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VOL. I.
THE CABINET
Is published every Saturday by P- L.
ROBINSON, ffarrenton , Geo. at
three dollars per annum , which may be
discharged by two dollars and fifty
cents if paid within sixty days of the
Select Tales.
R E VERSE OF FOR TUNE.
Mr Hastings was a reputable mer
chant in , a country town in
England. He married young, and
had a numerous family, over whom,
as his temper was hasty and ungov
ernable, he exercised the parental
authority with harshness and severi
ty. His wife was a pattern of female
mildness and gentleness, and made it
her study, by every softening and
conciliatory art, to keep her husband
in good humor with herself and chil
dren, but she often failed in both.
Charles, their eldest son, had one of
those dispositions which, though easi
ly managed by gentle methods, al
ways revolted against the exertion
of passionate and vigorous authority.
It was therefore impossible that he
should avoid frequent and angry dis
putes with his father, whose stern
ness and severity he returned witli un
yielding obstinacy. The unhappy
contest acquired such additional force
with encreasing years that when the
youth had reached the age of fifteen,
his father, in a fit of angor, turned
him out of doors, with an injunction
to depart and never let him see his
face again;
The lad‘B spirit was too high to ren
der a repetition of the command ne
cessary. Unprovided as he was, he
set out immediaily on foot for Lon
don; where, after much hardship and
fa'igue he arrived, and finding an
father had some acquaintance, obtain
ed leave to accompany him on a voy
age which commenced in a few days.
Exasperated as Mr. Hastings was,
he could not help regretting that his
son had so well obeyed the command
which his passion had dictated; and
the mother, for whom the youth had
always testified the greatest affection,
was long inconsol *ble. From their
repeated enquiries, they were only a
ble to learn that their son had gone
to sea; but to what part, and in what
situation, they could not discover.
To this cause of distress was soon
added that of a decline in their cir
cumstances, owing to repeated losses
in trade. After an ineffectual Strug
gle of a few years, they were obliged
to retire to a small house in a neigh*
bouring village, where, almost consu
med by grief, with health and spirits
broken, they lived in indigence and
obscurity. One advantage, however,
occurred to Mr. Hastings from his
misfortune; his temper was gradual
ly softened, his passions subsided, and
he attempted to alleviate by kindness
the sufferings of his partners in afllic
tion behaving with ‘he greatest tender
ness to his wife of whose amiable qua!-
ties he became every day more sensi
ble.
Charles, in the mean time, was pas
ing through various scenes of fortune.
His first setting out was unfavoura
ble. The captain, to whom he had
greatly recommended himself by his
assiduities, died on the passage; and
he, was set ashore at Madras,
without money, patron, or friend-
He was almost ready to perish from
want, when an opulent merchant of
the factory took pity upon him and
took him to his house. After posses
sing bis diligence and fidelity for some
time in a very low employment, the
gentleman advanced him to liis count-
Rural Cabinet.
Warrenton, Apr I 25, 18^9.
ing-iioos>', -,tno uiiU.UtO ok o ii o too
commercial business of the settlement.
During a short probation in this of
fice, the youth exhibited such tokens
of capacity that he was thought a
proper person to be sent a distance
tip the contry, to a trading post of
some consequence. He here managed
some ditliciiit and important concerns
with so much addres , and acted on
some critical emergencies with such
propriety and resolution, that he ac
quired the confidence of the whole fac
tory. He was soon promoted to a
lucrative ami honorable situation, and
began to make a fortune with the ra
pidity peculiar to that country.
The impression of injury with
which he left his father*B house, and
the subsequent sufferings he under
went for some time suppressed his fii
ial affection. He thought of home
the scene of severe and unmerited
chastisement. By degrees, however,
as better prospects opened upon lii.fj
his feelings became changed; lie in* L
ted at the lecollection of the nnif >nn
kindness of his mother, and playful
endearments of his brothers and sis
ters. He even formed excuses for Ins
fathers severity, and condemned his
own obstinacy, as at least equally
blameabic. He grew so uueasy on
der these impressions, that all the Hat
tering prospects before him could in
duce him to delay any longer an inter
view that he so ardently desired. He
collected all his property, and took
passage for England, where he arri
ved after an absence of nine years.
On landi g lie met with a towns
man, who informed him of the melan
choly change in his father's situation.
With a heart agitated by every ten
der emotion, lie instantly set off for
the place of their abode. It was to
wards the approach of evening when
the unhappy couple sat in melon holy
despondence, by their gloomy fire.
