American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-08-02
Die sanotitY Of the place.

l., .Malcom Warren, spoke the old man, il
a voice so deep that it seemed almost {,
come from one of the neighboring graves
mot long since you pointed to me as an ex
ample howi Tonga man might live wh'
smiled upon the wine-cup, You pointed
to, me as one who-had outlived all my com
panions, and yet as one who had always
quafed at the intoxicating bowl Perbapi
you spoke truly, but you did not speak the
1 whole truth, for the whole truth you dit
i not know, and have brought you here Il
d whisper that truth4into your earPS sss O
4 trhMaicom Warren gazed up into the ole
mans face, and as be saw how solemn was
4 the. expression thatrested there, he forgo
the bad company he had left behind at the
tavern, and his thoughts became serious.
o 'Malcom, resumed the sexton, Il car
look back now into the past and see &
score ofyoung men who commenced the
race Of life with me. We went to school
together, and together we sat in church =
We loved to learn the excitement ofthe in
toxicating cup, and We thought not then
of the dangers we were courting. Years
passed on, and saw those twenty men
sink into the arms Of death, and | buried
Ethemall here. Maleom Warren, they all
sleep in drunkards' graves! One after a
mother | saw them fall. and at length / was
left alone of the party who were wont to
assemble around the, bar-room fire. sz
A deep groan escaped from the young
mans lips and a shudder ran through his
frame. -EF '1''~ = m 30 fs'a
H
l'All lgonen he asked i;ss5 e. 81, .sfss
7Ai'Yes-all!' the old man uttered. But
4 this is not half, Malcom. Their wives and
children that died, and they too, lie here.
| o how well can / remember the bright
eyed! laughing, loving girls. who used to
play with us when we were boys! And
how well can remember when sawthem
Standing at the altar; and when they iurn-
ed away from the place they were blushing
brides. But few short years, and be-
gan 10 gatherth into the folds of death.
| They sank down with broken hearts and
crushed hopcsl Some Of them lived TO be
gray beaded, but their gray hairs came
down in sorrow TO the gravel See that
grave; The one with'the dark gray stone.-
| He who sleeps beneath that mound was
once the Lappiest youth in the village
He was carpenter by trade, and lie bull
tho house in which you were born. = He
used TO krisl and sing over the wine emp
and he thought not then of harm. Ilonce
heard his young wife beg of him foreman
at home with her, but he refused her the
boon. She told him that she was cold and
hungry, and that her children needed
(. clothing, but he needed her not. A few
short years afterwards that wife's heart
broke and she died. and her children. y
husband and the f;tthcr found one cold
night lying by the road side and he was
dead! These are their graves, for buried
them all together You can see the wife S
grave next beyond the grave stone of the
husbands and those two little graves are
| where lie the frozen boy and girlP
| Tho old man drew his sleeves across his
Eeyes TO wipe away the tears, and while he
did so M;llcom bowed his head and groan-
ed mournfuly. 49, ft.
'Malcom Warren he said. there was
once full regiment of stout soldiers fol-
lowed Nepoleon, Bonaparte into Russia.
| There were many regiments went also, but
Of this onein particular have | read. OF
that whole company Of men only one soli-
tary individual lived to return to the home
of Ills birth. Allthe resided on the way
They were starved and frozen and they
dropped by the way-side. Now suppose
some thoughtless youth should point to
that single living soldier, and say that a.
mid the eternal SHOWS Of Russia there was
no danger, because that man had passed
them all and still livedl Like that single
fragment of The regiment do | stand here a
living man
The youth gazedup in the face of the a.
ged speaker, and new emotions were wor-
king upon his features. r -
Come, Malcolm, would show you one
more spot -'-'- .-,..-7ar-s-sa,,,.-s :.-~sse
The old man leaned upon his staff and
moved slowly on among the graves, and
involuntary did the youth follew. At
length they stopped by a spot where two
graves, lay sidoby side. The slabs were
OF marble, y they Extraordinarily in the
moonlight a.-,,1t-..9 eysasez.5 at4sf .s.2. i
y sMalcom,' spoke the sexton in a deep
/ whisper Il remember well when i made
these two graves. There was not sorrow
to fill the beds which here /, made. they
who sleep here died amid thesweet breath
ing of peace andhonor. They were good,
honorable and viftuous people. and when
they were gone our townsmen mourued,
for our village had lost its most noble spir-
Its, !. o, Ilove to come. and stand over
those graves, for know that God smiles
upon theml There is no taint nor dishon-
Tor here. Malcom, do you know who rests
those two gravesT y ssa'.,r aFss-..l
| Tbeyouth did not answer. nor did he
raise hishead, but with one deep, wild cry,
he sank down and there be lay acrosssthe
graves weeping and sobbing like a child.
! His father and mother slept therei
| For while the old man gased tearfully
upon, the scene, and then be, took the youth
by the arm and aroused him up. 3
Come, Malcom, he whispered, I'VE will
90 away now, i can show you no more.
The youth followed his guide out from
the church yard, and after the gate was
closed they passed on to the street Here
Adam Stamford stopped.
Now, Malcom,' he said, you can re-
turn to your companions at thetayern, but