Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1857-01-09
NJ | : & II LII A n Y u.
The Smith OF Rayenbach..-A True and
Thrilling Incident.

/ In the Principally ofllohcnlohc, langen-
burgh, is village called Ravcnbach, where
about twcuty years ago, the following heart
rcnding. but also heroic event took place
one afternoon in the carly spring or au.
tumn, my kind iniorman, dad not exactly
know which, in the taycrn.room Of Raven.
bach. men and women having assembled
/ from ths village, sat AZ their ease, none an.
ticipl,ins what would happen on that event
ful DAY. The smith formed one Of the merry
company, a strong, vigorous man, but also
with 'uch a good uaturcd smi" upon hi. lips
that every one Who saw hlm admired him
Every evil disposed person Stunned him, iur
the valiant smith woullal1w nothing wrong
in hi, presence, and 1t was not advisable To
have anything 10 DO with him except IN a
proper manner. III. arms were Ike bar. OF
ir,u, and bis fs,s like forge hamm r., ~ tha,
few could equal him ia strength Of body.
Tho brave smith at near the door chat.
ting with one of hi, nrighbor, know not
ofwhat all At oncr the door .pranc open,
and . large dog came staggering into the
room, great, .tr,us, powerful boast, with
rrDcious, irichtlul aspect, his head was
hansin: down aud hl. eyes blo,lshot, his
lead c1Ior,i ionsu, hanging half way ont
of hi' open mouth, anl his tail dropped De-
tween ~, legs Thu. the irrocilus beast
entered the room, ou; II which there was
900 u.e.po bot hy one door,. Scarcely hnI
'hc smith, u.i.hl1r, who was ba,hkccpsr
of the place, -en th' animal, when DO De-
came iathlyTalc, srraus up and czc'iimcl,
with q h1Trifrl voice
"G1oI heavens the 30. is mad"
Then r,,r au outcry ThrrD,m wa. full
or men and women, and tho fcamins beast
stood before the only entrance, M ono could
leave without passing him. lIo snapped
nusrly right aul LETT, IL, one could rass
hum without bring bitten Thi, increased
the horrible confusion. iIl ,rrang mp and
.hrluk from th, furious d., with ar1m1ins
countcnanc,-. Who should deliver them
from bm? The smith stood up among
them, and 81, hc saw thr anguish OF tlcroo-
plr, u nlshrI acr,., lis mind how many Of
DO. con,antcd uri.hhor, would De- made mis-
callc hy maI dog, aul hr formed a r,so-
lution, thr like OF which Is scarcely to ho
found in the history oi the human race Tor
hishminl ,lnc.- and noLlsnc,- Certainly
hi, brown cheek ralcl little, but hIs eye.
.Jlrk,cl with divine fir, and an elevated
resolution .honc frUm ,la smooth brow of
the .imrlc.mniri man.
" Back an o" thuulsrrd be with bis deep
strong voice. 1t M one stir, tor no one
can nn1ul,h the beast JutI' one victim
must hll in order to sly, 40. and will hr
the victim I will hold the brute, AMI whilst
| D, 90, makcyour escape" The smith bal
scarcely .p1kcn those worl. WIEN the dog
started towards the .hriekIps people. But
D., went not mr With Gods help"
cri.l the smith. and ho rushed uVon the
f11miug beast. seized him with an iron
grasp, and dashed him 20 the ll,r.
Oh, wmta trrrib, struggle followed -
The dos bi, ruri1usly upon every .iis in a
iri,h'ml manner. w. lon: teeth tore the
arms aud ,hi,h. Of tie hrr5.c smith, but BE-
would not Ir, him loose. BegarlicS alike
u, o.. rlrg.sis, pain auI 90, horrible death
which must cn-ls, D, held down with aa
iron grasp the swapping, biting, bowling
brute ,,l all bad escaped '-iIllall, all were
rescued and IN safety. II, then dung tho
laIt,ulu-ll b,a'; against the wall, aud
dripping with blood and ,cnomou' foam, b.
lea the room, locking th' door after him.
S,me persons shot th, dog through tie
windows But Oh marelui God, what
will become OF the brave, unfortuuat, smith?
Weeping and nmcn,ius, the peopl, sur.
rounded him, who had saved their lives at
tie expense or his own. :" BE quiet, nay
friends, u, not weep Cor mc," be .lii, one
mus; die in order to save the others, Do
not thank me, for have only performed
NY duty. When am dead think Of mc
with love, and now pray tor m that GOD
will n,t let mc suffer long or too much. !
will take care that uD further mischief shall
occur through me, l1r must certainly be-.
come mad. he went stnishtto his work.
shop, and selected a strong chain, the hca'i.
cst and frincst from hi, whole stock. H.
then with his own hands welded 1, upon
his own limb, and around the anvil - firmly
that no power on earth could break IL.
" There, said be. "i;, done" after having
silently and sJlcmnly finished his work
Now you are secured, aud | am inoiTtusiyc,
50 long as | live bring me my food. The
rest leave to God; into hi- hands COM
mend my spirit" Nothing could save the
brave smith, neither tear, lamentations nor
prayers Madness seized him, and after
nine DAYS he diyd-but truly, he died only
to awake to beautiful and glorious liie at
the right hand Of God. lie drci, bat bis
memory will live FROM generation to genera
ton, and will be ,cner4,od to the end Of
time.
| Search history through, and You will find
n, action more Curious and sabine than
tue deed OF this supplemented man, the
smith OF Raycnbaeh. It is easy for noble
minds to die like Winkelriel or Martius
Curtius the high-sPirited Roman youth
but to 90 to the sacrifice with the certainty
of death. and moreover, boins Obliged to
whit a lnnih 80 aMlul. during long frarinl