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VOL. 1.
THE CABINET
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From the Port Folio.
THE INN-KEEPER'S STORY.
BY MRS. HARRIET MUZZY.
About seventeen years after the
close of the Revolutionary war, a
stranger arrived at a principal town
in one of our eastern states, and on
being shown to a respectable puhii.
house, informed the landlord, whose
name was Jedson, that it was his in
tention to remain there several days.
There was nothing extraordinary in
the arrival of a stranger in the town,
.and yet the landlord of the inn before
mentioned, could not help regarding
this stranger with peculiar attention.
He was lather inclining towards the
vale of years, and evidently in ill
health, and there was something in
his countenance and in Ins air, that
forcibly drew the attention of the wor
thy Jedson towards him, and which
seemed to recal the far-off remem
brances of other times and other
scenes; lie communicated his feelings
to his wife, and added ‘if it was pos
sible, Mary* I should say that 1
have seen this stranger before, and on
the very night when we first saw our
poor Eva!’ ‘But it is not possible,’
echoed the good Mrs. Jedson; ‘lie
would have known you at once* be
sides, such a wretch would not have
been permitted to cumber the earth
so long. It is only a fancy, dear hus
band; and for pity’s sake don’t speak
of it to poor Eva—it will pother in
mind of all her trouble!’ The good
man promised caution—and went to
take one more look at the stranger.
Woman‘B curiosity is proverbial,
and the excellent wife of the innkeeper
was not without her share; but a
stronger motive than mere idle curi
osity, impelled her to feign an ex
cuse for entering the parlor
appointed for the stranger* and sh
forthwith followed her good man.
Long and intense was the scrutiny
with which the usually modest and
quiet dame regarded the elegant look
ing guest, who reclined apparently
hiiried in thought, in an arm-chair
which occupied a recess near the fire
place. The stranger looked up, met
her earnest gaze, and started. Se
venteen years had not wrought so
great a change in the person of the
landlady as might have hern expect
ed; for an innocent and active life had
aided a constitution naturally robust,
and she still appeared much the same
as she had fourteen years back; —The
stranger felt he had seen her before;
he passed his hand over his flushed
face, and addressed to her some triv
ial question. The tone of her voice ii
atiswering seemed to strike upon his
ear as one remembered, but be said
nothing.
‘We hart seen him before, Josiali.‘
said the landlady to her husband,
when alone. ‘He has not yet met the
punishment due to his misdeeds.
What shall we say? Something w<
must do!’
‘lt is indeed him* returned Jedson;
‘what can have brought him here? I
would kill Eva to see him—luckily
she is confined by a cold up stairs—
tomorrow Fanny returns. He shall
see Fanny, she is the image of what
her mother was when we first saw
her; if he is Hip person we suppose, h
must be struck with her likeness.
Wanenton, February 14, 1829.
My mind me. sto iy, oit
I think lie has only come here to die.’
*1 hope he will rend r justice, be
fore he goes to his great account,’ re
turned the zealous matron.
‘He will, wile, he wil!"’ replied her
husband; ‘there is that in Isis face
which bespeaks a broken spirit; he
has a contrite heart, d-pi*rd upon it.
and if it is him he w ill do justice as
far as he can.’
Tite next moriog (lie stranger was
mm h indisposed, and ‘Fanny,’ who
had returned from an excursion, was
sent by her grandmother, as she cal
led Mrs Jedson, to I,is apartment,
with some refreshment. The guest
started as she entered, and as she
drew near he became dreadfully agit
ated. Fanny was alarmed, but un
willing to leave him tbu , remained
rivetted to the spot, where he stood.
