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Article SCENES IN AMERICA. ← Page 4 of 7 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scenes In America.
Instead of going to his family , as I expected , Ball directed his attention next to the horses . I followed him , and we led our beasts round through u little lot to the small log stable . After providing for their wants , we returned to the house , without a syllable of conversation between us . In thc passage we found two wooden basins of water for us , with soap and coarse clean towels . After washing , Ball went into the loom-house , a small cabin built at the back ofthe dwelling , to contain the family loom , cic , to change his garb for whole and clean clothes . Jack was in bedhis knee hael been
; washed , and bound up ; and he was , upon the whole , not suffering greatly from his wound . Ball , in a very few minutes , made his appearance ; anel showing his wounded hand to his wife , she produced some clean soft linen rags , and tenderly bound it up . Then after asking Jack how his knee felt , he said to me , " Come , stranger , " and we sat down together to a meal which Susan had hastily prepared for us . The old man could force himself to swallow but a few mouthfuls , saying to me , " Stranger , never min' me ; finish your victuals . " He then took his daughter with him , and left the
house on foot for one of his near neighbours . I had very little appetite myself , and soon rose from the meagre meal . Mrs . Ball having cleared the table , I embraced the opportunity of fulfilling my promise to make a full communication to her of the circumstances of the battle . I perceived immediately , however , from her questions , that Jack had left me very little to perform . AVhether it was owing wholly , or in part , to our present peculiar situation with respect to each otherI can hardly saybut this simple-minded and
dis-, , tressed woman made a remarkable impression upon me . She appeared to be about forty-five ; was rather tall , somewhat slender , having exceedingly profuse black hair , and large hazel eyes . Her skin was a little tanned , and her hands rough ; but her coarse home-spun dress was tlie perfection of neatness . And her natural good sense , and gentleness of disposition , were
abundantly manifested in our conversation , and in the expression of features ivhich must have been once extremely beautiful . She felt no great apprehension that her husband would suffer from the law ; her fears were as to the effect of the affair upon his own mind . —expressing her conviction that the rest of his life would be nothing but gloom , and perhaps madness itself . I said all I could to remove her own gloomy thoughts ; but her reply was : " Ah , Stranger , you don ' t know Peter like me : he broods so over things ; an' he strays out so bhimself in the woods an' barrens when any thing
y ails him ; an'he ' s sich a one to believe in ghosts and dreams . 1 never could cure him when we was firs' together ; an' now , God knows , he ' 11 do nothin' , night nor day , but be thinkin' to himself , may-be he ' s a murderer . " I inquired when her two grown sons ivould be at home , and was sorry to hear that they were bear-lranting with a party not likely to return for several days .
It was now quite dark , or rather there was only the light of the stars through a clear sky . Mrs . Ball engaged herself in putting her children to bed , and sitting by her wounded aon , while I walked slowly backward and forward in the little green yard in front ofthe house , occasionally stopping to lean against the fence and gaze at the stars , or listen to the insects ivhieh peopled the shrubbery around me . After some time , one of the dogs came wagging his tail and rubbing against me , whicli meeting a kind return on my part , by patting his head , led to companionship for the time being between
the dumb creature and myself . It was more than an hour after I had gone into the yard , and long after my patience was greatly exhausted , before I heard the distant voices of tlie expected party coining down the road . I stood against tlie fence until they came up , and crossed over the blocks into the yard . Bull ' s neighbour was a short , stout-looking man , with a voice which would have befitted a giant . " This is the stranger , " said Ball to him , by way of introduction . " How d ' y'do , Sir , " said he , shaking me severely by the hand . " AVulI ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scenes In America.
Instead of going to his family , as I expected , Ball directed his attention next to the horses . I followed him , and we led our beasts round through u little lot to the small log stable . After providing for their wants , we returned to the house , without a syllable of conversation between us . In thc passage we found two wooden basins of water for us , with soap and coarse clean towels . After washing , Ball went into the loom-house , a small cabin built at the back ofthe dwelling , to contain the family loom , cic , to change his garb for whole and clean clothes . Jack was in bedhis knee hael been
; washed , and bound up ; and he was , upon the whole , not suffering greatly from his wound . Ball , in a very few minutes , made his appearance ; anel showing his wounded hand to his wife , she produced some clean soft linen rags , and tenderly bound it up . Then after asking Jack how his knee felt , he said to me , " Come , stranger , " and we sat down together to a meal which Susan had hastily prepared for us . The old man could force himself to swallow but a few mouthfuls , saying to me , " Stranger , never min' me ; finish your victuals . " He then took his daughter with him , and left the
house on foot for one of his near neighbours . I had very little appetite myself , and soon rose from the meagre meal . Mrs . Ball having cleared the table , I embraced the opportunity of fulfilling my promise to make a full communication to her of the circumstances of the battle . I perceived immediately , however , from her questions , that Jack had left me very little to perform . AVhether it was owing wholly , or in part , to our present peculiar situation with respect to each otherI can hardly saybut this simple-minded and
dis-, , tressed woman made a remarkable impression upon me . She appeared to be about forty-five ; was rather tall , somewhat slender , having exceedingly profuse black hair , and large hazel eyes . Her skin was a little tanned , and her hands rough ; but her coarse home-spun dress was tlie perfection of neatness . And her natural good sense , and gentleness of disposition , were
abundantly manifested in our conversation , and in the expression of features ivhich must have been once extremely beautiful . She felt no great apprehension that her husband would suffer from the law ; her fears were as to the effect of the affair upon his own mind . —expressing her conviction that the rest of his life would be nothing but gloom , and perhaps madness itself . I said all I could to remove her own gloomy thoughts ; but her reply was : " Ah , Stranger , you don ' t know Peter like me : he broods so over things ; an' he strays out so bhimself in the woods an' barrens when any thing
y ails him ; an'he ' s sich a one to believe in ghosts and dreams . 1 never could cure him when we was firs' together ; an' now , God knows , he ' 11 do nothin' , night nor day , but be thinkin' to himself , may-be he ' s a murderer . " I inquired when her two grown sons ivould be at home , and was sorry to hear that they were bear-lranting with a party not likely to return for several days .
It was now quite dark , or rather there was only the light of the stars through a clear sky . Mrs . Ball engaged herself in putting her children to bed , and sitting by her wounded aon , while I walked slowly backward and forward in the little green yard in front ofthe house , occasionally stopping to lean against the fence and gaze at the stars , or listen to the insects ivhieh peopled the shrubbery around me . After some time , one of the dogs came wagging his tail and rubbing against me , whicli meeting a kind return on my part , by patting his head , led to companionship for the time being between
the dumb creature and myself . It was more than an hour after I had gone into the yard , and long after my patience was greatly exhausted , before I heard the distant voices of tlie expected party coining down the road . I stood against tlie fence until they came up , and crossed over the blocks into the yard . Bull ' s neighbour was a short , stout-looking man , with a voice which would have befitted a giant . " This is the stranger , " said Ball to him , by way of introduction . " How d ' y'do , Sir , " said he , shaking me severely by the hand . " AVulI ,