A letter which Mr. Hastings had that
day received from the landlord of bis
little habitation, to whom he wis
somewhat in arrears, threw more
than usual dejection over the family.
Holding the letter in his hand, ‘What
snail we do?’ a aid he; he threatens to
turn us out of doors—uofeeliug man!
But ho v can 1 expect more ihcrcy
trom a stranger than I showed my
own son?* The reflection was too
much for Mrs. Hastings to bear; she
wrung her hands, sobbed, and wept
bitterly. Not a thought of her pres
ent situation entered her mind; she
felt only for her long lost son. The
eldest daughter, whose elegance ot
form was ill concealed by the mean
ness of her dress, while the sympa
thetic-tears trickled down her “berks,
endeavoured to console h**r. The fa
ther sighed from the bottom of his
heart; and two youths, his eldest re
maining sous, hung over the mourn
ful scene with looks of settled melan
choly. Some of the younger children,
as yet unconscious to sorrow, were
seated round the door. They ran in
with the news that a chaise had stop
pt-d betore the house, and a fine gen
tleman was getting out of it. He
entered a moment after, when, on
viewing the group before him, he had
only strength enougli to stagger to a
chair and fainted. The family crow
ded around him, and the mother look
ing eagerly in his face, cried ‘My son!
my son!’ and sunk down beside him.
The father stood with his hands clasp
ed in astonishment, and (hen dropping
down on his knees, exclaimed ‘lleav
ett, I thank thee.’ He then flew to]
his son, clasped him in his arms, and
recalled him tolife. His recollections
no sooner returned than ho asked his
IV.ther's forgiveness. ‘Forgive you,
Tharies? It is 1 who need forgive-
ness, L'uo motiler in un ,ui■-. *
lay almost senseless in the anus of her
daughter. It was long before sbe bad
strength to endure the sight of her
son, whom she had so long desired to
sec. The whole family were overjoy
ed, and the elder sister, who easily
recollected the beloved companion
of her childhood, exhibited marks oi
the liveliest sensibility.
After the first lender greetings and
inquiries were over, Charles briefly
rented to his parents the various e
vents that had befdlen him; softening
however the distressful parts, lest he
should renew sensations already too
painful. He concluded with acquaint
ing them that all lie had acquired was
theirs, and that lie gave, up the whole
(•> their disposal, and should only con
side** himself as a sharer with the
rest of the children. The father would
tiof except the oflVr in its full extent
hut borrowing a considerable hare •><
hisso/.“s property, he associated him
with himself in a men hantile con
. ern.by which he was enabled to re
gain liis former opulence.
From the Albany llaily Adv March 2 7
Messrs. Editors—Tljp following:
highly interesting, and we think admira
bly well told tale, from the Johnstown Re
publican you will oblige us by inserting
in your columns. Some further portions
ot tikis ‘strange eventful hitory’ we shall
subjoin, although apprehensive our feeble
pen wiil fall in doing justice to the sequel.
‘Oh woman! in ordinary cases so mere
a mortal, how in the great and rare
events’ of life, dost thou swell into the an
gel!’—exclaims a late popular write*.
I he opinion has been expressed by many
before him. and history bears on its page
some splendid proofs of its justness. Ro
mance has also bo n adopted and glided
fr the theme of its tale the heroic en
durance or achievement or generosity of
woman, and the Reman (or Grecian)
j daughter, Eiia beth, in the ‘Exile of Sibe
ria, and the heroine of *The Heart of
i Mid Lothisn.’ are but the portraits which
couimemmorate some scene of real life.
Numerous, however, as are the recorded
proofs of woman's capability of great
ness they hear but small proportion to it
tbousand exertions which have passe*’
unnotic -d to oblivion, and perhap* the
finest and truest displays of female hero
ism have been in humble or in private
life, when the heart made its effort or it*-
saerifi e unprompted by the hope of eclat,
and unstained by the certainty of fame.
A case came under ray observation
last week, which for it- display of patient
fortitude, untiring perseverance, and deep
and cruel suffering,as well as the melan
choly interest whicl it excited, has few or
no parallels. The tale is n*t long, and if
you choos i. Mr. Editor, you may tell it
all—the subjects of it well deserve such ,
praise as we can give them.
