Boon's Lick times., 1846-08-08
That ia The murderer Of

ana now they fought, not with sword or rltie, but
with the long and deadly hunting knives, that
fash 10 the light as they go turning and twisting
over the green sward.
At last the tory was down on the green sword,
with the knee Of the continental upon his breast
thai, upfaised knife flashing death into his face.
"Quarter-I yield!' gasped the tory, as tho
knee was pressing upon his bresst-"Spare me,
| | yield"
My brother" said The patriot soldier in that
low tone OF deadly hate-"My brother cried for
quarter on the nigh. Of Paoli, and, even as he
| cung 10 your knees. you struck that knife into
his heart; Oh, | will give you the quarter Of
Paoli."
And his hands were raised for the blow, and
| bis teeth were clenched with deadly hate. He
paused for moment, and then pinioned the tory's
arms, and with one rapid stride, dragged him to
the verge OF the rock and held him quivering
over the abyss.
Mercy" gasped the tory. turning black and
| ashy by turns, as that awful gulf yawned below;
"Mercy! have a wI(e-a child-spare mel"
Then the continental, with his muscular
strength, gathered for the effort, shook the muir.
derer over the abyss, and hissed the bitter sneer
between his teeth
"My brother had wife and two children.
The morning after the night Of Paoli, that wife
was a widow--ihose children were orphans!
Wouldn't you like to go and beg your life Of
the widow and chlldren!'
The proposal, made by the continental in tho
mere mockeGy Of hate, was taken in serious earn.
est by the horror stricken tory. He begged to
be taken to the widow and her children, 10 have
The pdfu privilege OF begging his life. After
moments serious thought, the patriot soldier con.
sented! He bound the tory's arms yet tighter,
placed him on the rock again, and then led him
10 the woods. quiet cottage, embosomed
among the trees, broke on their eyes.
They entered ,ha, cottage. There, beside the
desolate hearth stone, sat the widow and her chill
dren. She sat there, q matrony woman Of
about thirty years, with face faded by care.
and long black hair hanging in disheveled fakes
about her shoulders.
| On one side was dark haired boy, OF soms
six years. on the other, little girl, one year
younger, with light hair and blue eyes. The
bible--an old and venerable volume, lay open
on that mothers knee.
And then that pale faced tory flung himself on
his knees, confessed that he had butchered her
husband on the night Of Paoli, but begged his
| life at her hands!
"Spare me- for the sake Of my wife-my child,
| spare me-"
He had expected that his pitful moan would
touch the widows heart, but not one relenting
CLEAN softened her pale face.
The Lord shall Judge between u.s. she said,
in cold icy tone that lroze the murderer's heart.
''Look, that bible lies open on my knee. will
close that volume, and then This boy shall open
it. and place his finger at random upon line.
and by that line you shall live or die"
This was q strange proposal; made in full faith
OF a wild and dark superstition OF the olden time.
For moment the tory there, livid as ashes, was
wrapped in thought Then in faltering voice.
he signifed his consent.
Raising her dark eyes to heaven, The mother
prayed the Great Father to direct the finger of
her son.
She closed the book--she handed it to tha.
boy whose cheeks were redeemed with oathing
as he gazed upon his father, murderer. He
took the Bible opened its holy pages a, random.
and placed his fingers upon verse.
| Then there was silence
Then that continental soldier, who had sworn
10 avenge his brother's death, stood there with
dilating eyes and parted lips.
| Then the culprit, kDeeling on the floor, with a
face like discoored clay, felt his heart leap to
his throat.
Then. in clear cold voice. the widow read
this line from the old testament 1t was short but
terrible:
"1hat man shall die!'
Look! The brother springs forward to plunge
a knife into the murderer's heart, but the tory
pinioned as he is, clings to the widows knees
He begs that one more Trial may be made by the
little girl OF five years, with golden hair and
laughing eyes.
The widow consents There is an awful
pause. With a smile in her eye. without know
ing what she does that little girl, opens the Bible
as it lay upon her mothers knees-she turns her
laughing face away-she places her little finger
upon line.
| The awful silence grows deeper! The deep.
drawn breath Of the brother, and the broken gasps
OF the murderer alone disturb the stiffness. The
widow and the dark eyed boy are breahless.-
That little girl unconscious as she was, caught
feeling OF awe, from the countenances around her
and stood breathess, her face turned aside. and
her tiny fingers, resting on that line OF life or
DEATH
At last, gathering courage, the widow bent her
eyes 10 the page and read. ], was line Gom
the New Testament.
Lore your enemies"
| All, that moment was sublime,
Oh, that awful book OF Goo! In whose dread
pages we see Job talking face to face with Jeho-
vah, or Jesus waiting by Samarina's well, or
wandering BY the dark waves Of Galilee!-Oh.
awful Book! shining to night, as speak, the
light Of the widows home-the glory OF the me-
chanc's shop-shining where The world comes
not to look at the last night OF the convict in his
cell. tightening the way 10 God, even DER that
dreaded gibbel!-Oh Book OF terrible majesty