Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-08-24

in my drunken state, and clenched both
hands in her hair.
"'God of mercy, Jamesp exclaimed
my wife, as she looked up in my fiendish
countenance, you will not kill us-you
will not harm Willie and she sprang to
the cradle and grasped him in her en-
brace. caught her again by the hair
and dragged her to the door, and rs lift
ed the latch the wind burst in with a cloud
of snow. With the yell of fend, l still
dragged her on and hurled her out in the
darkness and the storm. With wild ha!
ha I closed the door and turned the but
ton, her pleading means mingled with the
wall of the blast and the sharp cry of her
babe. But my work was not yet COM
plete.
g 1 turned to the little bed where lay
my oldest son and snatched him from his
slumbers, and against his half awakened
struggles, opened the door and thrust
him out. In the agony of fear he called
me by a name l was no longer fit to bear,
and locked his fingers into my side pock-
ct. l could not wrench that frenzied
grasp away, and with the coolness of a
devil, as l was, shut the door upon the
arm and severed it at the wrist"
The speaker ceased a moment and bu.
ried his face in his hands as it to shut out
some fearful dream, and his chest heav-
ed like storm-swept sea. My father
had arisen from his seat and was leaning
forward, his countenance blood!ess, and
large drops of sweat standing upon his
brow. Chills crawled to my young
heart, and I wished I was at home. The
old man looked up, and l never have be-
held such mortal agony pictured upon
human face as there was on his.
cit was morning when awoke. and the
storm had ceased. l first secured a
drink OF water, and then looked in the
accustomed place for Mary. AS missed
her, for the first time shadowy scene OF
some horrible nightmare began to dawn
upon my wandering mind. l thought
had fearful dream, but ipvoIuutarily
opened the outside door with a shudder-
ing 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. sad sound. My blood shot like
red-hot arrows through my veins, and
was-Oh! God, how horrible it was my
own injured Mary and her babe, frozen to
ice The ever true mother had bowed
herself over the child to shield it, and
wrapped all her clothing around it. leav-
ing her own person stark and bare to the
storm. She had placed her hair over
the face of the child, and the sleet had
flozen it to the white check. The frost
was white in its half-opened eyes and
upon his tiny fingers. know not what
become of my brave boy"
Again the old man bowed his head and
wept, and all in the house wept with him.
NV father sobbed like child. In tones
of low and heart-brokcn pathos, the old
man concluded:
g was arrested, AMI for long months
| raved in delirium. l Iawoke, was SEN
fenced to prison for ten years. But no
tortures could have been like those | en-
dured within my own bosom. l wish TO
injure no one. But while | live, let me
strive to warn others not to enter the path
which has been so dark and fearful to me.
l would see my wife and children beyond
this vale of tears
The old man sat down, but Il spell rs
deep and strong 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. My father Ieapt from his seat
and snatched at it eagerly. | had fol-
lowed him, and as he hesitated moment
with the pen in the ink, a lear fell from
the old mans eye on the paper.
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 aud lost ones
My father wrote, MORTIMER HUDsoN." "
The old man looked. wiped his fearful
eyes, and looked again. his countenance
alternately flushing with red and death
like paleness.
'' 1t is-no, it cannot be-yet how
strange" muttered the old man. 'Par-
don me, sir, but that was the name Of my
boy"
My father trembIed and held up his
left arm, from which the hand had beeu
severed.
They looked for a moment at each 9th
er's eyes, but reeled and gasped-
"My own injured boy %
"My fatherP'
They fell upon each others necks unit
it seemed that their souls would grow and
mingle into one. There was weeping in
that church, and turned bewildered up.
on the streaming faces around me.
''Let me thank God for the great bles-
sing which has gladdened my guilt bur.
dened soul,'' exclaimed the old man, and
kneeled down, pouring out his heart ir
one of the most melting prayers 1 ever
heard. The spell was then broken. and
all eagerly signed the pledge, slowly go
inoc To thair homes as Il lnath to leayn the