The Yankee Champion — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

8 THE YANKEE CHAMPION. The young man hesitated, and gazed anxiously upon his father. | “Do you hesitate, my boy?’’ asked Nixon, while a quick shade passed over his features. ‘‘But suppose I should not see you again alive?’’ said Walter, in trembling accents. ‘‘Oh, I must not leave my old father here to die without his son to close his eyes! Iam all that is left you on earth.”’ “Stop not for me, Walter,’? and the shade that — had rested upon the old man’s face gave place toa graterul look as he Boke. ‘*IT shall live till you re- turn.’ The youth turned an anxious look upon the doc- tor. The invalid at once caught the movement, srt he eypaprehended its meaning. ‘*Doctor,’ “sald he, ‘‘tell my boy that I shall live till he returns.’’ ‘“Ah,’’ uttered the man of medicine, shaking his head with a dubious expression, ‘‘I cannot give him such an assurance, for I fear that I might deceive him. There is nothing to be gained by hiding the truth. Youare liable to drop off at any moment; and when your death stroke comes we shall have but little warning of its approach.”’ ‘“T- know I am very near my end,’’ returned the old man, in a tone of calm resignation; ‘‘for I have lived longer now than it generally pleases God to let his children remain on earth, and J am willing to go; but I shall not die quite yet. Hark! Hear you that drum and fife? Are they not ours, Walter?” — ‘Yes, father. That music belongs to the company from Acton.’’ “T thought so. Hear it shriek out upon the air. My boy, if what the messenger that passed here this morning told us be true, then eight of our coun- cS co Ecomicboo - { tere ' . a =. aa A