Beadle's Dime Novels No. 13 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

10 CEDAR SWAMP; OR, WILD NAT’S BRIGADE. “Tt is not for me, Kate, to judge of the heart of a man; to say that this one is to be trusted, and that one not, with- out an acquaintance of longer standing than that between myself and young Ernshaw. Without having heard that he was vicious, it has often been told me that he was of unset- tled disposition; that he is known to the neighbors as ‘Wild Nat. Such a name would never have been given 4 man of reliable and good character.” ) : “Whatever you advise, mother, that will I do; for your wish is law, with me.” “Do not speak of law, Kate; all I do is for your own hap- piness. If I thought you would be happy with Nat Ernshaw, I would advise you to receive his addresses; as it is, I say wait. Be not too hasty, for time and circumstances will do much to place all things in their true light.” “J will, mother; I will try him, and prove the strength of his affection. These are perilous times, and times, too, that bring out the good in a man’s character, if there is any good in it; and something may happen which will give you more favorable impressions of Nat Ernshaw, than you appear to entertain now.” Catherine turned away and busied herself with her household duties. Mrs. Vale gazed with pride upon her daughter, and sorrowfully murmured, “ It would be a sad thing for my dear child to throw herself away on such a fellow as ‘* Wild Nat.” : Mrs. Vale’s husband had been dead some fifteen years. He left her the legacy of two fair children, upon whom all her hopes were centered. The gon had now grown to be the hardy man of two-and-twenty, and Kate, the belle of the region, had, for several years, been among the young women sought for by the beaux of the country. Fad Nat Ernshaw had been on intimate terms with the family for some years, and had long cherished a feeling of great re- gard for Kate. He had an unpleasant reputation, however, among the more staid in the neighborhood. Not that he was absolutely vicious, or wedded to habits of dissipation, for he was neither; but he had a number of, to say the least, nega- tive qualities, which made that prudent and self-pious class, who have the morals of every community in their keeping, comicloools (Q)