The Yankee Champion — page 192: what you’re looking at

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

——_— THE YANKEE CHAMPION. : 185 have taken effect, for when our darling Helen was two years of age, she was stricken with utter blind- ness; but we loved her the more for that. Our boy was yet an infant when our enemy returned, and for three weeks he lurked about the place without manifesting any open hostility. At length, how- ever, he came to my house one day when | was away, and grossly insulted my wife. She spit upon him and spurned him. He seemed to be actuated by the spirit of a demon, for he would have killed her then had I not returned while he was yet there. My wife flew to my arms and told me what had transpired. Do not let this affect you so, Susan.’’ ‘““Go on, Jacob, I cannot help it.’’ said she. “Well, sir, you can imagine what must have been my feelings at that moment. I had a heavy staff in my hand, and I knocked the fellow down and then kicked him from the house. That night my dwell- ing was entered by the villain, and he had an ac- complice with him, who seemed to have come only to keep watch. I heard—it was after midnight—a sharp cry from my little daughter, who during the warm weather slept in a little room adjoining our own, and hastily slipping from my bed I ran to see what was the matter. At the door I was met bya man who struck me with a knife. I grappled with the assassin, and on the same instant I saw my enemy dart past me toward the bed where lay my wife, and by the bright moonbeams I could see that he had a knife in-his hand. Oh, I cannot describe the bloody scene that followed! Suffice it for me to: say that we were left for dead, and when we re- turned to consciousness it was broad daylight, and we were surrounded by our neighbors; but our chil- dren—our sweet girl and our innocent infant—were as EomIicboo ‘cS Eo m