Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-09-03


led himself with drunkenness, and Bonaparte
was shut up on desolate island, like chained
wild beast, till he died.
am sorry to see you so preudced, John,
and with such narrow mind. doubt wheth-
er you are capable of admiring heroes. You
had better, by all means, be farmer | sup
pose your highest ambition would be to break
pair of steers, or ride dull cart-horse to mar
ket
The voice of the farmer was now heard from
an ajoning apartment, Boys, go to bed
So ended that night, their conversation on
martial glory They seldom strongly disagreed,
on any other subject
Let us now pass over fifteen years, and return
again to the season of winter By the same
hearth glowed cheerful fire from the same
window, lamp threw its far-streaming rays
The farmhouse seemed scarcely altered, save
that little more moss had gathered upon its
roof. But among its inmates were proofs that
the fashion of this world passeth away
The good farmer and his wife had taken their
abode in narrower house, and their long sleep
upon more lowly bed They had finished their
course in peace, and were held in tender remenl-
brance among the neighboring villagers. In the
arm chairs which they used to occupy, were
seated another couple; the eldest son, and his
wife. babe lay in the cradle, and two other
little ones were heard breathing quietly in the
sweet sleep of childhood A wintry storm rag
ed without. As strong blast shook the case
ment, the farmer said,
cannot help thinking about my poor broth
er, in such cold, bad night. Yet so many years
have past and no tidings ofhim have reached u.s.
and his way of life is so full of dangers, that
perhaps he may be numbered with the dead
Husband, thought heard some one knock
Or was it the wind striking the old elm tree?
They opened the door, and admitted weari-
ed traveller His garments were tattered, and
he leaned heavily on crutch, and staff He
spoke not, and sank family into chair that was
placed for him. Raising his eyes, he glanced
hastily at every article of furniture, as at some
recollected friend. Then in tone, scarcely au-
dlble, he said brother brother p
Those sounds opened the tender memories of
early years. The welcome to the wanderer was
heartfelt. But tears started at his pathetic
words
Sister, -brother,- IL have come home to YOU
to de-
They fastened to spread for him refreshing
repast, and to press him to paItake Afterwards,
they induced him to retire to rest, without ma
king demands on his exhausted strength, by con-
versaton In the morning, he was unable to
rise. They sat by his bedside, solacing his worn
heart with kindness, and narrating the history of
his youthful companions, and the changes that
had befallen them in their quiet abode At
length, propped up with pillows, he said, in a
feeble voice:
have had many troubles. But that which
hath bowed me down inwardly, was the sin of
leaving home, against the will of our parents, to
be soldier. have felt the pain of wounds,
but the sting Of conscience is sharper. ! have
known hunger and thirst, and lain sick in the
prisons of foreign land. My disobedence and
ngratitude stood by, to reproach me, as ! lay
sleepless in dreary, neglected hospitals Then,
in broken visions, saw my dear mother bend
ing over me so kindly, as she would when had
only headache Sometimes seemed to see
our father withth great Bible in his hand, ready
to read as he used to do, before prayers, and
cried out, am no more worthy to be called
thy son.
He paused overcome with emotion and his
brother hasted to assure him of the perfect for
giyeness of his parents, and that he was daily
borne upon their supplications, as the son erring,
yet beloved.
All those prayers followed me- But for
them, | should have been reprobate to God and
to man.
By intervals, as his feeble strength permitted
he told the story OF his wanderings. He had
been in battles on land and sea- He had heard
the deep ocean resound to the lannon's thunder.
and seen earth saturated with the red shower
from the bosom OF her sons. He had served in
the armies of Europe, and risked life for a far-
eign power; and pursued the hunted Indian in
his own native cline. He had plunged with
the bravest, where dangers thickened seeking
every where, the glory that had dazzled his boy
hood, but in vain. He found that it was the
soldiers lot to bear hardships, and dare death,
that Others might reap the fame. He saw what
wounds and mutlations, what misery, mourning
and death were necessary to purchase the name
of victory He felt how far the renown of the
greatest conqueror falls short of the good that
he perfects, and the sorrow that he inhicts.
Sometimes, he said, just before rushing into
battle, | felt shuddering and inexpressible hor-
ror, at the idea of Strengthening my fellow-be-
ings,-made in the image of God, But in the
heat of conflict, all human sympathies vanished
Desperate madness possessed me, so that cared
neither for this life, nor the next have been
left in the field of carnage, unable to move amid
the feet of tramplng horses, my open gashes
stifening in the chill night-air, while no man
cared for my soul. Yet, why should | distress
you by such descriptions you, who have always
lived under the sweet influences OF mercy, and
shrunk to give unnecessary pain, even to an an
imal 1t is impossible for you to realize the