Washington telegraph., 1854-04-12
WASHINGTON, ARKANSAS WEDNESDAY, April, l2 1872

not harm Willie : and she sprang to the era
die, and grasped him in her embrace
caught her again by the hair and dragged
her to the door, and as l lifted the latch. the
wind burst in with cloud of snow. With
the yell of a fiend. l still dragged her on,
and hurled her out in the darkness and storm.
With wild ha ha closed the door and
turned the button, her pleading ,noans min
gled with the wall of the blast and the sharp
cry Of her babe But my work was not
complete.
II turned to the little bed where lay Iny
elder son, and snatched him from his slum-
bers; and against his half-awakened strug-
giles, opened the door and thrust him out
In the agony of fear. he called to me by
a name | was no longer fit to bear, and
locked his fingers into my side e-pocket I
could not wrench that fienzied grasp away,
and with the coolness of devil as I was,
shut the door upon his arm. and with a
knife severed it at the wrist
The speaker ceased moment and buried
his face in his hands, as if to shut out some
fearful dream, and his deep chest heaved
like storm-swept sea. My father had ris-
en- from his scat. and was leaning forward.
his countenance bloodiess and the large drors
standing out upon his brow Chills crept
back TO my young heart, and I wished
was at home. The old man locked up, and
never have since beheld such mortal ago.
ny pictured upon human face as there
was on his.
1T was morning when / awoke, and the
storm had ceased bnt the cold was intense.
first secured a drink of water, and then look
ed in the accustomed place for Mary. As
l missed her, for the FIRST time, shadowy
sense of some horrible nightmare began to
dawn upon my wandering mind. Thought
had had fearful dream, but involunta-
rily 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 sharp dead sound
My blood shot ike red-liot arrows through
my veins and rubbed my eyes to shut ont
the sight. 1t was-O 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, 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 halfopened eyes and upon its tiny fingers.
l know not what became of my brave boy"
And again the old man bowed his head
and wept and all that were in the house
wept with him. My father sobbed like a
child. In tones Of low and heart-broken
pathos, the old man concluded
Il was arrested. and for long months raw
ed in delirium. | awoke, was sentenced to
prison for ten years. but no .ortures could
have been like those | endured within my
own bosom. 0 God, no | am not fanatic.
| wish to injure no one. But while l live,
let me strive to warn others not TO enter
the path which has been so dark and fearful
a one to me-"
The old man sat down, but spell as
deep and as strong as that wrought by some
wizards BREATH rested upon the audience
Hearts could have been heard in their beat
ing and tears to fall. The old man then
asked the people TO sign the pledge. My
father leaped from his seat, and snatched it
eagerly. had followed him, and as he hes
itated moment with the pen in the ink a
tear fell from the old mans eye on the pa
per.
Sign it, sign it. young man. Angels
would sign it. would write my name
there ten thousand times in blood if it would
bring back my loved and lost ones.''
My father wrote Mortimer Hudson''-
The old man looked, wiped his fearful eyes
and looked again, his countcnance alternate
ly flushed with a red and death like pale
ness.
1T is-no, it cannot be--yet how strange
muttered the old man. pardon me sir,
but that was the name of my own brave
boy"
My father trembled, and held up the left
arm, from which the hand had been sever
cd.
They looked moment in each others
eyes, both reelcd and gasped--
My own injured son ~
"My father"
They fell upon each others necks and
wept, until it seemed that their souls would
grow and mingle into one There was
weeping in that church, and sad faces around
me.
Let me thank God for his great blessing
which has gladdened my guilty -5urdened
soul ~ exclaimed the old man; and kneel-
ing down he poured out his heart in one of
the most melting prayers / ever heard
The spell was then broken, and all eagerly
signed the pledge, slowly going to their
homes 10th to leave the spot.
The old man is dead, but the lesson he
taught his grand-child on the knee, as his
evening sur went down without cloud, will
never be forgotten. His fanaticism has lost
none of its fire in my manhood's heart.