The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-03-09
ELEGANT EXTRACT.

The following beautiful extract Is from
George Hppard's lecture on the LEGENDARY
history of the Revolution. Think OF "'you
who are raising such hue and cry against the
Know No,hings, who are cndeavOring to place
Ams,;,o N the hands of Americans. Think
of the many hardshiPs our patriot sres had
10 endure to gain US the liberty We now en-
;ov Think Of that iII-clad, alarmed, half
starving army as they stood shiveriug while
,ho 6s,re winds of December night howled
ground them, the snow falling thick and fast,
Notwithstanding the marks Of their blood.
stained feet upon the virgin snow, their hearts
almost discouraged, and the God like Wash.
ington encouraging them still onward. Think
of these things and then stand up and say
before high heaven that this man is wrong
that is contrary TO the will Of our fore faith
ers, and against the interests of our country.
"And now, as the old man, his wife, and
daughters cluster around the fire, tell me, why
does that old mans head dronp slowly down,
his eyes Gil, and his hand tremblr"
Ali there is one absent from the Christmas
hearlh!
He is thinking of the absent one-his
manly brave boy, who has been gone from
the farmhouse a year.
But bark! Even ~ the thought comes over
him, the silence of the fresde ID broken by a
faint moan, heard over the wastes Of snow
from affair."
The old man grasps n lantern, and with
that young girl by his side, goes out upon the
dark night.
Look there, as following the sound of the
moan, they 90 softly over the frozen path;
how the lantern flashes over their FORMS
over a few white paces of frozen SHOW
while all beyond is darkness!
Something arrests the old mans eye there
in the snow-thcy bend down, he and his
daughter.
They gaze upon the sight.
IL is human jootStep painted in The snoto-
painted on the snow-painted IN human blood :
"bly child" whispers the old mn ,rcnib-
liugly, snow pray for Washington For BY
this iootstep stamped in human blood, judge
that his army is passing near u.s."
Still that groan quivers in the air. Then
old man and the young girl, following the
footsteps in blood, 60 on until they reach that
rock, beetling DER the river there. There the
lantern light flashes over the form Of half
naked man crouched down in the snow
freezing and bleeding to death.
The old man looks upon that half.clad
form, the sttfencd fingers grasping battered
musket. II was his only son.
He called to him and the Young girl knclt
and casped her brothers hands, and when size
could warm lhem gathered them To her young
bosom, and wept upon his dying face.
Suddenly the brother raised his head-hc
extended his hand towards the river.
"Look there, falherr' he said in husky
voice. And bending down over the rock, the
old man looked TAR over the river.
There, under the dark sky, fleet of boats
were tossing amid the hill Of ice. A fleet Of
boats bearing men aud arms to the other
shore.
Was not that strange sight to see Mt the
dead of night, on u dark river and darker
sky!
The old man turned to his dying son to ask
the meaning of this mystery.
"Father," grasped the brave boy tottcring
to his feet. "Father, give me my musket--
help Inc on--help me down to the river-for
to.night-ior tonight" that word was
on his lips he fell" 10. Washington
the Bri;ish-1rentonm And with that
word "lrenton!' gasping on his lips, he died.
The old man did not know the meaning of
that word unit, the next morning. Then there
was the sound of musketry to the south, then
booming along the Delaware came The roar
Of battle.
"rhen, that old man, with his wife and
children, gathering round the body of that
dead boy knew the meaning OF that single
word that had trembled on his lips-knew
that George Washington had burst like u
thunderbolt upon the British camp in Trenton!