Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1846-01-24
TIE MECHANIC HRRo
! - og &c REvoEgTmN


TIL nee tie advantage Of nv power.
And lay the sumu1sF's dast with shoN'fs Of
blood.
RAND from the wounds 81 slasgbssrd
Eoglishmene
saAxsprAne.
Wear DIIworth corner, 1T the time of sth@
Revolution there siood.a quiet cottages somsy
what retired from the road Dndsr Ghs shadB
Of a stout chesn0t tree, 1t was a quiet cot
tage, nesting away there 10 one corner Of tbs
forest road, q dear home in The wilderness
with stopiBg roof walls 1t dark grag stones
and a easement hidden among eines and fcgs
era.
On one sides amid 30 interval If lhs fsr@
est trees, was seen the rougf1 outline og .
blacksmlth's shop.
There was a small garden ii fronf. with =
brown gravsIIed walk and beds Of wild aows
ere.
Here, al The time Of Tho Revolutions there
aweIt a stout blacksmith bis young Naa and
her babe. What care that blacksmith, work
ing away there in that shad0wy nook Of che
forest, Tor war5 What feared be FOR the
peri oflhe times, 80 long as his strong agms
ringing that hammer on the anyils might
gain bread for bis wife and child.
All, he cared littIe Tor war; be took htsl@
note Of the panic that shook The valley when
some few mornings before tho battle 81 Bras
dywinet while shoeiHg the hoFss 81 q Tory
Refugee, he overheard a plot for the 81
prise and capture of Washington. The
American leader was to be- IBred into the
tolls Of tile Tories bis person. once IN The
British camp, tEns English General might
send the "1raitor Washington" b0ma, % 10
tried in London.
Now our blacksmith, working awsy theaes
ii that dim nook Of The forest, without carr
ing for battle Or war, had still 8 meakiRR
kindness for this Mister Washington who09
aams rang On the lips of aI mea. Sc 0n@
night, bidding bis wife a hassy good bye
and kissing the babe that rgposad On her bo-
som, smiling al it slept he buried awaY
70 the American camp and told be story e
Washington.
Il was morning srs he came back. tt wa@
in the dlmaess Of the satumnaI morning, thaE
the b acksnith was pl0ddlng his Tay, aioH9
the forest road. Sou1s few pacss ahead
there was an aged oak, sfaEding cut fl the
Foad-a grim old veteran Of fhs EoTasgs thaG
bad stood the shocks Of three hundred yaagL
Right beyond that oak was fhas biacksmith's
home.
With this thought warming bis heart. be-
buried on. He huFrisd ons thinking Of shm
calm young face and mild blue eyes OF thas
wife, who, the aighf before. had stood iH the
cottage door, waving him cut IL sight with q
beck0ned good byg-thinking Of he ba5Y.
that lay smiling ais it slept ugou her bosom.
he hurried on-he tarned the bead Of tho
wood, he looked upon hia home.
All what a sight was there
Where, the night before, be had lee
peaceful cottage, smiling under q arsan Chess
trees in the Light of che setting SUM-
now vas only a heap Of black and smoking
and q burnt and blasted tFssf
This was his home
and there stood the b~larksmith, gazing
upon that wreck Of bis heaFth-stone-gher9
BE- stood, with folded arms and moody brou=
nut IN a moment a smile broke avar his Gaes.
He saw Il all. In the night his hufna hsR
ffe, and been burned 70 ciuders. Boe
wife. his child had escaped. Fer thaf In
God.
With the toll Of his stout arm. plying gharw
N the anvil, be would build q fa.rar hons
or wife and child; fresh flowers should bToon
yFsF the waEkas and more IagalY vines trail
the easement.
With this resolve kindling over HE face.
he blacksmith stood there, with q cheerful
light beaHiug upon ais large gray EYES, Wsaa
hand was laid upon h2a shoulder.
He turned and beheld The face Of asiVh.
ior.
Et was a uaiaabor's face, but there vvas
.wfal agony stamping those plain Gestures
here was an awful agony flashing fram yhe8~
dating eyes-there Ras a dark and serr,bia
aysteFy speaking from those thin jos. that
aovad and moved, but made no s0uHd.
For a moment hat farmer tried to snr
be horror that eonyulssd his faatarss
At last, forcing the blacksmith amber4.
o grsveIled walk, now 81 blaek and
ers, he pointed to the. beheld . dsyk
There, thare-amid thSlaeksned bones.
ruins, the ffeked the farmer. a.
lass Of burnt Sords ~Ias Bsihshs they
: Your re- night, faay"-aHd thaD hR
il agqRoutrage which the I'D quigassd 70
which Lac heart grags palased %
thar outrage tso foul 90 aama-%kcur
" ~ shrieked. pginling to taaE hideoua
s. amid the gnsoking ruins %sha hlt
tseg maFdered so2r wlies hey aalg boz
I hsIy IN the hssRe@-gheY anllaa
4 againss The nearhsst5ae g
rsis was The ~farfaers Story.
snd shere. az the Iiglt Of the
salg around The spaf, theFs stoe
n ne father, gazing apssa III
q ard blackeued banss-
; lis acifs Z frambR.s
~ Won ASK me for words aa tor ~
= his white lipst Do y0U
thar btazedin his syes I'll