Mrs. Fr. I rejoice to hear you exprefs yourself in fuch a manner. Believe me, when I fay, the beft fortune which can be bestowed on a child is a good education. It fecures her honor and happiness through life, whatever be her ftation; and it leads her to the exercise of thofe noble and virtuous difpofitions which are an indifpenfable prepa ration for the enjoyments of the future state. SINGULAR ADVENTURE OF PUTNAM. GENERAL WHEN General Putnam first moved to Pomfret, in Connecticut, in the year 1739, the country was new, and much infefted with wolves. Great havoc was made among the fheep by a fhe wolf, which, with her annual whelps, had for feveral years continued in that yicinity. The young ones were commonly destroyed by the vigilance of the hunters; but the old one was too fagacious to be enfnared by them. 2. This wolf, at length, became fuch an intolerable nuifance, that Mr. Putnam entered into a combination with five of his neighbors to hunt alternately until they could deftroy her. Two, by rotation, were to be constantly in purfuit. It was known, that, having loft the toes from one foot, by a fteel-trap, fhe made one track fhorter than the other. 3. By this veftige, the purfuers recognised, in a light fnow, the route of this pernicious animal. Having followed her to Connecticut river, and found fhe had turned back in a direct courfe towards Pomfret, they immediately returned, and by ten o'clock the next morning the bloodhounds had driven her into a den, about three miles distant from the houfe of Mr. Putnam. 4. The people foon collected with dogs, guns, ftraw, fire and fulphur, to attack the common enemy. With this apparatus, feveral unsuccessful efforts were made to force her from the den. The hounds came back badly wounded, and refused to return. The fmoke of blazing straw had no effect. Nor did the fumes of burnt brimstone, with which the cavern was filled, compel her to quit the retirement. Wearied 5. 5. Wearied with fuch fruitless attempts (which had brought the time to ten o'clock at night) Mr. Putnam tri ed once more to make his dog enter, but in vain; he propofed to his negro man to go down into the cavern and fhoot the wolf. The negro declined the hazardous fervice. 6. Then it was that their mafter, angry at the difappointment, and declaring that he was afhamed of having a coward in his family, refolved himself to deftroy the ferocious beaft, left fhe fhould efcape through fome unknown fiffure of the rock. 7. His neighbors ftrongly remonftrated against the perilous enterprize; but he, knowing that wild animals were intimidated by fire, and having provided feveral ftrips of birch bark, the only combuftible material which he could obtain, which would afford light in this deep and darkfome cave, prepared for his descent. 8. Having, accordingly, divefted himself of his coat and waistcoat, and having a long rope fastened round his legs, by which he might be pulled back, at a concerted fig. nal, he entered, head foremoft, with the blazing torch in his hand. 9. Having groped his paffage till he came to a horizontal part of the den, the most terrifying darkness appeared in front of the dim circle of light afforded by his torch. It was filent as the house of death. None but monfters of the defert had ever before explored this folitary mansion of horror. 10. He cautioufly proceeding onward, came to an af cent; which he flowly mounted on his hands and knees until he discovered the glaring eye-balls of the wolf, who was fitting at the extremity of the cavern. Startled at the fight of fire, fhe gnafhed her teeth and gave a fullen growl. II. As foon as he had made the neceflary difcovery, he kicked the rope as a fignal for pulling him out. The people, at the mouth of the den, who had listened with painful anxiety, hearing the growling of the wolf, and fuppofing their friend to be in the most imminent danger, drew him forth with fuch celerity that he was ftripped of his clothes, and feverely bruifed. 12. After he had adjusted his clothes, and loaded his gun with nine buck shot, holding a torch in one hand and the the mufket in the other, he defcended a fecond time. When he drew nearer than before, the wolf affuming a ftill more fierce and terrible appearance, howling, rolling her eyes, fnapping her teeth, and dropping her head between her legs, was evidently in the attitude and on the point of fpringing at him. 13. At this critical inftant, he levelled and fired at her head. Stunned with the fhock, and fuffocated with the smoke, he immediately found himself drawn out of the cave. But having refreshed himself and permitted the smoke to diffipate, he went down the third time. 14. Once more he came within fight of the wolf, who appearing very paffive, he applied the torch to her nofe; and perceiving her dead, he took hold of her ears, and then kicking the rope (ftill tied round his legs) the people above, with no fmall exultation, dragged them both out together. EXTRACT FROM DR. JOSEPH WARREN'S BOSTON, THE voice of your fathers' blood cries to you from the ground, "My fons, fcorn to be SLAVES !" In vain we met the frowns of tyrants; in vain we crossed the boisterous ocean, found a new world, and prepared it for the happy refidence of liberty; in vain we toiled; in vain we fought; we bled in vain, if you our offspring want valor to repel the affaults of her invaders! 