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Show 246 ROEBUCK. "I thank you, my poo"r girls, for your service. I an1 grateful to all my servants. I do not reproach those 'vho have left me. I pity yon all. Yon clo not foresee the evils that are co1ning upon your race. I can no longer protect you. Our house, thn.t gave yon and n1e shelter, is destroyed. Onr f~unily is broken up. vV e shall be no more together. llnt I shall never forget the love and fidelity of n1y servants during so many years. God grant that you n1n.y never regret our separation. I cannot (rive von counsel h .J hereafter, and let n1e tell yon, once for all, that if yon 'vonlcl be h~ppy you mtl. t be lnunble, indu'strious and good. Bless yon, my girls; m:ty you be happy!" After Captain Dakin had fulfilled his 1ni~.'ion of destruction at vVillowbank, he lecl his troopers away to other 'vork of a, similar kind. Passing ncar the cabin of 1\Iarlin, the preaching cooper, he rcn1embcred a. report that Eliza l\farlin had con1mitted the offence of carrying n1edicines to the rebels. lie could not recollect the pmticulars of the aceus,ation, but it arose out of the circurnstance that, ,vhen her father had an attack of fever, she visited hi1n in ca1np, and carried some drugs for the usc of hin1 ancl others. IIaHing beiore the cabin, he called Eliza and charged her 'vith the offence. She adn1ittecl it, stating all the circumstances. lie declared that she should be punished on the spot. By his con1n1an<.l son1e of the n1en seized her: and tying her thnn1bs 'vith cords, dre'v them up unt1l her arn1s 'vere · stretched above her head and she stoo<l upon her toes, nnu then they attached tho cords to a joist. Others tied her 1nothcr to a ch[lin, so that she conld not release her dauo·hter. Thus the b two 'v01nen 'verc left. Eliza had struo-o-led 'vhile they were Lincling her, nntil she found re~:tauce use- ROEBUCK. less, anfl then, eli. dn,j ning to beg for 111ercy, RhC sn bJnitte l in silence. 'Vhen her f.1.ce rec1c1enec1 [l.ncl her eyes flashed with inuignation, she seen1e 1 bcantiful to the rude and pitiless troopers. IIer defence] e .. sitnntion and the degrachttion to 'vhich she had been, uhjected by their captain cnconr:1gcd them to entertnin a licentious and outrageous de. ign again. t her. On the march, when it had beco1ne dark, four or five of then1 separated th01n. elves fron1 the co1nm:1.nd antl returned to the cabin. H,e1ea.~ iug Eliza, they began 1 o insult her 'vith the rongh f~uniliarity of affecte<l fondness, ancl then ensued a scene of violence 'vhich cannot be de;=;eribe<.l When ·the men 'vere departing they released ].frs. Marlin, and 'vith Jnock compassion bade her take good caro of _her pretty daughter. That wretched girl was left nearly dead, ancl praying for death as a r C'fugc fr01n sh:11ne. IIcr n1other's brain reeled, :tn<l . he 'lr:ts nlmo ·t inc:tpable of r endcrillg any as,'i. Lnnce to tho forn1 that ,vrithecl npon the {loor. "0, n1oth er, mother," "ras the de.'pairjng cry of the girl in her deadly anguish. "0, God, 0, God!" was the cry of the n1other. Throwing hcn;elf beside her danghtcr, an<l etnLrn.cing her with frenzied passion, she soub?<l nncl 'vept until the n1otionle. s stillness of the g trl startled her ,vith a new fear. "0 God, n1y daughter is <lead!" she excl:titneu. The din1 light of a poor can<.11e coulll scarcely revenl her low breathing, h. r eyes 'vere hn.lf-elosed, and. she appeareu to her aJstractecl n1other the in1age vf <leaLh. Still clinging to hope, :l)Ir:-). :l)In.rlin hastened to apply the simple re. torntives ut hanc1, and gradually recalled so nulCh anunation thnt her dano·hter conlcl f:1.int1y converso. In that condition she li~ o·crcd so1ne hours of the night. 0 • • |