Neville Trueman, the Pioneer Preacher : a tale of the war of 1812

e dreadful c

ning thunde

re near the

and the cl

grow, till

he brazen tr

arance would anywhere have attracted attention. He was small in person and singularly neat in his attire. By exposure to summer's sun and winter's cold, his complexion was richly bronzed, but, as

eye b

falchion fr

leggings, which descended to his stirrups, were splashed with mud, for the day had been rainy. He was well mounted on a light-built, active-looking chestnut horse. The indispensable saddle-bags, containing his Greek Testament, Bible, and Wesley's Hymns, and a few personal necessaries, were secured across the saddle. A small, round, leathern valise, with

tiful prospect. At his feet swept the broad and noble river, reflecting on its surface the snowy masses of "thunderhead" clouds, around which the lightning still played, and which, transfigured and glorified in the light of the setting sun, seemed to the po

egan to sing in a clear, sweet, tenor voice that song of the ages, whi

em the

k and ho

thy cont

t and voi

ot, oh!

s await

diancy

ss beyon

, those wa

ilant w

with many

the mart

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s with eme

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thee th

ess walls

ethyst

build up

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12th century-"the sweetest of all the hymns of heavenly homesickness of the soul," and for generations one of the most familiar, through translation

a, patria lact

omnibus obstrui

quae jubilatio,

audia, gloria q

has ever seen, yet severed by a deep, wide, angry-flowing stream of strife, which, dammed up for a time, was about to burst forth in a desolating flood that should overwhelm and destroy some of the fairest fruits

plant his palisades, to the time that the gallant Prideaux lay mangled in its trenches by the bursting of a cohorn-on the very eve of victory. These memories have been well

ints-not prom

lake-the river

ts full boso

ood that leape

ck-walled gorge

eddies, ripple

t the ancient

in a lonely

lf a world of

ege and deeds o

ugged wall

lf forgotten,

eep lie the fou

there, on his

gions of the b

sun sets on hi

ons passed of

ies grew; brave

l went forth to

in the fore

the wolves whose

y of change. T

English tents, a

erpent to the

ad 'mid carnage

llic drums be

and all the

and our Ca

ack by the dense forest wall around and by the still low-hanging clouds overhead. A moment later the British gun of Fort George, on the opposite s

dle over the hitching-post at the gate, and passed through a neat garden, now blooming with roses and sweet peas, to the open door of the house. He knocked with his riding-whip on the door jamb, to which summons a young lady, dressed in a neat calico gown and swinging in her

re Drayton?" asked Neville

at it was, and invited the stranger into the large and comfortable sitting-room, which bore evide

ille, presenting a document elaborately folded, af

elder, are you?" asked the lad

dignity attributed to him, "and not even an elder at all; but simply

to the village for his paper, but will be back shortly. Zenas, take the preache

most invariable custom of the pioneer preachers to see that their faith

riverbank. Her mother having been dead for some years, Katherine had the principal domestic management of the household. This duty, with its accompanying cares, had given her a

n the threshold, almost filling the doorway with his large and muscular frame. He had a hearty, ruddy, English lo

nger as the fl

orced, showeth

ght is co

of respect to the ministerial character, he extended a hospitable welcome to the travelling Methodist preachers, who were

come, father. He bro

Katherine, handi

o this house. He is a right loyal gentleman, if he did come from the States. I am afr

ny bad news?" anxiously

cket the York Gazette, which had just reached Niaga

ness," continued the host, unfolding the meagre, greyish-looking newspaper. "I feared it would come to this, ever since that affair of the Li

I hope," said Neville,

of his force. It was only twenty-five hundred.] Here is part of his proclamation. He offers 'peace, liberty, and security,' or, 'war, slavery, and destruction.' Confo

nas, who had listened with a boy's open-

out blankets and ammunition at the fort to-night. I saw Brant at Navy Hall. He would answer for his two hundred tomahawks from the Credit and Grand River; and Tecumseh, he said, would muster as

with Brock"? exclaime

I'm old

is frontier. The garrisons at Forts Porter and Niagra are being strengthen

boy, "won't it be fun? We'll show

fighting than we wish. I've lived through one bloody war and I never wa

more bravely than Z

laying her hand on

en a boy, Kate," said

all your mot

up for my country, father: I feel

th brave men dying for," and he fondly kissed her foreh

ce is made: I cast in my lot with my adopted country. I believe this invasion of a peaceful territory by an armed host is a wanton outrag

der any other flag than the glorious Union Jack under which I was born. It was a dislocating wrench to tear myself away from the home of my childhood and the graves of my parents for an unknown wilderness. Much were we tossed about by sea and land. Our ship was wrecked and its passengers strew

exile for conscience' sake and to the planting by the conscript

on Boston Common, and joined the first Methodist society in the old Bay State. My father was one of Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys, and assi

d in you and no mist

'76," continued Neville; "but I believe they are wrong in invad

your countrymen agree with you about the new one. At the declaration of hostilities the flags of the s

and bloody strif

erous to attack Great Britain now, when, as the champion of human libe

who was an ardent admirer of the Peninsular hero, "and then

. God forbid it should deluge this frontier with blood; but if it do, old as I am, I will shoulder

any will go back to the States, and all will be liable to suspicion as disloyal to this country by the bigoted and prejudiced. But I shall not forsake my post, nor leave these people as sheep

not with worldly weapons, but I

hat speech, my brave

estions my loyalty

, signed with my name

ect you f

ickened breathing bore witness that she was no uninterested listener. With a look of deep gratitu

on for the mental sacrifice that he had made, and an insp

victualling of the fort, the orders for which were urgent. Breakfast was served in the huge kitchen, the squire, his guest, hi

a. They went to the village last night and signed the muster-roll. I saw them

given me the slip that way. It will leave me short-hand

the main force which Brock was to lead thither from York by way of Ancaster. He noticed that the men, though tolerably well armed, were very indifferently shod for their long tramp over rough roads. They had no pretence to uniform save a bel

me when I return. We'll be back time enough to help ru

visaged man. "Ilka bullet has its billet; an' gin we're to coo

. [Footnote: The whole of Lower Canada formed another district, of which the celebrated Nathan Bangs was at that time Presiding Elder.] In a full rich voice, in which the least shade of an Irish accent could be discerned, he was addressing the little group of men before him. The ministers labouring in Canada had expected to meet their American brethren; but, on account of the outbreak of the war, the latter had remained on their own side of the river, and held their Conference near Rochester, New York State. The bishop, however, appointed the Canadian ministers to their circuits, but the relations of Methodism in the two countries were almost entirely interrupted during the war. A few of the ministers labouring in Canada obeyed what they conceived the dictates of prudence, and returned to the United States; but the most of them, although cut off from fellowship, and largely from sympa

dopted in the critical circumstances of the time. Certain prudential arrangements were made for maintaining the connexional unity of the Church under the stress of disorganizing influences, and certain provisions effected for the unforese

we part

in spiri

ce the h

to each

e do Thy bl

heaven abo

ring army. With many a hearty wring of the hand and fervent "God bless you!" and, not without eyes suffused with tears,