his keeping the pack, till the
morning, telling him that it contained con-
siderable sum of money and much valuable
They were not long in bed be-
fore the peddler fell into deep sleep but
the poor woman perhaps from over-fatigue,
or from thoughts of meeting her husband
next day, lay awake. A couple of hours
might have passed, when she saw the door
slowly opened, and person enter holding a
light, which he screened with his hand.


She instantly recognized in him one of the
young men she had seen below--son of the
landlord. He advanced with stealthy steps
to the bedside of the peddler, and watched
by him for few seconds. He then went
out, and eutered again with his brother and
his father, who held in his hand q large
pewter basin. They went on tiptoc to the
bedside, where the peddler lay in a deep
sleep. One of the young men drew out n
knife, and while the father held the basin so
as to receive the blood, he cut the poor vic
TINS throat from ear to ear. A slight half
audible groan, and all was still, save the
cautious movements of the party engaged
in the fatal deed. They had brought in
with them large sack, into which they
quickly thrust the unresisting body.


The poor woman lay silently in her bed,
fearing that her turn would come next. She
heard-low mutterings among the men,
from which she gathered that they were de-
batting whether they should murder her too,
as they feared she might have it in her pow
er to betray them. One of them said he
was sure that she was sound asleep, and
that there was no occasion to trouble them
selves more but to make sure of this being
the case, one came to her side with the can
die in his hand, and the other with the knife.


She kept her eyes closed as if in sleep, and
had such complete command over herself as
not to betray in her countenance any sign
that she was conscious of what was going
on. The candle was passed close to her
eyes ; the knife was drawn across close to
her throat but she never WINGED, or show
ed by any movement of feature or of limb
that she apprehended danger. SO the men
whispered that she was so soundly asleep
that nothing was to be feared from her and
they went out of the room. removing the
sack which contained the body Of the muir
dered man.





seemed to the poor lone woman--how fright
full its stiffness and its darkness


The presence of mind which had so as
tonishingly enabled her to act a part to
which she owed her life, sustained her all
through the trying scenes which she had yet
to pass


She did not hurry from her room at an un-
seasonably early hour, but waited till she
heard the whole family astir for some time
then she went down, and said she believed
she had oversight herself in consequence of
being greatly tired. She asked where the
pedler was, and was told that he had been
in too great hurry to wait for her, but
that he had left a sixpence to pay for her
breakfast. She sat down composedly to
that meal, and forced herself to partaSe with
apparent appetite of the food set before her
She appeared unconscious of the eyes which
with deep scrutiny were fixed upon her.


When the meal was over, she took leave
of the family, and went on her way without
the least appearance of discomposure OF
mistrust. She had proceeded but a short
way, when she was joined by two strapping
looking women one look was sufficient to
convince her that they were the two young
men, and to assure her that she was yet
in their power, and on the very verge of de.
struction They walked by her side, enter.
ed INTO conversation, asked her where she
was going, told her that their road lay the
same way; they questioned her as to where
she had lodged the night before, and made
most minute inquiries about the family in
habting the house of entertainment. Hel
answers appeared quite unembarrassed, ant
she said the people of the house had appear
ed to be decent and civil, and had treated
her well.


For two hours the young men continued
! by her side, conversing with her, and watch
ing with the most scrutinizing glances any
| change in her countenance, and asking ques
tions which, had she not been fully self-pos
sessed, might have put her off her guard.
was not till her dreaded companions had lef
her, and till she saw her husband coming
along to meet her, that she lost her self
command which she had so successfully eX
| ercised, and throwing herself into his arms
| tainted away.


But there is still more painful test Il
| which presence of mind may be put thai
| even personal danger, however great. 1t il
when, seeing n beloved object in imminen
| peril, one inadvertent word, one passionat,
exclamation, one burst of sensiblity, NIGH
increase the risk ten-fold. 1t were needles
to insist on the urgent necessity OF presenc,
of mind, in the form of self-command, a
such time, and | will merely illustrate tn,
subject by an example where the stronges
sensibilities of our nature were suppressed
while some, without one particle more of af
fection, but many thousand degrees less o
sense and self-control, would have screamed
or tainted, or acted so as to hurry on th
catastrophe most dreaded.


| A lady with whom l am acquainted, on
day returning from drive, looked up ant
saw her two children, one about five and th
other about four years old, outside the garre
window, which they were busily employed
in rubbing with their handkerchiets, in imi
tation of person whom they had seen few
days before cleaning the windows. The,
had climbed over the bars which had beel
intended to secure them from danger. Th
lady had sufficient command over hersel
not to appear to observe them she did no
utter one word, but FASTENED up to the nur
sery, and instead of rushing forward +
snatch them in, which might have frighten
ed them, and caused them to lose their bal
ance, she stood a little apart, and cale,
gently to them, and bade them come in
They saw no appearance of hurry or agita
tion in their mamma, so took their time, an,
deliberately climbed the bars, and lande,
safely in the room.


One look of terror, one tone OF impatienc


form her, and the little creatures might hav


become confused, and lost their footing, an,


been destroyed


1t has sometimes happened that, in hurr,


and confusion, n wrong medicine has bee


administered by the hand of one who woul


have sacrificed life to save a beloved obeC


from danger with which they were threaten


ed by sudden illness or accident, and who