Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-12-16

saved, not me- Gilbert WAS in tho shandry ty
my side.
Quick! + said no clear and firm. You must
ride before her, ard keep her up. The horse can
swim. BY Gods mercy, | will follow. can cut
the traces, and il the marc 10 not hampered with
the shandry, she will carry me safely through. A,
any rate, you are n husband and, a father. Noone
cares for me-
Do not hrte me gentlemen. l often wish that
night was a dream. 1t has haunted my sleep ever
since like a dream and yet it was no dream. |
took his place on the saddle, and put Letty's arms
around me, and felt her head rest on my shoulder.
| trust In God | spoke some words of thanks, but |
can't remember. 1only rccollect Lefty raising her
head. and calling out
God bless you, Gilbert Dawson, for saving
my baby from being an orphan this night And
then she fell against me, as if unconscious.
Il bore her through or rather, the strong horse
swan bravely through the gathering waves. We
were dripping wet when we reached lthe banks in
shore, but we could have but one hought,-wher
was Gilbert? Thick mists and heaving waters
comprised us round. Where was he? We shout
ed. Lefty, faint as she was, raised her voice and
shouted, clear and shrill. No answer came. The
sea doomed on with cease!ess, sullen beat. | rode
to the guides house. lie was a.bcd, and would
not get up, though | offered him more than | was
worth. Perhaps he knew it, the cursed old villain.
AT any rate, I'd have paid it, if I'd toiled my life
long. lie said might take his horn, and welcome.
L ull, HLu DleW SuCn n DllSt through tn6 StllI, Dlack
night; the echoes came back upon the heavy air
but no human voice or Sound was heard that wild
blast could not awaken the dead.
/ took Lefty home to her baby, over whom she
wept the live-iong night. rode back to the shore
about Cart-lnne; and to and fro with weary march
did | pace along the brink of the waters; n)w and
then shouting out into the silence n vain cry for
Gilbert. The waters went back and left no trace.
Two days afterward he was washed ashore near
Flukenborough. The shandry and poor old mare
were found half buried in a heap of sand by Arm
side Knot. As far as we could guess, he had
dloped his knife while trying to cut the traces, and
so had lost all chance of life. Any rate, the knife
was found in a cleft of the shaft.
His friends came ever from Garstang to attend
his funeral. | wanted to go chief mOurner, but
it was not my right, and might not, though I've
never done mourning him to this day. When his
sister packed up his things, l begged hard for
that had been his. She would give me
none of his clothes, (she was a right down having
woman, as she had boys of her own who might
grow up into them. BIT she threw me his Bible,
as she said they'd gotten one already, and his was
but a poor used up thing. 1t was his, and so !
cared for it. 1t were a black leather one, with
at the sides wise and in
one were a lunch of wild flowers. Lefty said she
could almost be sure were some she had once given
There were many a text in the gospel, marked
broad with his carpenters pencil, which more than
bore h'm out in his refusal to fight. OF n surety,
sir, there's call enough for bravery in the service
OF God, and to show love to man, without quarrel
irg and fighting.
Thank you gentlemen; for listening to me.
Your words call up the thoughts Of him, and my
heart was full to speaking. But | must make up:
we dug a grave for n little child, who is to be
buried tomorrow morning, just when his playmates
are trooping off to school.
But tell us of Lefty; is she yet alive? p asked
Jeremy.
The old man shocked his head, and struggled
against a c~hoaking sigh. After a minutes pause,
he said
She died in less than two years after than night.
She was never like the same again. She would
sit, thinking on Gilbert. | guessed but | could
not blame her. We had a boy. and we named it
Gilbert Dawson knipe; he that's stoker on the
Londcn railway. Our girl was carried of in teeth
ing, and Lefty just dropped and died in less than
SIX week. They were buried here so | came 40
be near them, and away from Lindal, a pace |
could rever abide after Lefty was gone"
lie turned to his work, and we having rested
sufficiently, rose up and came away.