American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-01-30
THE BIBLE LEGEND OF THE WISSA
HIkON.
RY GEORGE LlppARn.

IllNON.
BY GEORGE LPPARD.
II was here in these wids of the Wissahikon,
on the day Of the battle us the MONDAY sun
came shining through the thickly clustered
leaves, that two men met in dc IDLY combat
They grappled in deadly conflict near rock
that rose, like the huge wreck OF some prime
val world at least one hundred feet above the
dark waters Of the Wissahkon.
That man with the dark brow, and the dark
eT grey eye, flashed with deadly hght--with
the muscular form, clad in the blue hunting
ffock of the ievouuon--is q continental named
Warner. HIS brother was murdered the other
night at the massacre OF Pdoli. That other man
with long black hair dropping along his cada-
Ver0us face, is clad in the half-mIIitary cos
tune OF tory refugee. That is the murderer
O! Paoh, named DLDney.
They had met there in the woods by acct
dent; and now they fought, not with sword or
rife, hut with long and deadly hunting knives,
that fash in The light as they 90 turning and
twjning and twisting over the gIeonsward.
:, At last the tory down-down on the green
sward, with the knee of the continentrl upon
D his breast-that uprascd knife quivering in
the light--that dark grey eye flashing death
into his face!
"Quarter-I yields" gasped the tory, as he
knee was pressed upon his broast-"Spare me
i yeld!''
"Ny brother,'' said the patriot-soldier, in
that low tone OF deadly hate-"My brother
cried for quarter on the night Of Paoli, and,
even ; he clung to your knees, you struck that
knife INTO his heart. Oh, will give you the
quarter of Paoli!"
And his hand was raised for the blow, and
his teeth were clonched in deadly hate. He
paused for moment, and then pnioncd the
tory's arms, and with one rapid stride dragged
him to the verge Of the rock, and held him
quveIing over the abyss.
"Mercy!" gasped the tory, turning black and
ashy by turns, as that awful gulf yawned be-
low. "Alercy! have wife--a child! spare
me''
Then the continental, with his muscular
strength gathered for the effort, shook the
murderer once more over the abyss, and then
Kissing this bitter sneer between his teeth
"My brother Ind wife and two children.
The morning after the night Of Paoli, that wife
was widow-those children were orphans.-
Wouldn't you like t. go and beg your life of
Nhat widow and her children?''
The proposal made by the continental in the
} mere mockery Of hate, was taken in serious
earnest by the horror stricken tory, He beg
ged TO be taken to the widow and her children,
to have the ptiinl privilege Of begging his life.
After moments serious thought, the patriot
soldier consented. He bound the tory's arms
yet tighter, placed him on the rock again, and
then led him up the woods. 4 quiet cottage,
embosomed among trees, broke on their eyes.
They entered that cottage. There, beside
the desolale hearth-stonc, sat the widow and
her children. She sat there, Il matronly wo.
man Of about thirty Yeas, with face faded
by care, Il deep dark eye, and long black hair
hanging IN dshcVeled lakes about her Shoul
deIs.
On one side was a dark h1ired boy, of some
SIX years; on the other, htto gIrl, one year
younger with light hair and blue eyes Tho
Bible---an old AID venerable voume--lay opeG
on that mothers knee.
And then that poIe-iaced tory flung himself
on his knees, confessed that he had butchered
her husband On the night Of Paoi bat begged
his life at her hands
"SpaIe NE, for the sake Of my wile-my
child!n
He had expected that his ptilul moan would
touch the widows heart; but not one relentng
CLEAN softened her pale face.
"Fhe Lord shall Judge between sn she
said III a cold, icy tons that froze the murder.
er's heart, "Look! The Bible lays open Oh
tmy knee. will close that volume, aud lher
this boy shall open il, and place his fioger al
random upon line, aud by taaL line You shall
:, live or dIe!'
This was strange proposal, made IN fol
faith OF q wild and dark superstition oI th(
olden time. For 4 moment the tory kneelnl
there, liVid as ashes, was wrapL in thought
Them in Il lIlIering voice, he sgnted ms con
sent.
Raising her dark eyes to heaveu, the molhe
prayed the Great Father to direct the finger 0
her son. She closed the bOok-she handed i
to that hoy, whose young cheek redeemed will
loathng as he gazed "a on his fathers murder
err lie took the Bble--opened its holy page
at random, and placed his fingers upon verse
Then there was silence.
Then that continental soldier, who had sworl
to avenge his bi others death, stood there will
dlating eyes and parted lips.
Then the culprt, kneellng on the floor, will
face like discolored clay, felt his heart leap t
his throat
Then, in clear, bold voice, the widow rea
this line from the Old Testament. 1t was short
yet terrible:
"That man shall die!''
Look! The brother springs forward to plung
a knife into the murderer's heart but the tory
pinioned as he is, clings to the widows knee.
He begs that one more trial may be made b
the little girl-that child of FIVE years, wit
golden hair and laughing eyes.
The widow consents. There is an awfr
pause. With a smile in her eye, wthou
knowing what she does, the little girl opens th