RUTH. SHE clasps Naomi's neck and sighs, She murmurs,' Mother! hear my prayer!' 'If some lone dove, on wounded wing 'That lone and weary dove am I! The home, the hearth, I leave for thee, In darkness, and deserted lie, My Mother, wilt thou turn from me? 'His smile, who made that home all light, The shrine at which thou kneel'st in prayer, The skies that o'er thy pathway glow, Shall see thy child beside thee there. "Oh! "Where thou diest I will die!" Thy home is mine, and mine thy God, 'And death, whose thrilling whisper rolls, In the autumn of 1826, I had occasion to visit the town of N- beautifully situated on the western bank of the Connecticut river. My business led me to the house of B-, a lawyer of threescore and ten, who was now resting from the labors, and enjoying the fruits of a life, strenuously and successfully devoted to his profession. His drawing room was richly furnished, and decorated with several valuable paintings. There was one among them, that particularly attracted my attention. It represented a mother with two beautiful children, one on either arm, a light veil thrown over the group, and one of the children pressing its lips to the cheek of the mother. That,' said I, pointing to the 6 picture, 'is very beautiful. Pray, sir, what is the subject of it?' 'It is a mother and her twins,' said he; 'the picture in itself is esteemed a fine one, but I value it more for the recollections which are associated with it.' I turned my eye upon B- -; he looked communicative, and I asked him for the story. 'Sit down,' said he, ' and I will tell it.' We accordingly sat down, and he gave me the following narrative. During the period of the war of the revolution, there resided, in the western part of Massachusetts, a farmer by the name of Stedman. He was a man of substance, descended from a very respectable English family, well educated, distinguished for great firmness of character in general, and alike remarkable for inflexible integrity and steadfast loyalty to his king. Such was the reputation he sustained, that even when the most violent antipathies against royalism swayed the community, it was still admitted on all hands, that farmer Stedman, though a tory, was honest in his opinions, and firmly believed them to be right. The period came when Burgoyne was advancing from the north. It was a time of great anxiety with both the friends and foes of the revolution, and one which called forth their highest exertions. The patriotic militia flocked to the standard of Gates and Stark, while many of the tories resorted to the quarters of Burgoyne and Baum. Among the latter was Stedman. He had no sooner decided it to be his duty, than he took a kind farewell of his wife, a woman of uncommon beauty, gave his children, a twin boy and girl, a long embrace, then mounted his horse and departed. He joined himself to the unfortunate expedition of Baum, and was taken with other prisoners of war by the victorious Stark. : He made no attempt to conceal his name or character, which were both soon discovered, and he was accordingly committed to prison as a traitor. The gaol, in which he was confined, was in the western part of Massachusetts, and nearly in a ruinous condition. The farmer was one night waked from his sleep by several persons in his room. 'Come,' said they, you can now regain your liberty we have made a breach in the prison, through which you can escape.' To their astonishment, Stedman utterly refused to leave his prison. In vain they expostulated with him; in vain they represented to him that his life was at stake. His reply was, that he was a true man, and a servant of king George, and he would not creep out of a hole at night, and sneak away from the rebels, to save his neck from the gallows. Finding it altogether fruitless to attempt to move him, his friends left him, with some expressions of spleen. The time at length arrived for the trial of the prisoner. The distance to the place where the court was sitting was about sixty miles. Stedman remarked to the sheriff, when he came to attend him, that it would save some expense and inconvenience, if he could be permitted to go alone, and on foot. And suppose,' said the sheriff,' that you should prefer your safety to your honor, and leave me to seek you in the British camp?' 'I had thought,' said the farmer, redden ing with indignation, that I was speaking to one who knew me.' 'I do know you, indeed,' said the sheriff; 'I spoke but in jest; you shall have your way. Go, and on the third day I shall expect to see you at S * * * * * The farmer departed, and at the appointed time he placed himself in the hands of the sheriff. I was now engaged as his council. Stedman insisted, before the court, upon telling his whole story; and, when I would have taken advantage of some technical points, he sharply rebuked me, and told me that he had not employed me to prevaricate, but only to assist him in telling the truth. I had never seen such a display of simple integrity. It was affecting to witness his love of holy, unvarnished truth, elevating him above every other consideration, and presiding in his breast as a sentiment even superior to the love of life. I saw the tears more than once springing to the eyes of his judges; never before, or since, have I felt such an interest in a client. I plead for him as I would have plead for my own life. I drew tears, but I could not sway the judgment of stern men, controlled rather by a sense of duty than the compassionate promptings of humanity. Stedman was condemned. I told him there was a chance of pardon, if he would ask for it. I drew up a petition and requested him to sign it, but he refused. 'I have done,' said he, 'what I thought my duty. I can ask pardon of my God, and my king; but it would be hypocrisy to ask forgiveness of these men, for an action which I should repeat, were I placed again in similar circumstances. No! ask me not to |