Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-07-19

Doctor" said the gambler, "savt
that mans life, and here is my bank
and $4,000 in Burgoynes-you shall
have it all"
The doctor felt the pulse of the mar
and probed the wound anew. The gam
bier watched him with the greatest anx
iety until his inspection was finished
when the doctor shook his head in tok
en- of impossibility. The gambler sa
down by the side of the wounded mar
and bathed his head with water, and
staunched the flow of blood from thu
wound until the arrival of his wife; she
came accompanied by few f1Rds
and as heroic women bear their misfor
tunes, she bore hers. Not word Q
reproach escaped her-words of cheer
fulness only came from her lips as the
tears coursed down her cheeks. To heI
INQUIRY as to the chances of her hus-
bands recovery, the doctor assured her
there was no hope; that the wound was
mortal, and that in few hours, he must
die. She sank down upon her knees
and invoked the mercy of forgIying
God for her dying husband and his MUIR
derer. The gambler asked. the forgive
ness of the wounded man for the wrong
he had committed, and also that of the
wife, which was readily granted.
"This," said he, sis for not obeying
the sacred iniunctions of my aged father
and mother not to gamble. l have fac
ed death thousand times and still |
have escaped; the balls of an enemy
have whistled past my ears as thick as
hailstones, and the bursting bombs have
exploded at my feet; still l have lived
o God! and for this! High above the
red tide of battle 1 have carried my
country's ensign-and that won for me
name among men-when not one COM
rade was left to tell of the deeds in the
battle-I escaped unscathed. Why was
I not killed like the rest? All that was
proud and pleasing to men have had;
and if could recall this last act by liv-
ing on carrion, sleeping in pauper's
grave, and renouncing every proud act
of my life, would do it. l was born
in the same village with that man; we
have been classmates together at the
same school; received instructions of the
same aged man; were raised beneath
the same roof, and o God! Hemust not
die-he is my brotherP'
And the gambler sank down in a
swoon upon the floor. The wounded
man raised himself on his, elbow, his
CLASSY eyes wandered about the room
as if in search for some particular per-
son.
"Mary," said he, sis brother William
here? /" and the word choked IN
his throat, the gurgling blood stopped
his utterance, and he sank back corpse
on his pillow; the wife knelt again, but
it was beside dead body, and invoked
the mercy of God upon his soul, and
forgiveness for the murderer.
The gambler awoke from his swoon
he staggered up to the wife and said:
"Mary, would it were otherwise, for
1 have nothing to live for now; the dead
and the dying do not want anything in
this world-take this certificate Of de-
post to my father, and tell our parents
we are both dead-but o, do not tell
how we diedl"
Before Mary could reply, or any one
interfere, the report of that pistol sound
ed again-the fratricide has ceased to
live.
On the hill, near Rinccn Point, were
two graves-a few years ago enclosed
with a white fence, and one tombstone
stood at their head with the simple in
scription-"BRoTBERs. Golden Era.