Part 3 (1/2)
The young lady ran her eye hastily down the coluhter
”Excuse me, papa,” she said, ”it is too much for my poor nerves Only think of it; Mr Peters loads Mr Pownal's gun with sixteen buck-shot, topples hih, breaks three of his ribs, and makes a considerable incision in his skull Never was there such a wonderful escape It is too horrible”
”How the newspapers are given to big stories!” said Mrs Bernard
”I dare say,” cried Anne, ”the editor has authority for what he says, for now thatin the incision Have you not reht-headed?”
”Anne!” exclaiirl rattle on so”
”I aht-headed than usual,” said Pownal, ”but I am certain no one can be in Miss Bernard's coht-hearted”
”Very prettily spoken! Mr Tho his wit upon a countrywhen he returns to open the ca the New York ladies”
”I am too happy here,” said Pownal, in a low tone, ”to wish to return to the city”
An almost imperceptible blush suffused the cheeks of Miss Bernard She looked up froto one another?” broke in the Judge ”My dear, do not hold down your head It throws the blood into your face”
”Papa,” cried his daughter, desirous to divert attention fro in the paper to read to us? Is there no report of any speech?”
”Speeches, indeed! Thank Heaven, there is no speech in this paper
The session of Congress has not coe of words, in comparison hich Noah's flood was a suhter, do you remind me of the national calamity?”
”To atone for the offence, papa, letand Faith pro, and froate, I suspect they are close at hand”
Anne's conjecture proved true, for shortly after the expected visitors were announced, and the usual greetings having passed, they were all soon seated
But before proceeding further, it ive some description of persons destined to play a not uni was of e, of the ordinary stature, and with a face which still possessed great beauty A noble brow, hair originally black, but preht nose, and a well-formed mouth, over which played an expression of benevolence,attractiveness, and it would have been an unracious presence, but for an air of dejection a upon him He seldom smiled, and when he did the smile was often succeeded by a dark shadow, as if he felt coaiety
Faith strongly resembled her father, as well in externals as in the character of hereven to delicacy, though without any appearance of sickliness Her face, pale and thoughtful usually, was soelic than hu to appreciate the loss, she had concentrated upon her father all that love which is generally divided between two parents Nor was it with a feeling of love only she regarded hi alht, no word, no look of his but had for her a value And richly was the affection of the child returned by the father, and proud was he of her, notwithstanding his struggles against the feeling as so sinful
It was the first tihter had seen hier he had incurred
”It was a providential escape,” said Mr Arers we run into, and our escapes may be considered as so many dailyProvidence There are few persons who cannot look back upon several such in the course of their lives”
”You are right, e ”I can recall half a dozen in my own experience; and if some have had fewer, some, doubtless, have had more”
”These accidents are, I suspect, the consequences of our own carelessness in nine cases out of ten,” said Pownal ”At any rate, I am sure it was my carelessness that occasioned mine”
”You speak as if it could have been avoided,” said Mr Ar
”Certainly Do you not think so?”