Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-10-11
Nlisrellollcous
THE MECHANIC HERO.
A TALE OF THE REVOLUTION.

Near Del worth corner, at the time oil the
,eyolu,ion, there stood quiet cottage, some
what retired from the road, under the shSde oil
n stou; chesnut tree. II wos quiet cottage'
nesting away there in one corner oil the i0resl
roa,l, a dear holne with SlOping roOl, Nall Ci
dark cray stone, and o easement hidden among
vines and flowers.
fOn one side, omid the interval OF forest
a-ees, WIS seen the rough lines oi blacksmilh
.sbop. There was a small garden 10 'front.'
with brown graveled walk and beou',ill beds
of flowers. Here, at the time oil lhe heVoiu'
sion, there dwelt stout blacksmith, hls young
wife and her babe. What cares that black
smith, working away in that shadowy NOOK lOf
war! What feared he for The penlS ol The
times, so long as his strong arm ringing tha'
hsmmer Oh the anvil, might gain otead lor hls
wife and chi!dl All, he caret' litlle Tor inc
.war-he look no note OF the panic mat SHOOK
the little valley, when few mornings before
the battle of Drandywine, while shOeing
horse OF a tory refugee, lie overheard plol Tor
'1h- sunrise and capture of Washing,on. The
American leader was 10 be allund into the
.foiIs of the tories his person once in the
British comp the English General might send
The "7'ro,tcr Washington" hone 10 be tried
al London. Now cur blacksmith working
awsy in that dim nook OF the forest, without
,rarine for battle or war, had still Sneaklng
kindness for this Mister Washington, whose
name rang on the lips of all men. So one
night, biddi K his wife good bye, and kissing
The babe that reposed OIL her bosom, sml!inr
as he slepi, he hurried away 10 the American
camp, and told The story To Washington.
L, was morning ere he came back II was
the dimress Of the aulumral morning That The
blacksmith was ploJding his way along the
forest road. Some few PAGES ahead, there
WAS an aged OAK standing uui IN the roads
grim old veteran OF the forest that hsd stood
The shocks Of three hundred years. Right be-
yond was the acksmh's home. With Tins
,ho', warming his heart, lie buried an think
ing of The calm Young face and mild blue eyes
cf ,hu: wife, who the night before Lad slcoi
in the cottage door waving lin out oil sight,
with beckJning good bye-lhlnklng OF The
haby laying smiling, as II II sep' on hei h0Sonl.
lie hurried On--he turned The tth "i The
wood, lie looked upon his home. Alb ! what
n sirht was there Where, TIE night before,
he had lei peaceful cottage smiling under
green chesnu. tree, in The light Ol the setting
sun, now only was a heap OF black smoking
embers and burnt aud blasted Tree. This
was his home And there stood the black
smith, gazing upon the wreck OF his hearth
s,one-there he stood with folded arms aud
moody brow but in a moment smile broke
over his face. lie saw il all. Ia the night bis
.home had taken FIRE, and beer burned TO Gin
1lrrs, but his wife and child had escoped-io
that he thanked God. With lie toll OF hI'
ptou. arm. plying there on the anvil, he woul,
build o faiIer home, for his vile ana child
r4esh flowers should bloom over The walks, and
more lively vines trail along the basement
With this resolve kndling oTcr his lace, lht
blacksmith stood there with cheerful Ugh
beaming upon hs large gray eyes, when
hand was laid upon his shoulder.
IIe turned and beheld the lace OF nelgh
Dor. II wus neigEbOT's face, but there wal
an awful sgony flashing from those dhal'nl
,inyes-LtheTe was q dark and terrible mJsler!
STkekSinp from those thin lips that moved ant
moved. but made no sound. For Q momen
abe farmer tried 10 speak the horror that con
yulsed his features. At last forcing th'
blacksmith along the brown grayeled walk no"
strewn with cilders, he pointed 10 The smoking
smbeIs. There, there-amid that heap o
BLACK and smoking Mias the blacksmith be
held o dark mass OF burned flesh aud biackea
ed bones.
.'Your wife," shrieked the farmer as hi
agony found words. "The British they CAM
In the night, they and then he spoke tba
outrage which the lips quiyer 10 think on
which the heart grows palsied 10 tell-tha
Outrage tco foul 10 name-"Your WIFE" b.
shrieked, pointing 10 the hideous mass ami
the smoking ruins. "The British, they mur
deted your wife they hung her dead bod
into the fame !; they dashed your child Jgans
the hearth stOne." This was the farmer
story. And there ss the light Of The bIeakin
Lsy fell around the spot there stood The hus
band, the father, gazing. upon the mass o
flesh and blackened bopes, . that was onc
his wife Do you ask me for the words tba
trembed from his lipsi DO you ask me 70
dher ere that blszsd in his eye = can tel
Sou 4 but eau islI you there is vow geinI
up 10 AesYen from that blocksmiths heart
that there was elenched hand upralsed u
IBIS 6rst CLEAN Of the aotumnal dawn erok'