The Columbian fountain., 1846-09-24
nee, BUSINESS anS @eneral intellisemfe.
Rev. J. I. WARD. Assistant Editor.
PRICE ONE CENT.

army-.he siiffened fingers grasping the
battered musket.
3 IL was his only son sU
j lie called TO him--the young girl knelt,
and you may be sure there were tears in
her, eyes chafed her brothers. hands--ah,
they were stiff and cold. And when she
could not warm them, gathered them TO
her young bosom, and wept her tears upon
his dying face.
Suddenly the brother raised bis head,
he extended his hand towards the ri
YER
ssLook there father" he said in huskey
voice.
And bending down over the rock, the old
man looked far over the river.
There, under the dark sky, a feet Of fboats
were tossing amid piles of floating ice. A
fleet OF boats bearing men and arms, and ex-
tending in irregular line from shore to
shore. s 3 5s 4..
And the last boat of the feet-that boat
just leaving the western shore Of the Della
ware; the old man saw that too, and saw
even through the darkness, yon tall form
mufled in a warriors cloak, with a grey
war-horse by his side. - -
Was that not a strange sight to see at the
dead of night, on dark river under dar-
ker SKYE 99 lals4a asA4 at# H3ai
The old man turned to his dying son TO
ask the meaning of this mystery m ala,
Father" gasped the brave boy, totler-
ing to his feet. "Father, give me my mus
ket-help me on--help me down TO the
river-for to-night-to- night
As that word was on his lips, he fell. He
fell, and lay there, stiff and cold. Still on
his lips there hung some family spoken
words.
The old man-that fair girl bent down
they listened to those words.
"To-night-W Washington-ihe British
tonight ght-Trentonp'a 7'l23' RE ,'l2
And with that word gasping on his lips
"Trenton," he died. 7 '''a. ats'A
The old man did not know the meaning
of that word, untilthe next morning. Then,
that old man, with his wife and children,
gathering round the body Of that dead boy,
knew the meaning Of that single word that
had trembled on his lips. Knew that Geo.
Washington had burst like thunderbolt
upon the British camp in Trenton.
Ah, that was merry Christmas party
which the British officers kept in the town
OF Trenton sixty-nine years ago,4--although
it is true, that to that party came an unin-
vited guest one Mr.. Washington, his half
clad army, and certain bold Jerseymen.-
Would that might lnger here and pic
ture the great deeds Of that morning, sixty
nine years ago. t "
Would that might linger here upon the
holy ground Of Trenton. r
For it is holy ground. For il was here,
in the darkest hour Of the revolution, that
George Washington made one stout and
gallant blow in the name of that declaration
which fifty-six bold men had proclaimed in
he old State House Of Philadelphia six
months before.
Then, if that State House is the Mecca
If Freedom, to which the pilgrims of all
,limes may come to worship, then is the
battle-ground Of Trenton the Mecca
he Jerusalem of Freedom---to which the
children of Liberty, from every cline, may
,ome-look upon the footsteps of the mighty
lead--bring their ofierings-shed their
ears. ......
December 26th, l776.
1t was dark night, but the first gleam Of
morning shone over. the form Of George
" Washington, as he stood beside the Hessian
eader, Ralle, who lay in yonder room,
wrestling with death, yes, Washington
TODD there, and placed the cup to his fever
sh lips, and spoke prayer for his passing
oul. 5tt..,
1t was dark night, but the gleam of
morning shone over yon cliff, darkening
lbove the wintry river, over the frozen
now, where a father, wife, band Of
hildren, clustered around the cod form Of
dead soldier. r.. EUa a3@
He was clad in rags, but there was a grim
mile on his white lps-his frozen hand
till clenched with an iron grasp the broken
nusket.
His face, so cold, so pale, was wet with
lis sisters tears, but his soul had gone to
onder Heaven, there to join the martyrs Of
Trenton and Of Bunker Hill.
wORTHINGTON G. SNETHEN.
lTTORNEY AND COUNSELLO OR At Law
[NTAsHINGTON, d. c., practices in the su-