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Show 288 JHC'IIAHD JJ UI!DT5i. l er mny not be shot clown from thC' thirket, in the sunshin<', in the warm mornino- of youth, and !tope, and confidence. True - the Jaws of m;u do. not summon you forth on this mission but is there no stronger Yoicc in your heart inciting you to the sacred work 1 '.rhc bra\·c mnn waits not for his country's sum~ mons to take the field against the foreign enemy-shall he need her cnll when his friend is slain almost by his side; nnd when sworn foes to friendship, and truth, and love, and nil the social v irtuC's, lurk in bauds a round their sc\·cral ilomcs to prey upon t hem ns they uncousciously come fortl t 1 Can you douLt thnt it is your duty to seck and exterminate these wretches 1 You suy that is the duty of others no less than of yourself; Lut docs the neglect of others to perform their duties, render yoms unnecessary or release you1 On tlw contrary, does it not make it more incumbent upon you to do more thrm would Lc your duty under othC'r circumstances, :md to supply, as much as lies in your power, tl1eir deficiencies 1' Such was the rensoning of my own mind on this subject; and it forced conviction upon me. In the woods where 1 had meditated the matter, I made my vow to the avenging deities. " I will seek the murderers, so help me Heaven! I will suffer not one of them to escape, if it be within the sc011e of my cnpacity and arm, to bring them to justice." And, eYen upon the ground where I had made t1ds resolution, I kncelrd and prayed for tiJC requisite strength :md encouragement from Heaven in t he execution of my desperate YOW. T his resolution induced another, and endued me with a courage which before I had not felt. Concei\'ing myself a destined man, I overleaped, at a moment, n.ll the little bouJl(hrics of false delicacy, morbid sensibility, and mere custom, which before, hnd, perh aps, somewhat taken from my natural ltue of resolutionand the next day I rode over to the ltouse of 1\lary East.crby. A complete change by t liis t ime had takcu place in my feelin~s in one respect. I was uo longer apprehensive of what I smd in speaking to Mary. I now p roceeded as if in complinucc with a prescribed l:iw; and asking l1er to wnlk with me, 1 led her dirc~ctly to the favorite walk which, in our childhood, onr own feet chiefly ltacl beaten out in the forests. I comluctecl her almost in silence to the h uge fallen tree which had formed tile r.on: \\'n l:l·.n::Nw~. 280 l.lOund:.ll"_r ~f our pn·Yious rnmld<' .. , mHl !'<'alcd her upon it, and wysclf hc:-;tde ll('t', :ts I lmd don(' :t 1 h0n~and tim<'s before. "..-\..nd ~tOll', 1\f;n·y," T ~aid, tnkinp; her hand," I han• :t serious qncst10n to n!'<ik you, mul h<'g- that you will answer it with the same tmhrsitnting dir('ctnC'ss witl1. wllieh I nsk it. Your auswcr \\'ill ll<':nly ;1flCct my future l1appin0s~." l pnused, hut she wns s ileut-evidently through <'motioulnH. I [ C'OHtinnrd titus:- 11 Y ?u know me too well to suppose that I would say or do nnytlnng to offend you, nnd certainly you will LelieYe me when I assure ;:ou that it is no idle curiosity wh ich prompts me to :l!ik the qncstwn which I will now propos<'." . A sligl1t pressure of her fingers upon my wrist, 11er ltnnd belli~ clasped tl1e while in mine, w:1s my suflicicnt and encourllglllg answer, :wd l then boltlly asked if she wns or hnd been cu~:lgC'tl to John lfurd is1 ]Jer auswer, ns ll1c rcntlcr must nnhcpntc, was unequivocally in the Jwgntivc. ] 11 tltn next momcut slu) wns in nty nnns-sliC was mine! Then followed cxp_ lanntions wl1icl1 did away, as by a bre:tth, with n hundred little cn:cum~tm~ccs_ of 1~1y own jaumliccd judgment, :nul of my broth. :r s evtl msttf;-<l~IOn, which lOr montl1s J hnd looked upon as lll~t~perablc U:trners. Por the pnrt wllic.:l1 .Tolnt Hurclis had in l"~ISII!g them, I wns Ht that moment quite ton ltappy not to forgi,·e lum. I now p_rocecclcd to tell l\I:ny of my contemplated journey, but not of 1ts objects. '!'his I kept from the knowlcdo-e of ail ar?und me, for its successful prosecution, I had already wl!>ell con? Cive~, cot~ld ouly result from the secrecy with wh ich I pm·sued Jt .•. :r\o1· tll(l I E;nffer ]1(!1" to know the direction of country in winch I proposed to lr<t\'el ; th is caution was t!ufl to my generfll P_lan, all(}. cnllcd fOI', nt t l1e same time, by Iter nntm :tl apprehenSIOns, wluch would h:1vc Lern greatly nlanned to know that I wns about to go into a region wl1e1·e my friend had been so inhumanly munlerNL I need not say that she mgccl CYery argume~ tt to kc~p me in l\Jarcngo. She p leaded her own attachment, w~uch, hav_mg o~1cc :tYowed, she now delighted in; and urged e\ cry consJderatwn wllitlt might be supposed available amo11g the thoughts of a young mnidcn unwilling to Jet he r lover go. But my rcsol_ve had been too seriously and solemnly taken. " I had a.u oath Ill heaven !" and no tics, eyeu suc11, so dear ones, 13 |
