Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-09-22


state, and elinehed both hands in hel
hair. r =, -r-r--us.{ i.4s Iii -.,
"'God of mercy, james, exclaimed
my wife, as she looked up into my
fendish countenance, you will not xii
US; you will not harm Willie,' and she
sprung to the cradle and clasped him il
her embrace. l caught her again by
the hair and dragged her to the door
and, as lifted the latch the wind blew
in with a cloud of snow. With the
yell of fiend l still dragged her or
and hurled her out into the darkness
and storm. With a wild hal hal
closed the door and turned the button,
her pleading moans mingled with the
wall of the blast and sharp cry of her
babe. But my work was not complete.
/ turned to the little bed where lay my
older son and snatched him from his
slumbers, and, against his half awakened
struggles, opened the door and threw
him out. In the agony of fear, he
called me by name 1 was no longer
fit to bear, and locked his little fingers
into my side-pocket. / could not
wrench that frenzied grasp away, and,
with the GOODNESS of the devil, as | was,
shut the door upon the arm, and with
my knife severed the arm at the wristr'
The speaker ceased a moment and
buried his face in his hands, as if toshut
out some fearful dream, and his deep
chest heaved like a storm-swept sea. My
father had arisen from his seat, and was
leaning forward, his countenance blood
less, and the large drops standing upon
his brow. Chills crept back to my
young heart, and l wished / was at
home. The old man looked up, and l
never have since beheld such mortal
agony pictured upon human face, as
there was on his. @
''It was morning when / awoke, and
the storm had ceased, but the cold was
intense. l first secured a drink Of
water, and then l looked in the ac-
customed place for Mary. AS 1 missed
her, for the first time shadowy sense
of some horrible nightmare began to
dawn upon my wandering mind. l
thought that 1 had dreamed fearful
dream, but involuntarily opened the
outside door with shuddering dread.
As the door opened the snow burst in,
followed by the fall of something across
the Threshold, scattering the snow and
striking the floor with a sharp, hard
sound. My blood shot like red hot
arrows through my veins, and Trubbed
my eyes to shut out the sight 1t was
-it-God, how horriblel--it was my
own injured Mary and her babe, frozen
to icel The ever true mother had
bowed herself over the child to shield
it, and wrapped all her own clothing
around it, leaving her own person stark
and bare to the storm. She had placed
her hair over the face of the child, and
the sleet had frozen it to the white
cheek. The frost was white in its half
opened eyes, and upon its tiny fingers.
| know not what become of my brave
boy" u. 4r-7
Again the old man bowed his head
and wept, and all that were in the
house wept with him. Ny father
sobbed like a child. In tones of low
and heart broken pathos, the old man
concluded: 81. .........f
81 was arrested, and for long months
raved in delirium. | was sentenced
to prison for ten years, but no tortures
could have been like those / have en-
dured within my own bosom. Oh,
Godl no, l am not fanatic, | wish to
iniure no one. But while l live, let
me strive to warn others not to enter
the path which has been so dark and
fearful one to me. would see my
angel wife and children beyond this
vale of tears
The old man sat down, but spell as
deep and strange as that wrought by
some wizards breath rested upon the
audience. Hearts could have been
heard in their beating, and tears to fall.
The old man then asked the people to
sign the pledge. Ny father leaped
from his seat and snatched at it eagerly.
/ had followed him, and as he hesitated
a moment with the pen in the ink, a
tear fell from the old mans eye upon
the paper.
"Sign it-sign it, young man
Angels would sign it. l would write
my name there ten thousand times in
blood if it would bring back my loved
and lost ones"
NY father wrote Mortimer Hudson" "
The old man looked, wiped his fearful
eyes, and looked again, his countenance
alternatively flushed with red and
death like paleness.
at is-no, it cannot be-yet how
strange" muttered the old man.
Pardon me, sir, but that is the name
of my own brave boy"
Ny father trembled and held up his
left arm, from which the hand had been
severed. They looked for moment in
each others eyes, both reeled and
gasped-
my own injured boyl" 10 aao
"My fatherP'
They fell upon each others necks till
it seemed that their souls would grow
and mingle into one. There was weep
ing in that church, and / turned be-
wildered upon the streaming faces
y