At length the invalid, conquering his
emotion, made an effort to receive the
refreshment from the hand of the un
conscious cause of his agitation, as il
impelled by some irresistable motive,
enquired her name. ‘Fanny sir,
Fanny Jedson,’ answered the. agitated
girl, as, blushing, and curtseying, she
withdrew.
it is her very image!’ murmured
the guest;‘who is this girl? how came
she here? so beautiful! so fair, to con
jure up remembrances so painful! re
calling a form never to lie forgotten.*
In a few moments he, bad summon
ed the landlord, who was prepared by
Fanny’s strange agitation, to bear in
terrogations which lie was resolved to
answer in his own way. The gen
firman requested Jedson to be seated,
said he was lonely, and should like a
little chat, and after a few preliminary
remarks, enquired of his companion,
if the pretty girl he hail just left was
Ins daughter or grand-daughter.
‘She is neither,’ answered the old
man: ‘but l love Sier as much as if sue
was.’
‘But she bears your name,’ resum
ed the stranger.
‘She does,’ returned the innkeeper,
because, poor thing! she Iris no other,
However, it is an honest name, arid
iever was coupled with a treacherous
deed; so perhaps il suits the child as
well as another.’
‘She is then an adopted child? en
quired the invalid, in a humid voice.
‘Why sir, replied Jedson, ‘HI tell
you the story, and how I came by the
girl, and if you do not join me in say
ing that her father was a vidian* you
will be the first who has differed from
me in that opinion. But as 1 said be
fore HI tell you the story.
♦lt was about the time when the
British were about leaving Boston—l
did not live here then sir—l kept an
Inn on the Boston road: and some
where about that time, one evening, a
chaise drove into our yard, and
an officer, sir, a British officer,
alighted* and handed out a
young lady; a sweet pretty
creature; —she appeared melancholy,
and somehow tny wife and I both
thought that she did not look like an
nfficer‘B ladj, but just like one of our
own New England young women, so
modest and unassuming. Well the
officer called for a room and supper,
and desired that his horse might he
f aken care of, as they were to go on
directly. Curiosity, you know sir,
is natural to women; people say, to
New-England women in particular.
However, the young woman who went
into the slranger‘s room to lay the
cloth, and attend on the table, said,
when she came out, that she had look
ed sharp at rim lady, and that she
kept cryir*s all Hie time, and never
usKM a morsel ot'supp r. My wife,
who is as stout as a lion, in the cause
of hT sex. could not rest a minute;
she was afraid the poor girl was un
!i ippy; perhaps going away against
her will: and speak to her she would!
she took an opportunity when the
i,fit er went out, to go into the, room
where the young lady was, to ask her
if any thing troubled her. The poor
young lliiug said she was grieving at
the thoughts of leaving her home.
‘Then why do you go, my dear?* in-*
qoiivd my good woman, ‘is the gentle
man a relation of yours?* ‘lie is my
husband,’ said the girl, and she look
ed up so innocent and quiet, that inv
wife was comforted about her, and
contented herself with giving her all
the cons *1 dion she could, about leav
ing her home, since she was going
I with her husband—and my good
j woman contrived to speak a f w words
to the gentleman, and begged him to
take great care, of such a gentle crea-
tore; and promised lie would. On
going away, the young lady came to
my wife and said softly, ‘lf you hear
any one speak of Eva Hay ward, tell
them she has gone to England with
her husband.’ My wife promised she
would. They drove off sir, and we
never expected to see them again; but
my good spouse could never forget
the circumstance, and often spoke ol
the young girl, and said her mind mis
gave her that she was not happy.
Well, about two years afterwards, it
was in winter sir, a young woman got
out of a waggon that passed that way,
and came into our house. She had a
babe in her arms, and was crying bit
terly. The waggon, it seems, had ta
ken her up three miles beyond, and
she asked to be 9ct down at the first
house. We knew her in minute! It
‘as the girl who wen away with the
British officer! She knew us too, as ill
as she was, for she was nearly dead;
she told us her pitiful story—she had
lived wiih her urn I , who was her only
relation living, in bos on, where she
became acquainted with this officer.
Her unde hated the British; and for
bade her to speak to one of them.
