Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-01-10


Now out blacksmith, working away there. /
IN that dim nook oi ihc forest. without car
ing Tor battle OF war. had sill a sncaking \
likeness tor tins Mister Washington whose /,
name rung on the lips OF all men. so one |
night, bidding his young wife a hasty good |
bye, and kissing the babe that reposed on her
bosom, smiling as it slept. h hurried away
10 ihe American camp, aud told his story To
Washington.
IL was morning ere he came back II was
IN the dinnes- at the autumual morning that
the blacksmith was plolting ms way. along
TIE forest road. Some few PAGES ahead there
WAS ana agct oak, Standing out into the road
"A grim oid veteran of the forest. that had
stood the shocks of three hundred years
kight beyond that oak was the blacksmith's
house.
With this thought warning his heart, he
hurried on. thinking OF the calm YOU 4 face
amt mid blue eyes OF that wiic, who the night
lore had stood IA the cottagc door. waving
hin out ol sight with bcckoncd good byc-
thinking ot the baby. that lay smiling a. il
slept upon her bosom, he hurried on--he turn
od tac head oi the wood, hc looked upon his
home.
Ah!whata sigh, was thcr,l
Where The night before lac had lcf, peace
iul cottage, smiling under green chestnut tree
IN thc light OF the setting sun, now were ONLY
heap OF black and smoking embcr, and
burnt aud blasted tree
This wss his homci
Ana there stood the blacksmith gnzing upon
that wreck of his hcsrllstonc: he stood
with hls arms folded and moody brow but i'm
Il momen, smile broke ovcrhis face.
lie saw II alt la the night his house had
taken iiIc, and been burned 10 the ground But
ms wife, ms child had escaped. For that he
thanked God
WIN the toll OF his strong ann. plying there
on the anvil. he would build iairer home Tor
his wife and child; fresh flowers should bloom
over the garden walks, and more lovely vines
iail along the easement.
With this resolve kinlling over his face
the blacksmith stood there, with a cheerful
light banning from his large grey eyes, when
- hand was laid upon his shoulder.
lie turned and beheld the face of neighbor
IL was a neighbor's face, bu, there was an
awful agony stamping those plain features
there was a awful agony flashing from those
dildtmg eycs--thcrc was dark aud terrible
mystery speaking from those thin lips, that mo
we'd aud moved, bat made no sound.
Foramoment that farmer tried TO speak the
houer that Convulsed his features
At last, forcing the blacksmith along the
brow gnyelled walk now sircwn with cinders,
he pointed To the smoking embcrs. There.
there--amid the heap OF black and smoking
ruins, the blacksmith be belda dark mass OF
burnt flesh aud blackened bones.
Your Uye" sfuicked the farmer. rs hi,
agent found words The British they came i'm
the nigh, ihcy---aud then he spoke that out |
rage, which the lipquivors TO think, on which 4
the heart grows palslcd To tcll-that outrage
too foul To namc-"l olr wife" he shrieked /
pointing To that hidcous thing amid the smo- /
king RUNS; 1.-The British have murdered your
wife. they flung her dead body in the lame,-
ihey dashed your child against the hearth I
stouCm
This was the farmer
And thclc, a. the light of the breaking day
iell around the spot, there stood the husband,
the father, gazing upon that mass OF burned flesh
aud blackcucd bOnes--all that was once his
wife
Doyou ask me. OF the words that ,remblcd /
from his white lips Do youask me Tor the \
lire that blazod IN his eve
cannot tell YOU. Butt can tell you that !
there "asa vow going up Ia Heaven from that /
blacksmith heart, that ihcrc wasa clenchcd \
hand, uPraised, IN the light of the breaking
day!
Yes. yes, a the firS CLEAN of the autumnal
dawn broke around the spot, as the firsi long
gcaln OF sunlight strcemcd over the peeled |
SOUL oil that lair young wiie-she was that last /
nieh'--thcre WAS svow going up 10 Heaven,
the vow of a maddened heart aud anguishcd |
breast
How was that vow kept7 Go there TO Bran |
dy wine and where the carnage gathers thickest
where Tie hight most bloody, there YOU NAV |
see stout form stndmg ia, hitting huge ham |
lner into light. Where that hammer falls. il |
kIlls-wherc that hammer strikes IL crushesi- !
IL Is the blacksmilh's form. And the war CRY |
that lac shoutsi Is its mad cry of yengcnce--
halt howl, hall hurfahl Is il buta fierce veil. |
breaking up from his heNving chesl
All no. All no.
ii Is the name of--Mary! II is the name of
his Young wife
Oh, Mary--sweetesi name Of womsn-so
soft 20 ripping 80 mu>iyal--name OF the mo.
Their OF Jesus holy by poetry and religion
HOW strangely did your syllabes of music
Hng out from thalblacksmith'sl lips as he went
IN lrringonl
Mdrg he shouts as he drag, tina, red
coated trooper from bis stccd. MARY" lac
shnck. as Ia, hammer crashes down. LAYING
that olilccr ia the dust. I.oohl AnotherofIic
ef' wilhd gallant face aud iorln-anotheruific-
er giitienng IA tmsel, clasps that blacksmith
by the knees, and bcgs mercy.
81 have wilcA-mcrcy | have wife Won.
der IA kngani-spare.. m.r
The blacksmith crdird as he il. trembles-
there Is tear iD hiscyc
"lwould spare you, bat form is before me
the TORN of my dead wife, That form has
gone before all day. She calls on me to
strike"
And she hammer fell and then sang on,
that strange war cry Mary
AZ last when the battle was over. he was
found by WAGNER wko had least shouldcrcd
= ciriwhip IN hi~ cOuutry's service-be was
found sitting By the roadside his head sinken
las leg broken the lilebloOd swelling from his
many wounds
The WAGNER would have carried him from
ihe held, but ,he stout blacksmith refused.
You see, neighbor. hc sail. in that voice
l"s} with dfath. II never meddled with ,hr
British till they burned my hom,. iill thry
49, he co'dd not spcak the Outrage. but his
wle' hi, child, werc there before MS diving .
aNL.----l Ar.I ~. l /.