2. Be Stain not the glory of your worthy ancestors; but like them refolve never to part with your birthright. wife in your deliberations, and determined in your exertions for the prefervation of your liberty. 3. Follow not the dictates of paffion; but enlift yourfelves under the facred banner of reafon; ufe every method in your power to fecure your rights; at least prevent the curfes of pofterity from being heaped upon your memoric 4. If you, with united zeal and fortitude, oppofe the torrent of oppreffion; if you feed the true fire of patriotifn burning in your breafts; if you, from your fouls, defpife the moft gaudy drefs which flavery can wear; if you really prefer the lonely cottage, whilft bleft with liberty, to gilded palaces, furrounded with the enfigns of flavery, you may have the fulleft affurance that tyranny, with her whole accurfed train, will hide her hideous head in confusion, shame and despair. 5. If you perform your part, you must have the strongest confidence, that the fame Almighty Being, who protected your pious and venerable forefathers, who enabled them to turn a barren wilderness into a fruitful field, who so often made bare his arm for their falvation, will still be mindful of their offspring. 6. May this ALMIGHTY BEING graciously prefide in all our councils. May he direct us to fuch measures as he himself fhall approve, and be pleafed to blefs. May we be ever favored of God. May our land be a land of liberty, the feat of virtue, the afylum of the oppreffed, "a name and a praise in the whole earth," until the last fhock of time fhall bury the empires of the world in undistinguifhed ruin! SELF-INTEREST. DIALOGUE BETWEEN TWO NEIGHBORS. Derby. GOOD morning, neighbor Scrapewell. I have half a dozen miles to ride to day, and fhould be extremely obliged if you would lend me your grey mare. Scrapewell. I fhould be happy, friend Derby, to oblige you; but am under a neceffity of going immediately to the mill with three bags of corn. My wife wants the meal this very morning. Der. Then the muft want it ftill, for I can affure you the mill does not go to day. I heard the miller tell Will Davis that the water was too low. Scrape. You don't fay fo? That is quite unlucky; for in that cafe, I fhall be obliged to gallop off to town for the meal. My wife would comb my head for me, if I fhould neglect it. Der. I can fave you this journey. I have plenty of meal at home, and will lend your wife as much as fhe wants. Scrape. Ah! neighbor Derby, I am fure your meal will never fuit my wife. You can't conceive how whimfi cal fhe is. Der. If he were ten times more whimsical than fhe is, I am certain fhe would like it; for you fold it to me yourfelf, and you affured me it was the best you ever had. Scrape. Yes, yes, that's true, indeed; I always have the best of every thing. You know, neighbor Derby, that no one is more ready to oblige than I am; but I must tell you the mare this morning refused to eat hay; and truly I am afraid fhe will not carry you. Der. Oh, never fear! I will feed her well with oats on the road. Scrape. Oats! neighbor; oats are very dear. Der. They are fo indeed; but no matter for that. When I have a good job in view, I never ftand for trifles. Scrape. It is very flippery; and I am really afraid fhe will fall and break your neck. Der. Give yourself no uneafiness about that. The mare is certainly furc-footed; and, befides, you were juft now talking yourself of galloping her to town. Scrape. Well then, to tell you the plain truth, though I wifh to oblige you with all my heart, my faddle is torn quite in pieces, and I have juft fent my bridle to be mended. Der. Luckily, I have both a bridle and a faddle hanging up at home. Scrape. Ah! that may be; but I am fure your faddle will never fit my mare. Der. Why then I'll borrow neighbor Clodpole's. does. Der. At the worst, then, I will go to my good friend Squire Jones. He has half a score of them; and I am fure he will lend me one that will fit her. Scrape. You know, friend Derby, that no one is more willing to oblige his neighbors than I am. I do affure you the beaft fhould be at your service with all my heart; but he has not been curried, I believe, for three weeks paft |