The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-02-03
eye fixed upon the hall door, which he will force,

= there, in that second story window, his hands
valnly grasphg for another loaded rife At this
moment, the wounded and dying band below, are
joined by party of some twenty refugees. who
clad in their half robber uniform, came rushing
from the woods, and, with one bound, are leaping
for the summit of the WALL
Quick. Bess, my rile!
And look lherc--even while the veteran stood
looking out upon his foes, the brave giTl-for,
slender in form, and wildly beautiful in face she
is n brave girl, Hero-W omau-had managed,
as ii by uslictive impulse, TO load rife She
handed IL to her father, and then loaded another
and another? Wasn't that a beautiful sght2
fair young girl, grasping powder and ball, with
the ramrod, rising and falling in her slender fin
gers
Now look down to the wall again The re-
lugees are clambering over its summit--again
that fatal aim-again horrd cry, and another
wounded man topping down upon his dead and
dying comrades
But look smoke rises there, a fire
hlazes up around the wall; they have fred the
gate. \ moment and the bolt and the lock will
be burnt from its scckets--the passage viii be
free! Now is the fiery moment Of the old mans
trials While his brave daughter loads he con-
tinues to fire, with that deadly aim but now
ON horrorl He falls, he falls, with musquet
ball driven into his breast - The daughters
ontstreched arms receive the father, as, with the
blood spouting from his wound, he topples back
from the window
All, it is sad aud terrible picture
That old man, writing there, on the oaken
floor, the young daughter bending over him. the
light from the window streaming over her face,
over her fathers grey hairs, while the ancient
furniture ef the small chandler affords dim back
ground TO The scene
Now bark the sound OF axes at the hall
door-shouts- "Reminiscences!
We have the old rebel at last!'
The old man raises his head st that sound
makes an effort to rise; clutches for rife. and
then falls back again. his eyes nlafinr. as the
fierce pain of that wound qaiyeGs through his
heart
Now watch the movements of that daughter.
Silently she loads a rifle. silently sba rests its
barrel against the head Of that noyder-keg, and.
then, placing her finger on The tyioger stands
over her fathers torn, while the shouts OF ,he
enraged soldiers come thonderinr from The s,airs,
Yes, they have broken the hall door 10 FRAGMENTS.
they are in possession of the old block house thev
are rushing toward that chamber, with murder in
their hearts, and in their glariag eyesl Had the
old man a thousand lives they were not ,vrrtf, =
farthing now.
StiIl that rirl-Crown suddenly white az tba
'kerchief around her neck-stands there. trerb.
ling from head to foot, the rifle in her hand, its
dark tube laid against the powder-kea.
The door is burst open-look there Stout
forms are in the doorway. with mpsouets I'm heir
hands, grim faces, stained with blood. ola,e into
the room
Now, as if her very soul was coined info The
words, that young Girl, with her face male as
ashes, her hazel eve pIarinr with deaibly liaht
utlers this short vet meaning speeeh
Advance one step into the rom and 7 will
fire this rifle into the powder there y
No oath quivers from the Inns of that oirI. 10
confirm her resolution, but there she stands alone.
with her wounded father and vet pol n s,IIier
dare cross the tbresholdl FmbJnled as rley are
in deeds of blood, there is sometime ier,ifia IN
these men, in the simple words of that vor,o
girl, who stands there, with the rife laid ,,ai1sI
the powder-kep.
They stood. as if spell. bound. ON the tbraspoJ
Of that chamberl
At last. one. holder than the rest hr,vo
whose face il half concealed in ti,icI, rcd 80
prasps his musouet, and levels il 81 the vo,n.p
gir's breast!
Still the girl is firm; the bravo advances
step. and then starts back. The sbarp cIick5 of
that rife falls with an UNPLEASANT en- nbass I,ro
his ear.
Bess, am dying gasps the old man, family
extending his arms Tia, ha, we loed tho