The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-09-08

and father closed his hands as though he
woold hold on upon The feeling he had tried
IN eypress. and then he fastened on Al
/ leny,h he reached The tavern, and here he
found his companions. The laugh and the
Joke commenced, and ere long Malcolm
ioruo, all about his home. He sal in The
bar.room, and The sharp wi, made food for
much merriment
WHO says there's danger in the how'll"
cried young man, as he raised The glass 10
his lips. ..a,,, r,
"I's the ravens cro,k," said another of
his companions. Here's confusion 10 the
idean ~. t ''.
."Good (" exclaimed Malcolm Warren.
posins his glass. Poison in the bowl
Nonsense Look at old Uncle Adam, now.
He's used il all his listii.ae, aud hei. The
oiics, maniil towh. Come, here'slo Uncle
Adam" ...l, a,.I 't. .-H. o.. .s,ni goa
| The person 10 whom Malcolm had thus
alluded, was an old. while. haired man, who
stood a, The bar with nlass Of run IN his
hand. His name was Adam Stamford, and
almost ninety years had passed over his
frosty head. HIS form was bent, aud his
limbs irelnbled, but still he lived, aud his
mind was yet clear. He heard The remark
which the young carpenter had made, ana
having sat down his untouched liquo', he
turned and gazed upon The oulhiu speak
or. He knew Malcolm Warren well.
"Malcolm," he said, come with me-
Come alone, for alone would speak with
you. Come" .....
There was something deep and meaning
in the Old mans tone, aud as he turned
towards the door, Malcolm arose 10 follow.
Delain him moi, said Adam, as some OF
his companions sough, to hinder him.
"Why should 90 with you!" he asked.
"To please an old man. ! mean you no
harm, Malcolm. Come"
. Passing ou, of The door, they moved
ac:oss The street. Near by was The village
churchyard, and ,hiher Adam bent his
steps. Arriving a, the gate he passed ill.,
As Malcolm hesilaled 10 enter, the old man
said, {" Come, follow me +"
Malcolm went, and soon stood within The
village churchyard! And his white haire,
guide, the sexton, who, for more than sixty
years, had made those cold beds for children
OF mortality. The pale moon shed IT,
beams upon The place, and the air sighed
moulnfuliy among The weeping willow,
that grew by the hedge. The graveslones
stood up like spec,ers above he faded grass,
and here and there arose a white monu
ment, like some more powerful spirit who
watched the sancliiy of the place.
Malcolm Warren,n spoke the old man,
IN a voice so deep that it seemed amos, to
come from one OF the neighboring graves,
"not long since you pointed me as an ca.
ample OF how long a man might live who
smiled upon the wine cup. You pointed
10 me as one who had ouilived all my com.
panious, aud We, as one who had always
Quafed the in,oxicalion bowl. Perhaps you
spoke truly but you did no, speak the
whole truth, for the whole trnlh you did no'
know, and now ] have 90, you here 10 whls'
per that truth in your ear" ... -.''
Malcolm gazed up into the old mans
face, aud as he saw how solemn was The
expression iha, rested there, he forgo, the
company he had left al The tavern, and his
thoughts became serious.
Malcolm" resumed the sexton, al can
look back now into the past, aud see a score
of young men who commenced The race ol
life with me. We went TO school together,
and together we sat in church. We grew
up 10 be men, and then we often sat iopeih.
er as saw you sitting this evening. We
learned TO love the excitement OF The in.
loyicaling cup, and we though, no, then Of
the dangers we were counting. Years
passed on, and saw those twenty men sink
nlo the arms of death, and | buried them
all here. Malcolm Warren they all sleep in
drunkdrd's graves' One after another !
saw them fall, aud a, length was lefI all
alone Of the party who were won, TO assem-.
ble around the bar.room fire .nils5'
A deep groan escaped the young mans
lips, aud shudjer ran through his frame.
"All gone?" he uttered. "Yes ALI"
the old man returned. {" But that is not
half, Malcolm. There were wives and
children that died, and they too, lie here.--
buried broken hearts here! o, how vel!
can remember The briyhl.eyed, laug h'er
loving girl, who used 10 play with US when
we were boys Aud how we'll can l. 20.
member when saw them STA ,ding a, The
altar aud when they turned away from
The holy place they we're blushing, happy
brides. But few short years, and | began
to gather them into The fold Of death. They
sank down with broken hearts, and crushed
hopes Some OF Them lived TO be giey-
headed, bLt their grey hairs went down in
sorrow to the grave See ,ha, grave there
the one with dark grey stone. He who
sleeps beneath that mound wasonce The
happiest youth in The whole village. He
was carpenter by trade, and he built the
house in which you were born. He used 10
laugh and ring over The wine cup, and he
thought moi then Of harm. onco heard
his Young vile beg Of him TO remain at
home with her, bui he refused The BOOM
She told him she was cold and hungry, and
tha, her children needed clothing. bui he
needed her not. A few short years aiier.
wards. that wiie's heart broke, und she died.
and her children both died Of cold aud hun.
ger. The husband aud father | found one
cold nigh, by the roadside, aud he was dead
These are their graves, for buried them all
together. You can see the wiie's grave
next beyond The grey stone OF the husband,
and those two lille graves are where lie
the frozen boy and girl" r,...:......,
The old mad drew his sleeve across his
ewes TO wipe away the tears, aud while he
did 40 Malcolm bowed his head and
sloaned heavily. A, length The sexton
Maicolm,n he said, here was once a
full regiment ol stout, hardy soldiers fol.
lowed Napoleon Bonaparle into Russia -
There were many oiker regiments went al.
so bu, of this one in particular have read.
| ar ,ba, whole company Of meh, only one
solitary Individual lived TO return to the land
OF hls birth. All !he rest died on The way.
They were starved and frozen, aud they
dropped by the way,ide Now suppose
.ome lhouch.less youth should pon, to that
single Individual soldier, and say ,ha, amid
,he eternal, SHOWS oi Russia there was no
dancer because that man had passed them