Wyandotte

ening! Thee th

art with fond

ou of toil; th

mind the hour

age from forth

universe a

bard may hold

apes unkenned

ption comes of

nd

the month of May, 1775. This, it is scarcely necessary to tell the reader, is bringing him at once up to the earliest days of the revolution. The contest which preced

es of the savage state usually remain a quarter of a century; in certain region they are to be found for even more than twice that period. All this, however, had captain Willoughby escaped, in consequence of limiting his clearing, in a great measure, to that which had been made by the beavers, and from which time and natural decay had, long before his arrival, removed every ungainly object.

lying low and sheltered, vegetation had advanced considerably beyond the point that is usual, at that date, in the elevated region of which we have been writing. The meadows were green with matted grasses, the wheat and rye resembled rich velvets, and the ploughed fields had the f

de and judiciously placed, and the three or four roads, or lanes, that led to them, crossed the low-land in such graceful curves, as greatly to increase the beauty of the landscape. Here and there a log cabin was visible, nearly buried in the forest, with a few necessary and neat appliances around it; the homes of labourers who had long dwelt in them, and who seemed content to pass their lives in the same place. As most of these men had marri

noll, as the house was now altogether called, and the objects it contained. Thither, then, we will now direc

excepting the little precipice at the rivulet, was encircled by one of the latter, erected under the superintendence of Jamie Allen, who still remained at the Hut, a bachelor, and as he said himself, a happy man. The southern-face of the Knoll was converted into lawn, there being quite two acres intersected with walks, and well garnished with shrubbery. What was unusual in A

had been cut, but it was more for the benefit of lighting the garrets, than for any other reason, all of them being glazed, and serving the end for which they had been pierced. The gates remained precisely in the situation in which they were, when last presented to the eye of the reader! There they stood, each leaning against the wall on its own side of the gateway, the hinges beginning to rust, by time and exposure. Ten years had not pro

the windows, in virgin forest; placing the barns, cabins, and other detached buildings, so far south as to be removed from view. Beulah Willoughby, a gentle, tranquil creature, had a profound admiration of the beauties of nature; and to her, her parents had yielded the control of everything that was considered accessary to the mere charms of the eye; her taste had directed most of that which had not been effected by the noble luxuriance of nature. Wild roses were already putting forth their leaves in various fissures of the rocks, where earth had been placed for their support, and the margin of the little stream, that actually washed the base of the cliff, winding off in a charming sweep through the meadows, a rivulet of less than twenty feet in width, was garnished with willows and alder. Quitting this sylvan spot, we will return to the little shrub-adorned area in front of the Hut. This spot the captain called his glacis, while his daughters termed it the lawn. The hour, it will be remembered, was shortly before sunset, and thither nearly all the family had repaired to breathe the freshness of the pure air, and bathe in the genial warmth of a season, which is ever so grateful to those who have recently escaped from the rigour of a stern winter. Rude, and sufficiently picturesque garden-seats, were scattered about, and on one of these were seated the captain and his wife; he, with his hair sprinkled with grey, a hale, athletic, healthy man of sixty, and she a fresh-looking, mild-featured, and still handsom

long, luxuriant, silken, golden tresses covering her shoulders, and occasionally veiling her warm, rich cheek, was exercising with a battledore, keeping Little Smash, now increased in size to quite fourteen stone, rather actively employed as an assistant, whenever the exuberance of her own spirits caused her to throw the plaything beyond her reach. In one of the orchards, near by, two men were employed trim

ving his natural history startled by sounds so inapplicable to the subject. "How often have I t

an help him, when he take me sudde

earning his money. He was advancing by the only road that was ever travelled by the stranger as he approached the Hut; or, he came up the valley. As the woman spoke, he had just made his appearance over

n. "The fellow comes at the pace of a runner; or,

observed Mrs. Willoughby, who, surrounded by her husband and childr

ed the chaplain; "a circumstance that has induced some naturali

captain, throwing back on the other all

o think he may have some intelligence! It is now

e since I denied him the keg of rum for his 'discovery' of another beaver pon

Hugh, at that refusal? If so, would it

nding, and one that has endured trials by flood and field, and even by the horse-whip. No less than three times have I been obliged to make

ow?" asked the chaplain, with a

man, Woods. To you, who have served so long in His Majesty's a

he soldiers; but I did not kn

ceremony--but, this is Nick, sure enough; and by his tr

captain? Does an Indi

period, and he was an experienced, and, to own the truth, a brave and

g up her hair, with maiden bashfulness, though certainly Nick was no stranger. As for Little Smash, she waddled off to proclaim the

