Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-05-17

10 me as an example OF now long maj
might live who smiled upon the wine
cup. You pointed to me as one VIII,
had outlived all my companions, ant
yet as one who had always quaffed at tn
Intoxicating bowl. Perhaps you spok
truly, but you did not speak the who'll
truth, nor the whole truth did you know
and now have 1 brought you here t
whisper the truth in your ear" ;,
| Malcolm Warren gazed into the oil
mans face. and as he saw how solemn
was the expression that rested there, b.
forgot the bad company he left behinc
him at the tavern, and his thoughts be
come serious.
Malcolm" resumed the sexton, I'd
can look back now into the past, and see
a score of young men who commenced
the race of life with me: We went tc
school together, and together we sat in
church. We learned to love the excite
ment of the Intoxicating cup and we
thought not then of the dangers we were
courting. Years passed on, and l saw
those twenty men sink into the arms OF
death and buried them all here
Malcolm Warren, they all sleep in drum
kard's 9raves! One after another seen
them fall, and soon l was lett alone of
the party who was wont to assemble
around the bar-room fire."
A deep groan escaped the young
mans lips, and shudder ran through
his frame. ..- +.
s'All gonel' he uttered.
"Yes-all J" the old man responded.
'But this is not half, Malcolm
There were wives and children that died,
and they. too, lie buried here! OH how
well can | remember the bright-eyed,
laughing, loving girls who used to play
with Us when we we're boys! And how
we'll can l remember when seen them
standing at the altar-and when they
turned away from the place they were
blushing brides. But few short years
ago and began to gather them in the
fold of death. They sank down with
broken hearts and crushed hopesl--
Some of them lived to be grey headed,
but their grey hairs came down in sor-
row to the silent gravel See that grave
there-the one with the dark grey stone.
He who sleeps beneath that stone was
once the happiest in the whole village.
He was a carpenter by trade, and built
the house in which you were born
He used to laugh and sing over the
wine-cup, and he thought not then of
harm I nnen hoard hie y-vuug wife beg
him to remain at home with her, but he
refused her boom. She told him she
was cold and hungry, and that her chill
dren needed clothing. but he needed
her not. A few short years afterwards,
that wife's heart broke, and she died,
and then her poor children soon followed
her. The husband and father found
one cold night lying by the road side,
and he was dead! These are their
graves, for buried them together
You can see the wife's grave next be-
yond the grey stone of her husbands
and these two little graves are whore
lie the frozen boy and girl 7"
The old man drew his sleeve across
his eyes to wipe away the tears, and
while he did so, Malcolm bowed his
head and groaned mournfully.
malcolm Warren" continued the
old man, "fthere was once full regi-
ment of tough soldiers followed Napo-
leon Ronaparte into Russia. There
were many other regiments went also,
but of this one in particular have | read.
OF that whole company of men only one
solitary individual lived to return to the
land Of his birth. All the rest died on
the way. They were starved and half
frozen, and they were dropped by the
wayside. Now, suppose some thought
less youth should point 10 that single !
living soldier, and say that amid the
eternal SHOWS of Russia there is no dan
ger, because that man had passed them
all and still lived! Like that single /.
fragment of the regiment do stand here
a living man." -t- --.,a1 !
The youth gazed up in the face of the
aged speaker, and new emotions worked
upon his features. ..ts~ -.---
"Come Malcolm, would show you
one more spot before we CO."
The old man leaned upon his staff
and moved slowly on among the graves,
and Involuntary did the youth follow
At length they stopped by spot where
two graves lay side by side. The slabs
were of marble and they glistened bright
ly in the moonlight Il
Malcolm" spoke the sexton in a
deep whisper, al remember well when
l made these two graves. There was
no sorrow to fill the beds which here l
made, for they who sleep here, died
amid the sweet breathings of peace and
honor. They were good, yirtuous peo-
pie and when they were gone our towns
men mourned, for our village had lost
two of its most noble spirits. o, l love
to come and stand over those graves, for
! know that God smiles upon them
There is no taint or dishohor here
Malcolm, do you know who rests in
those graves?' ri
The youth did not answer, nor did he
raise his head, but with one deep, wild
cry, he sank down, and there he lay
across both graves weeping and sobbing
like child. His father and mother
slept there. 4