American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-12-30
TIE RIGT1T ARM
OR. THE
PATRIOT AND THE TRAITOR.


the night. when the storm at lie high.
est, an aged minister, living near the sub
urbs Of the city, was aroused By ansearn-
est cry Cor helps 1ssking from hiss Biilr'
dow he beheld q. rude imam clad in the
course attire Of the sweeper Of public
street. In few moments Whiledhe rain
came down in torrents, and the storm gFoHl-
ed sbOys.tbe preacher. Iesning 90 ihs arm
Of the seaVengsr, threaded his way tbrough
the dark suburbs. si 'c iSe sz,usIa
That very day strange old man bad
fallen speechlsss In front of fthe scavengeFs
rude home The good hcaated street
sweeper had lsken him in. laid him on his
own Lsd--be had not spoken once--aud
nov he was dying. ~ ts& - ~ 2
This was the story Of Of the rough nah.
And now, through dark alleys, among
miserable tenerheBts, thai seemed 10 tOpple
down upon their heads, into TIE lOnelissI
and dreariest suburbs Ihpy pass.
That Whits-haiTed minister and bis guide.
AT last inla narrow court. end upaa Aight
Of stairs that creaked beReath, their tread.
and then into the deaLh room.
Il was iD truth miserable place.
A. glipmsring light stood on a.bnOken
chair. There were the rvtgh walls, there
tho solitary garret window, with the rain
beeiing through the rags and straw, which
stuffed tbs broken panes-a and there amid
The broken psnes-and there amid heap
Of ashes the small Talise which il seems
Ihe stranger had with him.
In one corner. on the course straw Of
the ragged bed, lay the dying man. He
was but half dressed his legs were cover
ed by military boots.
| The aged preseher drew near and look
ed upon him. And he looked d-thTob-
you might hear the death watch ticking 10
in the shattered wall -.
Il was the form Of q strong man, grow
ing old with care more than age.
There was face that you might look
upon once, and yet wear it in your mem
ory forever. Lot US bend over the bed
and lcok on that lace. afs ~
A bold .Orehead scanned by one deeE
!, wrinkle between the brows-Iong locks o.
dark hair. sprinklep with gray-lps firmly
set, yet quiTering as though they had |
Ii separate from the life Of the msn-ant
then two large eyes vivid. burning, un
natural in their steady glare.
All. there was something SO terrible II
that something so full of unutterabl'
lonsliness, unspeakbl despsir--that thes,
aged minister started back in horror.
But look. these s'roRg arms are clutch
ing at q g Vseantair--the death swet start
in drops upon the cold broW-the man !
dyingl
? TIlrob!- lhrobl l-throbl-beat the dea,
5 watch in the shattered wall. sfAa
, "Would you die in The faith Of Chris
tian?" iallered the preacher, as be knel
there on the dark floor. :: -
, The white lips Of the death strickel
} man trembled but made no sound. @
, Then. with the agony Of death upon hin
q he rose into sitting posture. For lb
e FIRST time he spoke: Hs fpsg4 %
. ''ChristiaoE' he echoed in that dee
/ tone which thrilled the teacher to Ii
Y heart, "wilh that faith give me back m
: honor! Come with me-wiih me far. "a
Q over The water Hs!'we are there! Thi
u is my native home. Yonder is ih
:. church in which knelt in childhood
Q yonder the green on which Isported whe
boy. But another flag than that wave
! when | was child. Aud listen, oldma
II were 1 TO pass this street as 1 passed vile
9 but child, the very babes 10 their cradle
3 would raise their tiny hands and ours
. me. The graves in yonder curchyAr
9 would shrink from my footsteps. an
q yondsr flag would strain q babtism (
= blood upon my heart"
! That was an awful death bed. I'll
minister that watched the last night,
e with hundred convictions their cells an
! vet never,beheld scene as terrible as thi
: Suddenly the dying man arose. II
. iotered along the floor With these whit
). fingers, whose nails are blue with the deaf
y chill, be threw open the valise. lie shoV
2 ed his military coat trimed With silver. a
; old parchment, a piece Of old clothe ihi
I, looked like The wreck Of an old batt
= flag. .l...,
% "Look ye. priest. this faded coat is spottt
: Wlt0 my DiOOu' us Otteu ds Oio uehOrN
% seemed string at his heart. This is u
t. last coat wore when planted the bann
n of the stars on the Tic0ndeEegs. tn
le bullet hole was pierced in ibc fight
n. Queberk; now--Eam a--let me whisp
O. 10 your ear" b ~
Nov, heIp me, priest" he said ia
. voice. growing suddenly tremulous; "he
o me put on this coat Of blue and silver.'
y n For you sce." and a ghostly smile car
= over his face. "lherr is no one 10 wipe I
y cold drops from my brow; but | will me
= = him as meet him in battle, witbo
:. feHr y Si,a ff'5
y y While he stood arrayiDg himself ih d
y worm-eateq coat OF blue and silver, I
~ good preacher spoke TO him offahh 10 J
70 sus. Yes, Of That great faith Which pi'
~ ~ ces the clouds Of human guilt. and r0
70 them back from the face 0f God. 4,
y "Faithlr echoed The strange maus "
N stood there erect, with the death Light
10 his eye. cFaith, can it give me beck 4
's. honor?. Look, ye, priest, there. over !
No the waves 4siis George Washingisnis stslli
10 his comrades the pleasant Sscry Of