, when he suddenly halted, folded his arms, and stood in a composed attitude, lest he should betray a womanish desire to tell his stor

rtily--"you are welcome back, Nick;

ral voice of the Indian, w

u, after such a journey, Nick--ou

"--rejoined the sen

in that sense, you may find it better. You shall have a glass, as soon a

s worth jug. Squaw give two jug

your news. My daughters are both with me, and Heaven be pr

you got boy--officer--great chief

ghby! What can you hav

g. Jug out yonder; Nick's story

o firm a stand between the bottle and the lips.--"You shall have all you ask, Nick, provide

minute. Sent Nick before to

. Ten minutes later, Bob Willoughby was folded to his mother's heart; then came Beulah's turn; after which, the news having flown through the household, the young man had to receive the greetings of Mari', both the Smashes, the younger Pliny, and all the dogs. A tumultuous quarter of an hour brought all round, again, to its proper place, and restored something like order to the Knoll. Still an excitement prevailed the rest of the day, for the sudden arrival of a guest always produced a sensation in that retired settlement; much more likely, then, was the unexpected appearance of the only son and heir to create one. As every

pride starting into his eyes, in spite of a very m

chaplain. "I do think Mr. Robert has got to his full six

is a major, already, at twenty-seven; it is a st

remor in his voice, "to your not having as kind a father as has fallen to m

boy; I owed my ensigncy to my uncle Sir Hugh, the father of the present Sir Harry Willoughby; after that I owed each step to hard and long s

my errand to the Hut," said the major, glancing his eye towards

to strangers to each other. Has he made that silly match of which I heard something when last in York? Has

ghby is not marri

ho received a sudden shock. "I hope not without having been re

illy intention to marry his own housekeeper. With one mater

e being silent and attentive. But the mother's feelings

say wishes, he has left me twenty-five thousand pounds in

r Bob, I can tell you!" said

ment, as if to see whether he was

," said the major, "that you

, here in the wilds of America? Were I still in the army, and a colonel, the thing might be of use; as I am, I

e disappointment, "except the twenty-five thousand pounds; unless you inclu

ll for Sir Hugh. No, no, Bob. Let the baronetcy sleep awhile; it has been used quite enough for the last hundred yea

the spoon of his empty cup, stealing a

uch a decision on your part, I have spoken of the thing to a good many friends--I dare say, if th

rgotten. A parson can be unfrocked, Woods, a

nd it useful, Willoughby, and so, I dare say, will his son and successor, Sir John," observed the attentive wife and anxious

mother has no notion to lose the ri

not become your wife; if you remain Mr. Hugh Willoughby, she will

he former said, therefore, with indulgence and respect. He often told the chaplain that his daughter Beulah

he said, smiling. "Major Sir Robert Will

laimed Maud--"No one can have it but y

l I am out of the way; wh

t interest that affected her children. "How is it, Mr. Woods?--may

s exist, so long as there is an heir, and my fat

t in the end--though, as your father does n

it gave its possessor far more importance than it would have done in England. In the whole colony there was but one, though a good many were to be found further south; and he was known as "Sir John," as, in England, Lord Rockingham, or, in America, at a later day, La Fayette, was known as "The Marquis." Under such circumstances, then, it would have been no trifling sacrifice to an ordinary woman to forego the pleasu

ain, as much to bring up another subject, as through curiosity. "The fel

ong themselves, from time to time, and Nick has been trying to keep his hand in. I found him down at Canajoharie, and

't tell you that, until you

out owing money in the village, and got his pay in advance. I lear

ly Sir Hugh Willoughby, Bart., of The Hut, Tryon county, New York, would soun

I believe, though I have

ntance was made by my saving his life from the bayonet of one of my own grenadiers. I thought the fellow remembered the act for some years

out of a window. "Mike and the Indian are seated at the lower sprin

ing mistaken for the Evil Spirit, but the worthies soon found a bond of union between them, and, before six months, he and the Irish

is case, captain Willoughby?" inqu

came to America, and took to rum. As for Nick, he was n

n of sounding the depth, not of the spring, but of the vessel. As respects the former, Mike, who was a wag in his way, had taken a hint from a practice said to be common in Ireland, called "potatoe and point," which means to eat the potatoe and point at the butter; declaring that "rum and p'int" was every bit as entertaining as a "p'int of rum." On this principle, then, with a broad grin on a face that opened from ear to ear whenever he laughed, the county Leitrim-man would

t after he had completed his first half-pint. "Ye're as wilcome at the Huts, as if ye owned th

had lived enough among the pale-faces to ha

sowl, ye understand, Nicholas. A human crathure widout a sowl, is w

d not manners enough to make a grave, and somewhat dignified gest

e asked, avoiding every appe

d the missus is oulder than she used to be; and Joel's wife looks a hundred, though she isn't t

us Tuscarora, who did not compreh

a dirthy fellow, that thinks his yanke

produced by rum, and he fastened on his companion one of his fiery gazes, w

ne anoder? Why Irishm

o Michael would pronounce the word 'toad.' "What is there to love about him

business in contemplation. The Santa Cruz confused his brain, but the Indian never entir

--rejoined Nick.

s; she's a laddy--and I likes Miss Beuly, who's a swate young woman--and then there'

t the bottom, with all his heart and soul. The In

hen, Nick!" asked the Iris

n chief ag'in-

If you'd tell 'em that in Ireland,

ight in Ir

e jollification at which the fighting is the chafe amuse

ashion take scalp. You t

ork comes nately and nat'rally. How many of these said sca

no pappoose. One big enough

. T'ree human crathures skinned, and you not satisfied, and so ye'll chait a bit

o find more, before last day co

very logical or clear-headed; and three gills of rum had, by no means, helped to purify his brain. He heard the word "plenty

and cattle, and grain, and porkers, and praiching--yes, divil burn it, Nick, but there's what goes for praiching, though it's

id Nick, surlily--"How

y without the finest hair that ever was! What do you get

ountry glad to see him before l

unded? There's no pound, hereabouts, and baive

necessary to relate any more of the dialogue. The jug was finished, each man very honestly drinking his pint, and as naturally submitting to its consequences; and thi