The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-20
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1851

those words, baptized them in the midnight win
cup, shouted them from the noisy platform, al
caught their echo from the reckless lips OF reeli,
intoKication, until they sweled into blazing NJ
teor of destiny, reckoning him, with lurid glar
to q battlefield Of blood and death.
He cannot have the heart to CO." poor MI
Msyh ew had said TO herself, day after day, a
with his winning smile-his tahey'S smile-pls.
ing about the lips that could WELD too well tb
serpent-charm Of deceitfll fascination, he hs
thrown out random hints Of his intention Whe
hints ripened into action, and action gave utter
ance to resolution, firm and fixed, the mothe
prepared for the worst, yet could not believe tina
the worst would really come
IL had come now-it had petrifed her heart int
dreadful apathy, as she stood clasping the win
dow-frame with fingers that felt IL not, gaziul
rigidly into the court beneath the high window o
the hotel. Rslph's last ringing football had dice
away on her ear her heart uuconsciously craveC
one more last look
Young Mayhem stepped gaily from the piazza
and glanced up, as If drawn by the magnetism o.
his mothers eye. He nodded quickly, and turned
to pass on but his step slackened-his head
dropped from its hsugh.iness. He stopped short
drew himself up again, and walked briskly a
few feet; then suddenly turning face about, be
hTShtu resOiu'eIy ohCk 10 the uour Nc nau JuS'
Quilted
"Some trife has been forgotten murmured
the mother, sitting quick heart-tbrob that had
poured one crimson streak into her pale lips Il
was slowly, softly, lingeringy that the returning
footstep caEe up the long fight OF stairs; and
when Ralph's mother looked in vague question
into his changed countensnce, she saw that no
trife had called him back He threw his military
cap to the floor, sprsng to her side, srl clasped
both her hands in his, while his earnest eye spoke
fresh from the one nook childhood's memory had
kept warm in his heart
Mother I've been thinking--the chances Of
war, and all that! II was too bad to leave you so
like boor any how ~
The mothers heart trembled for an instant
with new, warm hope that his words went on
TO crush.
"Fate's fate, at best, call 1t what you will ;
"a. oySs~ss& >8sy Neser-pshaw imSy never
come back that's the long aud short of il, moth.
err, and I've been wild slip of youngster to you.
pve come back to say just thS,o he hurried on,
with quick, half lifting of his dropping lashes
"that if Pve ever hurt your feelings-snd know
| have-Pd ask Of you TO forgive me, mother
that's all!p
"My boy of God p was all Mrs Mayhem
could speak. She raised her hand toward heaven
and then dropped upon her sons shoulder in COM
plete helplessness He did not chide the half
broken heart for its out-gushng He bowed in
that baptism of a mothers tears and blessing
until the stroke Of the steamboat bell startled
him TO recollection. He smoothed back her gray
hair gently, hastily, and tenderly kissed her sad
forehead once and again, and murmuriug, " Good
bye mother God will bless you, Lettyp in tone
how different from his reckless farewell of five
minutes previous, he went on his selfdestined
way
{" He asked pardon Of his earthly parent will
he not of his Heavenly ~ was the one star left tC
light the night Of that mothers desolation.
Ralph Mayhem was already the idol of his
regiment. He soon became favorite with his
brother officers aud his superiors. He gained q
captains promotion before ever facing the can
mons mouth, and painted, with new fervor o.
patriotism to baptize his spotless blade in The
dying blood of "the enemy"
You need not to see again the green beauty OF
the battlefield, in the gray light Of the dawninl
morning-you need not listen to the dull booming
Of the minute guns from far away tents, where
generals, officers, and aid-de-camps have watched
all night, ia the reslessness Of impatient response
bility--yoo mead no, mark the long array Of gilt
sweeping like a dark jewelled mantle oaer t,if
fair face of that feld-you need not watch tn
sun rise, that will not look upon all aeain-yo'
need not follow its track up the now strangel
smiling sky, snd look with its eye of fire straigh
on the unveiled face Of war, for you have seen
too often before. | can give it no daguerreotyp
in this simple tale of truth.
Ralph Mayhem stood on that morning, watch
ing the opening of this fearful diorama. III
looked on all with The eye of an enthusiast, VIII
is watching the gradual embodiment of the "on
| ideaD that has taken thousand forms to hi
souls eye already His proud by charger reared
aud paved the turf impaiently by his side, while
the hand that grasped the rein tbrobbed with tn,
torrent-sweeping pulse n courageous heart pour,
out ia the hour of hazard. With glance thai
scanned piercingly the green earth far around
and before him, but looked not once into the pure
blue heaven he awaited eagerly the signal shot.
"Onward my brave boys, and at themp he
shouted suddenly springing, with one bound into
his saddle, IS the crashing voice ola cannon burst
through the bodinsly flushed air, rousing the de.
mons of rage and hate that were slumbering in
ten thousand human hearts Another moment
and bill came booming through the forest of
flashing bayone,s, bearing on its lightning path
with fe irfu mission. Ii stopped not TO riot on
the hosts in common file, but sweeping just over
the heads of the infantry, burst with relentless
power straight through the ranks Of the cavalry.
Just as young Captain Mayhem first turned to
wave his blade in wild exultation to his dauntless
troop, he suddenly dropped from its sight, like a
falling star in November.
Thunders shook the earth--the lightning of
mans artillery, 6ercer. desdlier than the light
ming of Heaven, isbed intensely bright through
the sulphureous cloud which the war-fend
breathe up in the face Of the summer sky.
Ralph saw nothing of all this--heard nothing,
save the faint roar of the deep-toned guns that
shook with shudderng vibration the low tent-bed
where his brother in arms, his dearest soldier
friend had borne him, and laid him down-to die
Al first, his wound was not considered mortal but
the surgeon soon shook his head, and, lifting ii,
passed coldy on to other sufferers. Life was
surely, slowly, ebbipg from his breast. Through
the long day the young warrior lay there, with
the storm OF war rigging around him and clouding
the air he strove, with burning lips, TO breathe
"Wateri water ~ grOaned the anguished group
of wounded and dying about him; and water y
WAS the halfdelirious cry Of his own exhausted ma
ture AS the drained life-tide left him to consume
away in the fever OF a burning heart and brain
Wafer was lifted to bis lips, poured on bis fore
head, aud he sank back like tired child, on his
pillowless couch.
Twilight at last fell like veil upon the sad
face of Earth, bereaved OF her children The
tramp of returning households shook the tents,
and over all wild reverberating shout rung out
on the damp nightbreeze--it was the shout OF
victory. Ralph Mayhem raised his head the
fever bad faded from his face, and now the shadow
OF death lay upon it, He hsd uttered but one
word-thc one cry Of burning thirst since his
fall
"Motherp he eagerly murmured looking pain
fully about him" Mother-come
The attendants turned from the moaning suf
ferers around, to catch the young officers dying
wish
" What shall tell your mother, Ralph" asked
his comrade, kneeling by his cot-bed, and bending
his ear down TO the whsperer's parted lips.
"Motherp The dying youth sprsng impul'
sively up, but sunk, with moan Of pain, to his
side again
"M0thcrD