But this one, Sic, she loved; and when
a woman loves, she is ready to for
sake every tiling to follow her bus
band. He stole her away from liei
uncle’s house, and married her pri
vately, They were on their way to
embark for England, when they stop
ped at our house. Well, sir, they
arrived in England, and sin* says lie
appeared to idolize her, and she was
so happy, but it was not to last! Af
ter pome strange conduct on his part,
he at length told her that lie could no
longer conceal from her that he had
been married previous to his coming
to this country; that his wife was liv
ing, and he could not entirely es
trange himself from her: that his vio-
Inf passi m for her had induced him
to do as he had done; that lie repent
ed, and should always love her alone.
1 shall not repeat all that poor Eva
said, sir,’ continued Jedson; ‘hut the
result was, that she scorned his pro
mise of supporting her and her child
in affluence, and resolved to quit the
villl an who had so basely deceived
her; she chose a time when he was ab
sent, and secured her passage in a
vessel bound for home. She applied
to several, but sailed in the one which
was ready first. W hen she arrived
in America, she determined to throw
herself upon her uncle’s mercy, but
| when so far on her journey to him, she
was obliged to stop to gather strength
and courage to proceed. We made
enquiries about her uncle; he was
t.cad, and his estate left to strangers,
iu his will. Four Eca ami lo r it: y
had no friend, ad no home! Wek< pt
her with us; God has blessed our
means, they have both hern treasures
to us. We removed to this town, and
have lived here eight years: the girl
you s iw, is Eva‘s child.*
‘A and her mothei! * gapped
out the stranger.
-She, too, is here, and still and Hs
upon the wretch who has never •• • <le
one enquiry about her or her chile.’
*/am he!’ I believed them dr td,’
exclaimed the unhappy inv did; ‘bring
me my child! I w ill atone Ibr all!’
The pr ud officer was humbled be
fore the simple innkeeper—he saw
and blessed bis wondering daughter,
and not daring to ask to behold her
mother, he, in terms of deep con
trition informed Jedson that Eva was
in reality his wife, that after bis ar
rival in England lie was urged by bis
friends to fulfil an engagement with a
wealthy lady o whom he had long
been contracted, & the marriage was
only delayed on account of his enforc
ed departure, that dreading the resent
ment of his family, and overwhelmed
with shame for his inconsistency, he
had at length resolved to impose on
Eva the tale of his previous mam g<’,
trusting that her devotion to him, and
her destitute situation among stran
gers, would induce her to be content
with possessing his love, while anoth
er bore his name. But on returning
after a temporary absence, and learn
ing her departure, his grief and re
morse knew no hounds. He enquired
concerning all the vessels that had
sailed for America, and learned that
a female, and a child, ai suering to
his description of Eva anil her babe,
i had gone in one of them. 1 hat \ s
stlvvas wrecked, and the miser hie
1 husband and father believed himself
bereft of those he had so fondly loved
and so deeply injured. He never ful
filled his marriage contract, or lost the
remembrance of his first and martyr
ed love, lie had been for many years
an invalid, and at length resolved to
visit the land and the birth plat e of
his lovely victim.
The result is known, except that
the gentl Eva saw, pitied, and for
gave her repentant husband; and
health and happiness again visited the
reunited pair, and the worthy Jedson
with his excellent w ife, were sharers
,f the happiness they had been the
means of promoting; and the father of
the beautiful Fanny never forgot the
impressions made by the Innkeeper’s
story.
l 1 1 Hie i rgia Journal.
CHEROKEE LANDS,
Col. W r ales of Habersham who was
deputed by the Governor, to collect
testimony in regard to the old bounda
ry between the Creeks and Cherokees
returned from his mission on Wednes
day last. The result of his enquiries
is, that there is no doubt about the
boundary line between the two nations
having been lately changed: that a
large tract of country now in posses
sion of the Cherokees. did once belong
to the Creeks; and that, of course, it
now, of right, belongs to Georgia, un
der the terms of what is know n as the
old treaty, or even under the terms of
the new treaty, did the State of Geor
gia, choose to recognize it as valid.
The following is a summary of the
evidence collected on this subject by
Col. Wales.
Jacob U. Brooks , of De Kalb, states
that he has resided on the Chattahoo
rhie since 1819, and had a transient
residence there some time previous—*
No. 37.