Bernard Lile; an historical romance, embracing the periods of the Texas Revolution, and the Mexican War

Jeremiah Clemens

Sujets

• Texas
• Mexican War

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 5
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

* ;**BERNARD LILE;
lisloritul Vionuiuf,
THE TEXAS REVOLUTION.
MEXICAN WAR.
PHILADELPHIA :
J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.
1856.Entered to Act ofaccording in theCongress, year 1806, liy
JEREMIAH CLEMENS,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.DEDICATION,
to
OEORGB W. ALABAMA.NEAL, HUNT8VILLE,
MY DKAR GEORGE,
I have taken the without of inscrib-liberty, consulting 700,
this The and ofname on clan-mateing your page. playmate
childhood and the zealous and friendmy boyhood unwavering
aof manhood which the shadow has darkened as often as the
sunshine has I should have been untrue togladdened, myself
if I had failed to mark of a warmsomy friendshipappreciation
and so unselfish.
Between and me of kindness are not needed.yon professions
We can afford to take each other's will on unlesstrust,good
than half a lifetime isthe of more valueless but it;experience
not be to children to that othersknow,may ungrateful your
have the the stainlessmanliness,appreciated upright integrity,
ofa father'sthe clear and the charac-untiring energyjudgment,
ter. It is a far than other have tohigher legacy any yon may
and I would have them cherish it withbestow, increasing pride
and satisfaction.
JEBE. CLEMENS.
2052376PREFACE.
THIS book owes its existence to an
accident,
which for months me fromprevented participating
active duties of life. ain the more Although,
in had littleromance has to doname, imagination
with its It records events the mostpreparation.
of which will be familiar to who read it.many
Most of the characters are drawn from real life.
a is described I notNot have visited.place Scarcely
a scene is which is not based andepicted upon
actual occurrence. It is a book of life of life not
as I wished or it to but as I
it, thought ought be,
it. It has no for humanhave found life hasplan,
none. A thousand unforeseen circumstances forare
ever our and aswaying purposes, making mockery
It makes noof our firmest resolves. toattempt
the author's ideal of a man. In allperfectpaint
which I"the bitter scenes" havebusy, through
I have met no such and believecharacter,passed,
not in its existence. There are none of us so freePREFACE.
self-con-withoutcanerrors that we afford,from
sins of othersto theto be uncharitable ;demnation,
beno that canand I know of accomplished bygood
from the faults inci-hero of a romancethefreeing
dent to humanity.
in this volume noThe reader will find approach
attributed to theto the ofextravagancies language
South-West almanac makers andby scribblers,
whose of and thethe isknowledge country people
bounded a steam-boat excursion down the Mis-by
The South-West has a of its ownsissippi. language ;
but it in no resembles the miserabledegree carica-
tures with which the has been flooded.country*
Sometimes whole sentences are uttered not inonly
the but in thepurest English, loftiest strain of
Theneloquence. line isagain filled withevery
but theinaccuracies, arefigures always striking,
and the words chosen best calculated to mostconvey
theforcibly speaker's Bornmeaning. the fron-upon
tier andmyself, the most ofpassing lifemy among
its rudest I know thescenes, people andwell, have
tosought preserve their aslanguage it is.exactly
man whoEvery writes a Ibook, hassuppose a
butmotive; few tell itvery in thehonestly preface
I shallPerhaps best theescape ofsuspicion like
dismgenuousness by mine akeeping secret; remark-
that ifmg theonly, when heAmerican, itlays downPREFACE. Xi
in his bosom a warmer throb for his afeels country,
of its and a morehigher excellencies,appreciation
to its he need notdevoted attachment institutions,
look further for the motive which induced the author
to the labor it has or the whichundergo cost, hope
him in his to thesustains submitting production
criticism of the
press.
THE AUTHOR.LIFE.
we know the secretHow little do source,
bubbles intoFrom which life's fountain day?
How little can we its wandering course,guide
its turbid ?As on it flows upon way
We watch it as it rises from the spring,
And follow for a little the tide
;way
Then doubt and their shadows fling,gloom heavy
On all that we would wish to know beside.
Of one can we certain bething only ;
That care and sorrow never leave the bed,
That little stream must to the seajourney
Still constant when all have fled.brighter things
(xii)