Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-01-28

4 young wife and his babe. What cared
4 that blacksmith working away there
lin that shadowy nook. of the forest for
war9 What feared he for the peril Of
the times, so long as his strong arm,
ringing that hammerion the anvil, might
gain bread for his wife and child? F"'
All, he cared little for war, he, took
little note of, the panic that shook. the
valley, when some mornlngsbefore the
battle while shoeing the'horse ofa Tory
refugee, be overheard a plot for the
capture Of Washington. The Ameri>
can leader was to be. ,Iured into the
tolls Of the Tories; his person once in
the British camp. the English general
might send theatraitor Washington"
home, to be tried in London,s. : /,
Now our blacksmith, WORKING away
there in that dim nook of the forest,
without caring for battle or Swar, had
still a sneaking kindness for this Mister
Washington, whose name rung on the
lips of all men. So one night, bidding
his wife hasty goodbye, and kissing
the babe that reposed on her bosom,
smiling as it slept, he hurried away to
the American camp, and told his story
10 Washington.
1t was morning ere he came back.
It was in the dimness OF the autumnal
morning, that the blacksmith was plod>
ding his way along the forest road
Some few PAGES ahead there was an
aged cak, standing out into the road
a grim old veteran of the forest, that
had stood the shock of three hundred
years. Right beyond that oak was
the blacksmith's home.
With this thought warming his heart,
he hurried on. He hurried on, think
ing Of the calm young face and mild
blue eyes of that wife, who, the night
before, had stood in the cottage Idoor,
waving him out Of sight with beck
oned good bye-thinking of the baby,
that lay smiling as it slept upon her
bosom, he hurried on-he turned the
bend of the wood, he looked upon his
home.
All! what sight was therel
Where, the night before, he had
left a peaceful cottage, smiling under g
green chesnut tree, in the light of the
setting sun, now was only heap o
black and smoking embers and a burnt
and blasted tree!
This was his homel
And there stood the blacksmith gaz>
ing upon the wreck of his hearthstone;
there he stood with folded arms and
moody brow, but in moment a smile
broke over his face.
He saw it all. In the night his home
had taken fire, and burned to cinders
But his wife, his child had escaped
For that he thanked God.
With the toll Of his stout arm, plying
on the anvil, he would build a fairel
home for his wife and child; fresf
flowers should bloom over the garder
walks, and more lovely vines trail a
long the easement.
With this resolve kindling over his
face, the blacksmith stood there, with
cheerful light beaming from his large
grey eyes, when a hand was laie
upon his shoulder.
He turned and bcheld the face Of {
neighbor.
Il was neighbor's face, but there
was an awful agony stamping those
plain features--there was an awful ag
ony flashing from those dilating eyes,
there was a dark and terrible mystery
speaking from those thin lips, that NOV
ed and moved, and made no sound.
For moment that farmer tried Il
. speak the horror that convulsed hi
features. ... .a,
At last, forcing the blacksmith along
the brown gravelled walk, now strewr
with cinders, he pointed to the smoking
F embers. There, there, amid that heal
of black and smoking ruins, the black.
smith beheld dark mass OF burnt flest
and blackened bones.
"Your wis" shrieked the farmer. a
his agony found words. "The British
they came in the night, they ane
then he spoke that outrage, which tht
lip quivers to think on, which the hear
grows palsied 10 te!l--that outrage t
foul to name--"Yo our wife," he shrieked
pointing to that hidious thing, amid th'
smoking ruins; "the British they mur
dered your wife, they flung her oead
: body in the flames--they dashed you
child against the hearthstoneP
This was the farmer s story.
/ And there, as the light ofthe breaking
; day fell around the spot, there stood tn
husband, the father, gazing upon tina
mass of burned flesh and blackenet
bones-aN thai ydS once his ,Dlfe.
Do you ask me for the words tina
trembled from his white lips! Do yo'
+ ask me for the fire that blazed in hi