go out of his way for a wandering girl,
and would think nothing to see the child set out by herself. But come,
it is Saturday night and near bed-time. Put aside your work, wife; a
lesson from the Book of Truth, and prayers, and then to rest," he said,
as he took down a family Bible from a shelf and spread it before him.

The old man put on a pair of glasses, which, by a spring, sustained
themselves upon his nose, and with an audible and solemn voice he read a
portion of scripture; then, placing himself on his knees, whilst the
whole family followed his example, he poured forth a fervent and
heart-inspired prayer. It was a simple and homely effusion, delivered
from the suggestions of the moment, in accordance with a devout habit of
thanksgiving and supplication to which he had long been accustomed. He
was a Presbyterian, and had witnessed, with many a pang, the profligate
contempt and even savage persecution with which his sect had been
visited by many of the Tory leaders--especially by the loyalist
partisan, Captain Huck, who had been recently killed in an incursion of
Sumpter's at Williams's plantation, not far distant from Musgrove's
present residence. It was this unsparing hostility towards his religion,
and impious derision of it, that, more than any other circumstance, had
begotten that secret dislike of the Tory cause which, it was known to a
few, the miller entertained, although his age, situation, and, perhaps,
some ancient prejudice of descent (for he was the son of an early Scotch
emigrant), would rather have inclined him to take the royal side; that
side which, in common belief and in appearance, he still favored.

"Thou hast bent thy bow," he said, in the warmest effusion of his
prayer, "and shot thine arrows, O Lord, amongst this people; thou hast
permitted the ministers of vengeance, and the seekers of blood to ride
amongst us, and thy wrath hath not yet bowed the stubborn spirit of
sin--but the hard hearts are given strong arms, and with curses they
have smitten the people. Yet even the firebrand that it did please thee
not to stay because of our sins--yea, even the firebrand that did cause
conflagration along our border, until by the light the erring children
of men might read in the dark night, from one end of our boundary even
unto the other, the enormity of their own backslidings, and their
forgetfulness of thee; that firebrand hath been thrown into the blaze
which it had itself kindled, and, like a w