Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-05-13

It little charge, or Of lulling it to sleep. tt
o bigger children would cluster round bin
y Chamber over him, empty his pipe, ups'
his can, take all sorts of liberties wit
him, yet never meet with a rebuke. A
!, !, times, however, he would appear lost
!. : uneasy thought; gazing with earnestncs
!, upon the features of the sleeping infant
while the tears would course down hi
cheeks.
As drove one morning up to the doc
Of the inn, and passed the bench on whicl
the old soldier was, as usual, sitting, will
his little flock Of children playing arouns
him, one Of them, a very young one, sud
denly backed into the road, and in anothel
moment more would have been crushed
but the old man sprang forward, with /:
vigorous and wonderful effort he seized tn,
child with his only arm, and threw it sew
raj feet out of the way of danger; he fell
with the exertion, and was among my
horses feet. In suddenly drawing up, ]
had unwittingly done my very worst by
the poor fellow; for I had caused the ami
NAL to trample upon him second time,
and wheel had likewise passed over his
body.
He was taken up insensible. We car.
ried him to bed, and after little time
recovered his recollection. But he was so
severely injured that we feared every mo-
ment would be his last.
The first words he uttered were, The
child the child" We assured him the
child was safe; but he would not believe
us, and it became necessary to send into
the village to search for the little creature,
who had been hurried home with the 9TH
ers upon the confusion which the accident
had occasioned. He continued to call for
the child, and was in the greatest distress
of mind till we had found it, and had ta-
ken it to him as he lay. His delight at
seeing it alive and unhurt was intense he
wept, he laughed, he hugged it to his bo-
som, and it was not till he grew very faint
and weary that he would suffer US to re-
move it.
A surgeon arrived and pronounced that
the poor man was so much hurt, inwardly
as well as outwardly, that nothing could
be done to save him, and desired us merely
to give him cordials or cooling drink, as
he should appear to wish for either. He
fingered for few days.
l had been the cause, though innoosntly,
of the poor fellows death: of course l
took care that all was done that could al
lcviatc his suferings; and as long as he
lasted, 1 went every day to pass a few
hours by his bedside. The rescued child,
too, was brought to him each day by his
own desire. From the moment he had
asccrtained that it was unhurt, he had
been calm and contented. He knew he
was dying, but he could part with life
without regret; and the cloud which had
so often observed upon bis wcather-bcaten !
countenancc before the accident, never after
returned.
The day before be died, as was watch
ing alone by his side, he asked me for cor
dial. Soon after he had swallowed it, he
laid his hand upon my arm and said, Sir,
if you will not think it too great trouble
to listen to an old mans talk, 1 think it
will ease my mind to say few words to
you"
He was, of course, encouraged to pro-
coed.
"I have had load upon my heart,
which is not quite removed, but it is
great deal lghtened. 1 have been the
means, under Providence, Of saving a
young childs life. If I have the strength
to tell you what I wish, sir, you will un-
dorstand the joy that blessed thought bro't
to my heart"
l gave him another cordial, he spoke as
follows:
alt was in stirring time of the Duke
of Wellington's wars, after the French had
retreated through Portugal, and Badajos
had fallen, and We had driven them fairly
over the Spanish frontier, the light division
was ordered on few Of their long leagues
further, to occupy line of posts among
the mountains which rise over the North
ern banks Of the Guadiana. A few COM
panies of our regiment advanced to occupy
= villa which the French had Just aban-
dOned.
ave had brisk march over a scorched
and rugged country, which had already
been 1ansacked of all that would have
supplied us with fresh provisions it was
many days since we had heard the creak
Of commissary's wagon, and We had
been on very short commons. There was
no reason to expect much in the villa We
we're now ordered to. The French, who
had just marched out, would, of course,