Two brothers, whose wives also were i
sisters, resided near Glasgow, in Scot
land, and on the fruit* of their industry
in their lucrative and respectable occupa
tion. (they were calico printers) support
ed their families in comfort and ease, and
were enabled to give their eight children
all the advantages of mental and religious
instruction for which the better class of
tradesmen particularly are so distinguish
ed in that country. The distress, howev
er, which for years has pervaded the man
ufacturing districts of Great Britain ex
tended at last to them, and continued its
Visitations until their prospects were de9-
tioyed, and their perseverance exhausted.
Denied all hope of bitter times, they re
solved in despair to abandon an occupa
tion which no longer repaid their toil,
and in dune last they embarked with
their families for Canada, with the pur
pose of purchasing and cultivating land.
They settled in the town of Ramsey.
200 miles above Montreal, and there soon
lound, in the ta*k of budding their log hut
and clearing their heavily timbered new
laDd, they were entirely unfitted sot.
and unequal to the duties and labor
of their new vacation. Provisions were
dear and scarce, the climate was severe,
and their fund of money was almost ex
hausted, a hard winter wa9 before them,
and—looking on their wives and children,
who had thus far endured t eir privations
patiently, if not cheerfully—they resolv
ed, with the advice of their few neigh
bor, to cross into ‘the States,’and seek
there employwent in some of the new
manufactories. They started on the 15th
November, expecting to send in a short
time for their families, which they were
leaviug but slenderly provided. It was
not, however, until the 10th February
that a letter reached its anxious expec
tants, stating that they had at length
found employment at Fall River in Mas
sachusetts, and would send for their fam
ilies so soon as they had earned the
means.
But for this their families could not
wait—they were sinking un ler the pres
sure of evil* among which the ‘hope de
layed’ counted but as trifling. The sum
ol money which the. husband** had been
able to levi’ them was but small, an*’ the
scarcity of provisions prevailing in the
incipiant settlement was shared by them
even to extremity—to absolute hunger.
The crevices and seams of their log hut
were but partially closed, and admitted
the snow at every blast of the winter
wind Amid hunger and cold and the
cries of their children, their thought!
often turned to their own pleasant home
b) the Water of Leven. The few and dis
tant neighbors gave them no assistance,
for they did not know their wants—‘we
had na onv means o’ repaying oblega
lions,’ said one of them to me, ‘and sae
we did na like to ask them!'—and these
two women, who in their own country
hid p rhaps never seen an axe, when o
bliged, NtA ‘diiig to the knees in snow to
cut down with their own hands thetreet
from winch they obtained fuel for the fire
around which th ir children shiv red.
this could not endure longer, and in
good t m lux the letter arrived They
knew tbon where their ltU‘b<nd“ were,
and t! ey mo ved t go to them A
-leigli was engaged and <h ir ittie prep
parations soon made. But the un >w
threatening to break up, the man dar* not
venture upon the long journey and refus
ed to go! This was a cruel stroke; the cup
of their aft] i tion had long b- en full, and
this last drop might have caused its wa
ters of bitterness to overflow —for no
pangs cut so sorely as those of disappoint
ed hop.. They had now no chance but
o endure as they had endured,—to at*
tempt the ih<* journey on foot. The first
seemed impossibl ; and besides these
hiblr *n and their mothers loved the fa*
th‘is and husbands from whom they
were separated. I'he prospect f r the
later ai-o m ght well appal the stoutest
heart —the distance was nearly 500 miles
winter was at it- depth—of money they
had but four dallars, and there in the
woods their clothing would sell lor noth
ing, [theii furniture had been chiefly left
at MoutrealJ—and to crown the whole,
they had 8 children, of whom the eldest
had not reached her tenth year
in despite however of these fearful dif
ficulties, these two heroic females bent
their hearts to the undertaking and on
the 18th day of Febiuary commenced on
I .ot their toilsome journey.—Each carri
ed an infant at the breast, with a bundle
of clothing—the eldest girl Sarah, carried
on her shoulder her sister of 18 months,
and the other 3 girls and 2 boys, ag**d
from 3to 8 years, trudged along as well
as their little feet ,ould carry them
From the 18th Feb. until the 12th March,
when they arrived in this place, the
weather had been peculiarly inclement
many days were severely cold, there
were two deep falls of snow, and con
stant high winds, and for the two last days
they had come under a cold rain. Their
course has beeu entirely on retired road#
which being little travelled, were bu’ im-*
perfectly beaten. Their slender stock
money Lad been long since expended, and
they were forced to rely upon such a scan
ty charity as their appearance elic ‘td
[for they never asked any] and their num
ber made even that less efficient. But
mid snow and storm, hunger and cold,
they still pressed on. There was no day
No. 47.