Beadle's Dime Novels No. 142: The Sagamore of Saco — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

13 THE SAGAMORE OF SACO, “Go, my son, to a land that needs just such ardent spirits as yours; go and help your king and country.” A dark frown passed over the face of Captain Bonyton, for it was well known that the colonists, with few exceptions, sympathized with the parliament of England, and not with Charles First. But touched to finer issues, the headstrong youth felt a softness steal over him, and he answered to the sentiment rather than to the fact of paternity. “ Nay, my father, give me Hope; the world is nothing to me deprived of her.” Here the natural sarcasm of the elder Bonyton broke forth. “ Go, John, go, in God’s name; it were a pity that so much chivalry should be wasted here in this wilderness. Go, fight with the king against his turbulent parliament. I doubt if thy single hand may not turn the scale. That bold man Cromwell is making hot work at home. It were better for thee to go there and die in harness, than stay here and marry a mad woman.” Young Bonyton’s eyes glared momentarily upon the father who gave utterance to this cutting speech, but he turned to Sir Richard and said, imploringly : “Tell me, yea or nay, my father.” - Sir Richard pressed his hand upon his brow, to crowd back the pang caused by the words of the elder Bonyton, and then he took the hand of John and said, ina voice so low and solemn that it was well-nigh inaudible : “ Young man, you know not what you ask. Hope must not be, can not be, a wife. She is God’s child, John. He has seen fit to reserve some of his gifts to be her eternal inherit- ance. She is incomplete in mind—not mad.” Bonyton groaned audibly, und Sir Richard continned : “Go to England, my dear boy. I see that Charles is wrong, very wrong. I see Cromwell will place his plebeian foot upon the royal purple. I see the virtuous Humpden will be crushed amidst conflicting interests. 1 foresee great, marvelous changes, the germs of a new order of things. Go, my son, and cast in your mite into the treasury of order and patriotism. You have youth, health, and the impulses of a generous and heroic nature: go, and feel your heart respond to the prompt- ings of duty. Go, and God be with you.” conmmicloxoolks.comn