The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1857-05-07
WESTERLY, R l., THURSDAY, MAY I, 1857.

Cd it Bell, one Of the noblest Of girl
was as true as steel TO her choice. All,
AZ firm as her father. Thinks went o,
IN this way, until autumn, when liardis
frankly aud boldly asked the baud 0
Bell Of her father. He stormed at tht
'boy's' ipsolencc, and at last went so IA
as to trunt Harding with his poverty -
The later had bsIne much for severs
weeks, on Bells account, bu! the in
suit siung him beyoud forbearance
/ am poor, Michael Palmer,' l.,
slow y whispered between his teeth
and am yet to learn that honest power
ty is a crime. The day may come, sir
when some friend may die, and make N,
rich, Yet, in the midst Of wealth., Ms,
| will nrvor forget the poor, or my owl
manhood
Michael Palmer writhed under tn,
cutting words Of the cIssperatcd younl
man, and turned him rudely frou hi,
door. Harding saw Boil that evening
at a neighbor's, and frankly told her all
She blamed him not, but wypt bitterly
at the shadow which liugered between
their young lives.
At this point Of cur tale, broke out
the war between the United States and
Mexico. The whole country was fired
with erthusiasm. Taylor had beaten
the enemy at Palc Alto and La PALMA
and his countrymou we're watching his
perllous position in an ensmy's country
with the most intense anxiety VoluU.
teers were CALLED for, and some of the
noblcst Of our land promptly responded
Harding was Of the number, seeking in
the atrlie Of war, that excitement which
should, in Il measure, drown = passion
he could not conquer. IL was sad
lpartng-that Of the two lovers. Hard
ing however wept not, until his old wild
owed mother locked her old withered
arms around him, and poured the holy
wealth Of her scaidiug tears like blood
upon hi, check. Many were the warm
god blo,s-ysu's from the shore, as Hard.
ing was loved for his true nobility OF
soul, and more than one old citizen and
friend, predicted that the hoy would
make his mark in the strife. And how
auTions Y two hearts at home watched
the news from the scat Of war.
The battle 6eld , Death ripens with
glory. The halo of victory bledds with
the fiery haze OF carnage. The laurel
bears blood red bloom where the warm
lite tide has jettcd upon the torn turf
The peal Of triumph startles ecboing
walls in far off homes, ann bcreaved ones
mourn while nation rrjoicc.. The
wreath has been won 10y hands now cold
on the sod, and brave men have died to
give the living hero fame.
The hard fought battle of Buens Wis
ia is over. As the suns blood red glare
flushed the field, the starry flag rolled
out in silent triumph Taylor aud his
little band again and again be ten, had
yet as often met the Mexican host, and
by hand to.hand fshting, wrcncbed the
victory from five time. their own num-
Der. Save ihe scn,in-ls, aud the wous.
ded, the living and the dead, both blood
stained and begrimed. were slumbering
Save the stars, the weeping angels, and
God, none looked upon the field Of blood
and death The shivcred fragments Of
cannon carriages. broken arms and
CHASTITY corpses, were alone upon the
field. Some lay with their arms thrown
ont and faces upturned to the calm sky
others bad died, convulsivcly graspiug
at the turf, their bloodleSs checks close
to earth, and their life blood lingering
in dsrkened clots bpon the matted locks
or gaping wound Angels might well
weep in that hour of stiffness, FOR far
away were hands which would have JOY
ed to have held the head of the dying,
and deep, bitter fountains of tears to have
fingered with the night dew. upon the
elammy brow.
On lightning wing the news Of the
battle sped through the States. Con
spicuously mentioned in the list Of wouu
ded, was the name OF James Harding
Bell Palmer read, with the blood ebbingI
ike an ice tide back to her heart, the
following paragraph in the dispatches
Among the severely wounded in the