The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-12-14

Yes; he fell yesterday, pierced by three
balls, horribly maugled, and never saw
a more shocking sight"
For a moment the cheek of the w;d-
ow was blanchcd; 4; the heart of the moth
er shocked, But She spoke very calmly,
as she said, (Which one was it, sir"
Henry RawforJ, if l am not mista-
ken. Was he known to you? ?"
Oh! what torturing question! w. s
he known to her, Henry, her noble,
first born son. A deadly faintness came
over her, but she replied with great ct,
tort, and said as calmly as before, as ;, c
turned from them, "He was nv sor
SIR" They did not see her face, for She
walked quicGly but firmly from the
room
God forgive me; feel as if had
done cowardIy thing" murmurcd tie
officer, while his face grew pale with en-,
onon; coming here to partake of the
womHns hospitality have cruelty stall
bed her TO the heart"
"1ou are not to blame, my friend"
sad Washington, in his deep tones,
"ne'tl'er if read her Alright, would she
recall the child that has fallen in his coun-
try's cause. She is no common woman
Her very face tells of SOULS nobilitv.-
Mark me, when you see her again, She
VIII be fearless, no word of sorrow will
issue from her lips. Our mothers. our
wives, | am proud to say it, are hcroincs
in this trying period-and this" he con.
tnucd, pointing TO the Bible, "this is the
secret OF their greatness. Wherever vou
behold that volume opened, bearing cy:-
dence Of constant perusal, then you will
hnd woman equal to any emergency.
saw. when we meet her aUan shn viii j..
fearless and calm, although a mother lc-
rcavcd Of her child"
And so it was; Madame RawCord had
schoolcd her grief for time into n sudden
and sacred submission, and when the Of
GERS were called into another room to par
take Of the smoking viands she had pre-
pared, they found her collected, unchanged
in countenancc. The officers from whom
the news SO rudcly burst, was lost in ad-
miratiou Of her conduct, and was often
heard to say that he aImostvcneratc,l wo-
mau cvc- after for her sake.
Towards night the trio departed, thanl.-
ing the kind womon with grateful hearts
for her courtesy. They found their hor.
ses ready saddled, and were forced TO the
conjecture that Madam Rawford had her.
self performed the duty of hostlcr. Gen.
eraI Washington took her hand before hc
mounted his horse, and addressed her ten.
dcrIy and alfsclionately, with such word,
that they brought tears to the ey es of the
stern man, but thougI an increased pal!or
spread over the face Of the widow, she
answered, 81 am thanktCi TO my Gcd, sir,
that he hath deemed me worthy of de-
manding my child in the glorious strug.
gle. | taught him to love freedom"
Not u word did she ask about her re-
manning sons; not message did she
send it may be she felt she could hard.
ly bear another such stroke, and preferred
to live in ignorance Of their fate. But
when the officers had gone, and the tramp.
ling of the horses hoof5 had died away in
the long distance, she entered her home
and throwing herself upon ker knees, the
long restrained tears gushcd forth, and in
her morning prayer, amidst sobs and long
drawn sighs, she pleaded for submission
to this great and sudden Providence.
Of her four sons, but two ever returned;
and though the widow had grown, as it
were, suddenly grey, though her form as
no nCrc erect, as during their life, yet she
often spoke with kind ofsubdued JOY, Of
the gift which she had been enabled to
bestow upon the alter Of liberty.