At length they reached Wallace's house, where they found a tolerably
large crowd of people waiting for the auction, which was not to commence
until the hour of one o'clock.
Sam Wallace was a respectable Protestant farmer, who finding, as he
said, that there was no proper encouragement given to men who were
anxious and disposed to improve their property, had deemed it a wiser
step to dispose of his stock and furniture than to remain as he was--not
merely with no certain prospect of being able to maintain even his
present position, but with the chances against him of becoming every day
a poorer and more embarrassed man. His brother, who like himself, after
having been on the decline for a considerable period, had emigrated to
America, where he was prospering, now urged him to follow his example
and leave a country in which he said, in language that has become a
proverb, "everything was going to the bad." Feeling that his brother's
words were unfortunately too true, Wallace, at all events, came to the
determination of following his example.
The scene at which our friends arrived was indeed a striking and
impressive one. The majority of the crowd consisted of those who
belonged either to the Protestant or Presbyterian forms of worship; and
it might be with truth asserted, that nothing could surpass the clear
unquestionable character of independent intelligence which prevailed
among them.
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