Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-07-17

dIOS6 10 IOIIOW.
"Detain him not" said Adam, as
some Of his companions sought to hin.
der him.
"Why should 80 with youl" Malcom
asked.
ITO please IN old man. mean to do
you no harm, Malcom. Come"
Passing out Of the door they moved
across the street, near by the village
churchyard and ,hither he bent his steps.
Arriving at the gate he paused. When
Malcom hesilated to enter, tho old man
said {:
"Come follow me-"
Malcom went and soon they stood
within the village churchyard. And this
white haired guido was the sexton, who
for moro than sixty years had made those
beds for the children Of Immortality
The pslo moon shed its beams upon the
place. and the chilling aitsighed mourn.
fully among the weeping willows that
grew by the hodge. The grav estones
stood up like spectres among the faded
grass, and here and there arose white
monum snt, like soms more powerful
spirit that watched the sanctity Of the
place.
"Malcom Warren" spoke the old man,
in voice so deep that it seemed almost
to come from one Of the neighboring
graves, "not long since you pointed 10
me as on example how long a man
might live who smiled upon the wine.
cup. You pointed to me as one who
had outlived all my companions. and
yet as one who had always quaffed at
the intoxicating bowl. Perhaps you
spoke truly, but you did not speak the
whole truth, for the whole truth you did
not know, and | have brought you here
to whisper that truth into your ear"
Malcom Warren gazed up into the
old mans face, and as he saw how
solemn was the expression that rested
there, he forgot the bad company he had
left behind at the tavern, an his thoughts
became serious.
"Malcom," resumed the sexton, 81
can look back now into the past. and
see a score Of young men who com.
menced the race Of life with me. We
went to school together, and together
we sat in church. We loved to learn
the excitement Of the intoxicating cup,
and we thought not then Of the dangers
we were couftins. Years passed on,
and | saw those twenty men sink into
the AIMS Of death, and [ buried them
all here. Malcom Warren, they all
sleep in drunkards' graves! One after
another saw them fall, and at length
, was left alone Of the party who were
wont to assemble around the bar room
FIRE.
A deep groan escaped from the young
. mans lips and a shudder ran through
| his frame.
, Gall gone 2" he asked.
"Yes--all p the old man uttered.--
t "But this is not half, Malcom. Thei
t wives and children that died, and they
| too, lie here, 0 how we'll can remem
ber the bright eyed laughing, loving
+, girls, who used to play with US when VIZ
, we're boys! And how we'll can remem
$ ber when | saw them standing al the al
, tar; and when they turned away from
! the place they we're blushing brdes.--
$ But few short years, and | began tc
? gather them into the folds Of death. The.
9 sank down with broken hearts ant
d crushed hopes Some Of them lived t.
;. be gray headed, but their gray hair
S came down in sorrow to the grave Sc
y that grave the one with the dark gra
$ stone. He who sleeps beneath tha
g mound was once the happiest youth i
s the village. He was a carpenter b
g trade, and he built the house in whic
1t you were born. He used to laugh an
d sing over the wine cup, and he though
l. not then Of harm. once heard hi
'r young wife beg Of him to remain at hon
4. with her, but he refused her the boon.-
;e She told him that she was cold an
lie hungry, and that her children needle
10 clothing, but he needed her not. A fe
Of short years afterwards that wife's hea
is broke and she died, and her Children
80 The husband and the father I'found on
l. cold night lying by the road side and
was dead These are their graves, for
ID buried them all together. You can 81
he the wife's grave next beyond the graz
RI stone Of the husband, and those tv
n. little graves are where lie the frozen b
re and girl J"
gu The old man drew his sleeves aero
ns his eyes to wipe away the tears, al
.' 'ie while he did so Malcom bowed his he
w and groaned mournfully.
~ "Malcom Warren" he said, "the
"a. was once full regiment Of stout soldi'
followed Napoleon Bonapart into R,
"a, sia. There were many regiments we
on m also, but Of this one in particular ha
" read. or that whole company
an men only one solitary individual liv
,wi I to return to the home Of his birth. 1
m m the rest died on tho way. They W
! is starved and frozen and they dropped
, to the way side. Now suppose some thoug
= less youth should point to that sin
bus living soldier. and say that amid
an eternal SHOWS Of Russia there was
nm danger. because that man had pas
an. them all and still lived Like t
led single fragment Of the regiment d.
Ant stand here a living man."
liv. The youth gazed up in the face Of
n ri aged speaker, and new emotions "