Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-01-26

obey Thou art going to be soldier
From this moment thy life is no longer
thine own. 1t is thy coutrys. If its
interests demand it, lay it down cheer
fully. If it be the win of God that
thou should'st die before me, | should
weep for thee my hearts tears; but |
would say, He gave and He has taken
away, blessed be the name of the Lord ?
Go now and if thou love thy mother,
do thy duty OH how precious those
holy words; | have never forgotten
them-'Do thy duty she said. Now
the duty of a soldier was always, and in
all things, to obey; andalways | obeycd.
1t was to go straight forward-to face
danger without observation-disclosures sec
ond thought; and | went straight for
ward-faced danger without hesitation
without q second thought. Those who
saw me thus seek, as it were, to meet
The bullets, said, there is brave fellow
They might have better said, there is q
man VINO loves his motherp One day
letter brought me the tidings that She
was ill-my ownp motherl longed
to see her. asked for leave of absence;
it was not granted. | remembered her
last words, If thou lowest thy mother,
do thy duty submitted, A little
after | heard that she was dead. Oh I!
then my senses forsook me; at any risk
I determined to travel to the country.
Whence proceeded 50 ardent, 50 impet-
uons desire to see once moro a place
where my mother had just died Twill
tell you; and as you have another, and
as she loves you, and you love her, you
will understand me- We peasants of
Morvan are simple and coniding race
We have not received the instruction,
nor attained the knowledge that they
have in the cities; but we have our be-
liefs which the town folks call supersti-
tons. What matters the name? BE
they superstitions or beliefs, have them,
and clever would be the man that could
uproot them. Now, one of these beliefs
to which we cling the most, is chat which
attributes to the first flower which blows
in the grave mould, such virtue that
he who gathers it is certain of never for
getting the dead, and of never being
forgotten by them. Belief, how dear,
how sweet! With it death hasno terrors
for death, without forgetting, or being
forgotten, is but sweet sleep and calm
reposc after long toll That flower
painted to see it bud painted to gather
it! | abandoned my post, and went on
my way. After ten days Of long ard
weary march, | reached my mothers
grave. The earth seemed yet afresh-
no flower. waited. Six weeks elapsed
and then one lovely morning saw a
little blue flower Forget-me-not.' As
plucked it, | shed glad tears, for me-
thought that little flower was my mothers
soul that she had felt that | was near.
and, under the form of that flower, had
given herself to my heart once more 49,
There was nothing now to dotain me in
the country for my father had soon fol-
lowed my mother to hegraye and had
plGckcd my precious Aowm; what moro
did / want? remembered my mother,
chargc--do thy duty! | sought tho
genF ara1cs, and | said, 1 ANA desertcI
arrest me- And now ] am to die
and if, as You assured me, ! have in you
friend, die without regret, for yor
will do me the only service | require. -
The flower, which at the risk Of my life
plucked from the grave, is here, in
little case, next to my heart. Promis
me that you will see that they do no
take it from me. 1t is the link whicI
unites me to my mother, and if | though
it would be broken-oh! | should no
Z have the courage to die. Say, do yol
promise to do what / ask Of your
- promise !" said the officer.
+" Your hand, that | may press it t.
my heart. You are very kind to. me
and if the Almighty God were in hi
Omnipotence to give me my life a scconC
time, would devote it to you"
The friends parted
The next day had dawned. They ar.
rived at the place of execution, anc
already had the fatal sentence been read
when the low murmur that ran through
the ranks changed into almost dcafonina
shouts.
" The Emperor the Emperor! Long
live the Emperor
He appeared, dismountcd from his
horse, and then, with bis short, quick
step, he walked up to the condemned
"Picrrc," said he 10 him.
Pierre gazed at him, and made an
effort to speak, but a sudden stupoi
seemed to overwhelm him. The officer
who had visited him in his cell was the
Emperor himself!
Pierre" continued the Emperor
remember your own words of last night
| God gives thee life a second time de-
vote it not to me, but to France she
too, is a kind mother! Love her as thou
didst thy frst-thine own"
CIR HOMES. - Get home, rich Of
poor, get a home, and learn 10 love that
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