The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-05-16
For the Girls and Boys,
The Bible Legend of the Wis.
sahikon.
by GEORGE LIPPARD.

lcnves. tl,nt two men met in deadly combat.
They grappled in deadly conflict near rock
that rose, like the huge wreck otsome prime
val world, at least one hundred feet above the
dark waters Of the Wlssahkon.
That man with the dark brow, and the da,-
ker grey eye flashing with deadly light-witl
muscular form, clad in the blue hunting trock
of the revolution--is Il continental named
Warner His brother was murdered the 9th
or night at the massacre of Pnoli. The other
man. with long black hair dropping along
his cadaverous face, is clad in the halt-mIl-
itary costume ola tory refugee That is the
murderer of Paoli named Dabney.
They had met there in the woods by acct
dent: and now they fought; not with sword or
rifle, but with long and deadly hunting knives,
that flash in the light as they go turning ana
twining and twisting over the greensward'
At last the tory was downtown on the
ureensward with the knee of the continental
upon the breast-that appraised knife flashing
death into his face!
"Quarter-I yield" gnsped the tory, as the
knee was pressed upon his breast"SPare me
Yield" r..
"NIy brother" said the patriot soldier, in
,hnt low tone Officially hnte-"My brother
cried for quarter on the night of Paoli'nnd'
even as he chung to your knecs, you struck
that knife into his heart. Oh, will give you
the quarter of Paoliw
And his hand was raised for the blow, and
his teeth were clinched in deadly hate. lie
paused for moment and then pinioncd The
iory's arms, and held him quivcrng over the
abyss.
..Mercy!" gusped the tory, turning black
and ashy by turns, MS TINT awful gulf yawncd
below. "NIercy!I have wife--a child spare
mel"
Then the continental, with his muscular
strength gathered from the effort, shook the
murderer once more over the abyss, ana theh
Missed this bitter snecr between his teeth
INV brother had wife aud two children.
The morning after the night of Pauli, that
wife was IL widow-those children were or
phans Wouldn't you like to go and beg your
life that widow and children.
The proposal made by the continental III
the mere mockery OF hate, was taken ~ Sc
rious earnest by the horror stricken tory. lie
begged to bc taken 10 the widow aud her
children, TO have the pitithl privilege ct beg
ging his life. Alter moments serious thought
the patriot soldier consented. lie bound the
torv's arms yet tighter, placed him on The rock
again, and then led him up the woods. y
quiet cottage, embosomed among trees
broke on their eyes.
They entered that cottage. There, beside
the desolutc hearth stone, sat the widow and
her children. She snt there, matronly wo-
man of about thirty years, with face iaded
by care, deep dark eye, and long black HAIR
hanging in disheveIled flakes about her shoul'
ters.
Onono side was Il dark haired boy, ofsome
six wears: OH the other, little girl, one year
Younger, with light hair and blue eyes. The
Bibe-an old and venerable voume-Iay on
that mothers knee.
And then that pale faced tory flung INN
selfon his knees, confessed that lac had butch
cred her husband on the night of Paoli, but
begged his life at her hands, -.
@Spare me- for the sake of my wlie-ml
child"' ga:
lie had expected that his pitiful moan woult
touch the widows heart: hut not one relehtht
CLEAN softcned her pale face.
"The Lord shall Judge between us" she
said in a cold icy tone that froze the murder
er's heart. "Look The Bible lays open oil
my knee. Twill close that volume, and thei
this boy shall open it, and place his finger
random upon line, and by that line you sinai
live or die"
This was strange proposal; made IN ful
faith ola wild and dark superstition, otthc oil
,len time. Fora moment the tory kneele'
there livid as ashes, wrapt in thought The
in a falterng voice, he signiiied his consent
Raising her dark eyes to heaven, the mon
or prayed the Great Father to direct the fling
handed it to that boy, whose young chez
reddened with loathmg as he gazed upon la
fathers murderer lie took the Bible-opcn
ed its pages at random, and placed his tinge
upon verse.
Then there was a silence.
Then that continental soldier, who Ia
sworn to ayenge his brothers death, stoo
there with dating eyes and parted lips.
Then the culprit, kneeling on the Hoo
with a face like discolored clay, felt his hca
leap TO his throat.
Then, in u clear, bold voice, the widow rea
this line from the Old Testament WI
short, vet terrible:
"THAT MAN SHALL DIE.
Look! the brother springs forward to plung
a knife into the murderer's heart; but the tol
, Dinioned as he is clings to the widows knee
lie begs that one more trial may he made
the little girI-that child of five years, vii
golden hair and laughing eyes.
The widow consents. There is an awt
pause. With a smile in her eye, Wltho
knowing what she does, that little girl opel
the Bible as it lay on her mothers knees-sl
places her finger upon line. -,
That awful silence grows deeper! III
deep-drawn breath of the brother, and q
broken gasps of the murderer aione uls' u
the stiffness. The widow & the dark-eyed b.
are breathless. That little girl, unconscio
as she was, caught feeling of awe from {
.countenances around her and stood breat
sIess, her face turned aside, and her tiny fnge
resting on that line oflfe or death.
At last, gathering courage, the WIDOW DE
her ewes to the page and read. 1t was Ii
from the New Testament
"LovErYoUR ENEMIES"
All, that moment was sublime!
that awful Book ofGod! iii whose ore
-. 4 NNErIfIn