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Show 96 ROEBUCK. . 1~ r on the ground., incapa· a limb. By that tlnl~ Pete" J ow." said Baxter, "you bl of speech or nlOtlon. 'the end of all your e d 1 von see f .1 n corrio-ible sconn re ' .; . ll'fe but the Inerr.y o o . save your h crin1es. N othtng can y have stol~n corn by t e this honorable court. ca~l~ed away pigf1, and choked cart-load, yon have ' their piteous cries ~honld the innocent creatures lest 1. e robbed hen-roosts, h ft You 1av . . . tcveal your t c : 1 t cs of your vlctuns to pl e-treachcrously tickling _t 1~ o yon have debauched the ven t thenl froi.n cac,khli~snkge.y on t 1 .. degn:uled revels. 1cu . f nirro·crs, 'vastlng " ~lf red the sugar-tongs o a W~·st of all, you have P' e. d the characters of all . nd colnpromlse . 1 . n l;ious Pun tan a 1 d conc1cscendec1 to nc e 1 these gentlemen ,vho hla h c von to say why the 11 art W at av .; d '7" your rasca Y c · t b forth with execute · sentence of death shall no e. d I'll never,_ " St)are me, gooc1 ,g entlen1en, anN ' ture ,vill brea k · s Pete ·1 ~' l\lake no pronusc ' . B t "rith the con· then1. -yT on are a bO. rll roc~r une.e thiUs ' execution un t'l 1 sen t of . the J. urJv ' I 'vlll postpo, 1 1. . " to-nlOlTOW ll.l g ht' at twelve o c oc. ..... Pete sat up. 'Ill t vou go free of punishment al· " 1\'Iore : we Wl e .; together." l..>ctc rose to his feet. h 11 rro to Mr. :1· • You s a b · "But upon this con cLition. . t n<rs to him, l r ·cr the surrar- 0 0 Palnlcr to-n1orrow, c e lV v l that we COlli· a. nc1 t e 11 hinl that you stole, then1, anc 1lecl you to return then1. pc I r'll " · "I will, gentlenlcn, w 1 . . Bnt if yon f[ul, "I don't rely on yonr pronu:se. If you do us I 1 '-·hull be hnnrr to-lnOITO'v nlght. l ~o prose· vot i:J ~ornlna~ nd you, ito "rill rest "'l· t1 l\Ir Pa n1cr " l . . c. cute you, if he plc:tscs." ROEBUCK. 97 CHAPTEI~ IX. POOR WHITES NEAR ROEBUCK. vVHEN Abraham Marlin returned home at evening from the village upon his rnule, he found his ·wife, Betsy, preparing the hon1ely snpper, his son Mark closing up the cooper's shop, anc1 his danghter, Eliza, n buxon1, red-cheeked girl of fifte<~n, milking the CO"\V. Betsy, the 'vife and n1other, 'vas a wotnan of large, lean fran1e, w·ith a square head and features strongly n1arked. Plain truth and decisive energy were traced in every line of her countenance. Her dress 'vas coarse, though neat, and her large hands were hardened by dome~ti.c industry. For forty years she had known poverty ·without repining for a single hour. She accepted her lot in life with cheerfulness, amd encountered its difficulties with resolution. IIer chief care, as it was her husband's also, was to train up her children in habits of industry and viltue. The parents 'vere both illiterate, but the essential principles of a good life are learned without tesearch, and taught 'vithout books. Abrahnm 'vas received in his humble cabin with as n1nch respect 'and affection as if he had been the most illustrious of n1en. After supper he reb.tecl to his family the events of the clay at the village, but without 1ncntioning the part he had performed, except the single fact that he had promised to volunteer as a private in the company of cavalry. When he stated 5 |