OCR Text |
Show HOEDUCK. lip~ were unearthly. A n1ortal who ha. not been in I fc:1.ven, d:1rcs not nffinn 'vith confidence that they '''ere IIcavcnly. Bnt it 1nny Lc prc.·nined that there is a "~orld nboYe or belo\v us in 'vhi ch they 1night take their origin. As all hi heare1· were free from the guilt \Vhich .. he denounced, his denunciations m:ty :-tppcar to have been snperiluous ; but they had the happy cifcct of cultivating in the heart::; of hi~ congrc- l gaLion a coznfortable en "e of their own perfection in .comparison \Vith tho. ·e distant sinners, together with a holy hatred of tho~e r eprobates. Besiues, they swelled a certain vohuue of votes. A1ubitiou to extend the sphere of his usefulne s, or preferring tho applnn. e of a n1ultitucle to the still clecorurn of a church, this cl crgytnan lnruecl strcct-prcaeher. From porticos ot' public buildings, or fr01n boanl-piles in vacant lot. , he harangued the n1ob on Snnday afternoons as they \vere harangued by the other demagogues from i1niiar platforn1s on \vcek clays. .At ln. t, \veary of teaching others to eli. clain the comJnanclment against coveting a neighbor'~ servan ts, he abandoned the pulpit, aud regaled hin1self with [t breach of the conllnancl1neut against coveting a neighbor's 'vife. A n1mubcr of his cono-re()'ation had a. ;:, b very pretty 'vife. IIer beauty \vas to blan1e in the affitir. Bc~i<.le~, a S\\rect sin that nestles in our own boson1s looks lc. s ugly than another 1nan's sin af:tr oif. One 1nny be 1nbraced, \vhile the other is anathema. When tlte \Var broke out ho\\rever he left the arms <>f his chn,rn1er, to take np' arn1s for' his country. Albert Paltner, arrivin<Y at the villao-e hastened to 0 '='' communicate to Colonel vV csel the infonnation which he had received ii·o1n blind Pete. The colonel embraced 'vith alacrity an .opportunity to capture the ROEBUCK . 235 Confederate officer. Fitzhugh's cavalry haJ hecn enterprising an<l trouhlrsotne. They had cut off . evera1 partie of \V sol's 1nen, be 'ide. harm;. ing him with nbrm ' in his carnp. Aid eel ancl ·Li muhte(l by tho people, who ·were cxni-'p rated by oppre. sion, tht·y ba(l made it necessary of late for the F ederals to r u:t ri ·t the ranp-e of their operntions \Yithin narrow li1nit!-j. The cnpture of the ConCederate colonel, therefore was very dcsirn,b1e. It \Vonld gratify, nl ·o, for All>or t Palmer a pr.ivnte pique, and, perhaps, open tho way for the renewal of a 1natrimonial project, \\rh ieh, for certain r asons, he <.1e. ·ired to revive. Love had 1;1il d, ' but arn1s 1night prevail. The po Hession of the heiress of J{.oeLnck 'vould be convenient in any event of the 'var, uuJ he still tli. · trn~teJ the Bucecs · of the Federals. CapLain Dakin \vas aroused fr01n slun1ber, nn cl intru. tccl \vith t.he clnty of capturing Colonel Fitz;hngl1, and he \vas directed also to arre~t Colon cl Faiditx, nnd carry hin1 b efore the tribunal of the Federal conlmandcr n1>on a charo·e of harborinQ" the rebel ofliccr. ' ."::1 '-' lie was to take ,viLh hirn out n. small party, h cause success 1nio-ht depend on Recrcsy ns 'vell as promptitude of action. 'I'he ready captnin soon hacl his 111 \n in the saddle. In 1noving about, he stUinbleu over J ubn, who \Vas a le p on the porch of the Swan tavern. As it· \V:lS no long r neccs ·ary for hi1n to take to the bn h for the enjoytnent of lci:ur , he lounged about the villag·e, day and night., waiting f~r his slice of land. It ·occmTe<l to the captain that tlus fellow n1ight be nsef'nlas a g uide about the gro und~ of 11oebuck, and \Vaking hitn \ViLh a kick, he ordered him to rnount a hor. e, an l accompany the party. Albert Palmer also ,vent along. \Vhen they 'vero |