The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1856-02-06
stIrtt Storp.
THE MECHANIC HERO.
a TALE OF fHB REvoLUTIoN

oOlbS "HaS tCLllOu ltOtu tnc IOdCs uhu 81 1hS
shade Of stout chesnut tree. 1t was a
quiet cottage, nesting away there in one
corner of the forest road, dear home In
the wilderness, with sloping loof, walls oI
dark grey stone, and easement hidden a
mong vines and flowers.
On one side, amid an interval of the for
est trees, was seen the rough outline of q
Blacksmith's shopi There was small
garden in front, with brown graveled
walk, and beds of wild flowers.
Here, at the time of the Revolution,
there dwelt stout blacksmith, his young
wife and her babe. What cares that black
smith, working away there In that shadowy
nook of the forest, for war? What feared
he for the peril of the times, so long as his
strong arm ringing that hammer on the an.
vii. might gain bread for his wife and child?
Ab, he cared little for var, he took little
note Of the panic that shook the valley
when some few mornings beforethe battle o
Brandywine, while shoeing horse OF Tt.
ry Refugee, he overheard plot for the SUI
prise and capture of Washington. The A
merican leader was to be lured into the coils
of the Tories, his person, once in the Bri-
tish camp, the English General might send
the "1rDit0r Washington home, TO be
tried in Londcn.
Now our blacksmith working away there,
in that dim mock of the forest, without ca.
ring for battle or war, had still sneakinp
kindness for this Mister Washington, whose
name rung on the lips Of all men. So one
night, bidding his young wife hastJ
good bye, and kissing The babe that repo,
sed On her bosom, smiling as ii slept, he
hurried away to the American camp and
told his story to Washington.
1t was morning ere he came back. II
was in the dimuess Of the autumnaI morn
ing, that the blacksmith was plodding his
way, along the forest road. Some few pa.
ces ahead there was an aged oak, standing
out in the road grim old veteran Of thu
forest, that had stood the shocks Of thre
hundred years. Right beyond that oak wa
that backsmith's home.
With this thought warming his heart. lie
hurried on, thinking of the calm young face
and mild blue eyes of that wife, who, the
night before, had stood in the cottage door
waving him ont Of sight with beckoned
good bye--thinking of the baby, that lay
smiling as it slept upon her bosom he hur
ried on-he turned the bend of the wood, he
looked upon his home.
All! what sight was there!
Where, the night before, he had left :
peaceable cottage, smiling under a greer
chesnut tree, in the light Of the setting sun
now was only a heap of black and smoking
embers, and burnt and blasted tree
This was his homel
And there stood the blacksmith gaz in9
upon the wreck Of his hearth stones-thert
he stood, with folded arms and moody
brow; but in moment a smile broke ove
his face.
He saw it all. In the night his home haC
taken fire, and been burned TO cinders.-
But his wife, and child had escaped. Fo
that he thanked God.
With the toll OF his stout arm. plying
there on the anvil, he would build fairer
home for his wife and child; fresh flowers
should bloom over the walks. and more
lovely vines trail along the easement.
With this resolve kindling over his fac'
the blacksmith stood there, with Cheerful
light beaming upon his large grey eyes
when-a hand was laid upon his shoulder
He turned and beheld the face of {
nieghbor.
1t was neighbor's face, but there wa
an awful agony stamping those plain fea
tures-there was an awful agony flashing
from those dilated eyes--there was a dar
and terrible mystery speaking from ,bos
thin lips, that moved but made no sound
For a moment the farmer tried /
speak, the horror that convulsed his fea
lures.
AT last fotcing the blacksmith along th
brown graveled walk, now strewn with Gin
ders, he pointed to the smoking embers. =
There, there---amid that heap of black an
smoking ruins, the blacksmith beheld
dark mass of burnt flesh and blackene
bones. egi
"YoUR wIrE!" shreked the fMmer, a
his agony found words. "The Brilishl-
They came in the night; they"--snd the
he spoke that outrage which the lip culver
ed to think on, which the heart grows pal
sled to tell--that outrage too foul to nam
--"Yonr wifeP' be serieked. pointing /
that hideous thing amid the smoking ruins
:"The British--they murdered your wifi,
they flung her dead body in the famel
they dashed your child against the hearth
stoneW
This was the farmers story.
Do you ask me for the words that trem
bled from his white lipss Do you ask m
for the fire that blazed in his eye?
/ can not tell you. But | can tell 20
that there was . vow going up to Heave