Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-03-24
EDGEFIELD, S. C.,EMARCH "A, 1853
and then led him up the woods. A quiet cot.

and then led him up the woods. A quiet cot
tage, embosomed among the trees, broke on
their eyes.
They entered the cottage. There, beside the
desolate hearthstone, sat the widow and her chill
dren. She sat there, q matronly woman of about
thirty years, faded by care, q deep dark eye and
black hair hanging in dishevelled manner
about her shoulders.
On one side was dark.haired boy of some
six years on the other little girl one year
Younger, with light hair and blue eyes. The
Bible-an old and venerated volume-lay open
on the mothers knee.
And then the pale faced tory flung himself
on his knees, confessed that be butchered her
husband on the night of Paoli, but begged his
life at her hand
"Spare me for the sake of my wife and my
child j"
He had expected that this pitiful moan would
touch the widows heart; but not one relenting
CLEAN softened her pale face.
"The Lord shall Judge for us?" she said in
a cold, icy tone that froze the murderers heart
"Look the Bible lays open in my lap; I vii
close that volume, and then this boy shall open
it, and place his finger at random upon line
and by that you shall live or die!'
This was a strange proposal made in good
faith of wild and dark superstition of the olden
time. For moment the tory, pale as ashes
was wrapt in thought Then, in taltering
voice, he signifed his consent.
Raising her dark eyes to heaven, the mother
prayed the Great Father to direct the finger Of
her sou. She closed the book-she handed ii
to that boy whose young cheek Redeemed with
loathing as he gazed upon his fathers murderer
He took the Bible, opened its holy pages at ran
dom, and placed his finger upon a verse.
Then there was o silence. The continental
soldier who had sworn to avenge his brothers
death, stood there with dilating eyes and parted
face like discolored clay, felt his heart leap to
his throat.
Then, in clear, bold voice, the widow read
this line from the Old Testament. 1t was short
but terrible
"That man shall de-"
"Look the brother springs forward to plunge
knife into the murderer's heart; but the tory,
pinioned as he is, clings to the widows knees,
He begs that one more trial may be made by
the little girl, that child of five years DID,. with
golden hair and laughing eyes.
The widow consents. There is all awful pause
With a smile in her eye, without knowing what
she does, the little girl opens the Bible rs it lays
on her mothers knee, she turns her laughing
face away and places her finger upon line.
That awful silence grew deeper. The deep
drawn breath of the brother and the broken
sasps of the murderer, alone disturb the still
ness: The widow and dark.eyed boy are breath.
less. The little girl unconscious as she was,
caught feeling Of awe from the countenance
around her, and stood breathless, her face turned
aside and her tiny fingers resting on that line
of life or death.
At last, gathering courage, the widow bent
her eyes to the page, and read. 1t was line
from the New Testament:
I" Loye your enemies"
All, that moment was sublime. Oh, awful
book of God, in whose dread pages we see Mo.
ses talking face to face to Jehovah, or Jesus
waiting by Samaria's well or wandering BY the
waves of dark Galilee. Oh, awful Book, shining
to night as speak, the light of that widows
home, the glory of the mechanics shop, shining
where the world comes not, to look on the last
night Of the convict in his cell, lighting the way
to God, even that dread gibbet. Oh, book of
terrible majesty and childlike loye-of sublimity
that crushes the soul into awe-of beauty that
mctS the heart with rapture, you never shone
more strangely beautiful than there in the lone
cot of the Wissahikon, when you saved the
murderer'S life.
For need | tell you that the murdererS life was
saved-the widow recognized the finger Of God,
and even the stern brother was awed into 81
lence!
The murderer went his way.
Now look you how wonderful are the ways of
Heaven! That very night as the widow sat ut
her lonely hearth, her orphans by her side-sat
there with crushed heart and hot eycbals,
thinking of her husband, who now lay moulder-
ing on the blood.drenched soil of Paoli-thcre
was tap at the door. She opened it, and that
husband living though covered with wounds,
was in her arms
lie had fallen in Paoli, but not in DEATH He
was alive, and his wife lay painting on his DO.
som.
That night there was prayer in that wood
empowered cot of the Wissahikon.
AN ARKANSAS Fathers ADVICE TO HIS Son.
Bob, you are about leaving home for strange
parts You are going to throw me out of the
game and 20 it alone. The odds are agin you,
Bob-remember that industry and perseverance,
are the winning cards, as they are the blowers"
Book larning, and all that sort Of thing, will do
to fill up with, like small trumps, but you must
have the bowers to back 'em else they amt
worth shucks. If luck runs agin you pretty
strong, don't cave in and look like sick chick
EN- on a rainy day, but hold your head up and
make believe you are flush Of trumps; they
won't play SO hard agin you. I've lived and
travelled around some, Bob, and I've found out
that as soon as folks thought you held weak
hand, they'd all buck agin you strong. So,
when you're sorter weak, keep on bold front
but play cautious; lie satisfied with pint.
Many's the hand I've seen 'em eucred cause
they played for too much. Keep your eyes
well skinned, Bob don't let 'em mig you re-
collect the game lays as much with the head as
with the hands. Be temperate; never get
drunk, for then no matter how good your hand,
you won't know how to play it; both bowers
and the ace won't save you; for there's sartin
to be miss deal" or something wrong. And
another thing, Bob, (this was spoken in low
tone,) don't go too much on women; queens is
kinder poor cards; the more you have of 'eln
the worse for you; you might have three, and
nary trump. don't say discard 'cm all if
you get hold Of one that is a trump, it's all
good, and there's sartain to be one out Of four.
And above all, Bob, be honest; never take a
mars trick wot don't belong to you, nor "slip''
cards or "nis," for then you can't look your
man in the face, when that's the case, there's