The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-12-10

ID line. i lie WOul0n SDuuuef6u, duu Hlu
their eyes; the men looked steadily on in
the fascination of terror; and the little
children in awed but ignorant curiosity
The place was as silent as if devoid of
life.
Again the lieutenant surveyed his men.
"Take aimP' he commanded. He con-
tinued-"aim at their heads, that your
work may be well donel" But though
his voice was clear and strong, and the
tenor of his words not to be mistaken, a
clairvoyant fash of hidden meaning ran
down the line, and the men understood
him. Then came the last cammand;
Fiyer but In the second which inter-
vened between the word and the ringing
volley the ten men were already falling.
The crack of the muskets and the sound
of their bodies were simultaneous. With
out pausing an instant the lieutenant cried:
fright about wheeln' "Forwardh and the
measured tramp of the soldiers rang down
the narrow village street.
The women uncovered their eyes and
gazed. There lay the ten men, motion
less and apparently lifeless. With wild
cries they gathered around them; but ere
their EXPLANATIONS of despair had turned
into those of joy, the last of the soldiers
had disappeared in the wood. Then fol-
lowed weeping embraces, as all arose from
the ground, laughter, and sobs of hyster-
ical Joy. The pastors son, uncovered his
head and knelt down; while all reverent-
ly followed his example, uttered an elo-
quent prayer of thanksgiving for their
merciful deliverance.
What this young man had done was
not suffered to go unrewarded. A bless
ing rested upon his labors and his life.
In the course of time he became clergy
man, filling for while his fathers place
for the people he had saved, but was
afterwards led to wider and more ambi-
tious sphere. He was called to Leipzig,
received the degree of Doctor of Divinity,
and finally became known throughout
Germany as the founder of the Gustav
Aelolph Eerei, (Gustavus Adolphus Union)
which has for its object the dissemination
Of Protestant principles by means of vol
untary contributions. In some respects it
resembles the Home Missions of our coun-
try. Many churches, built by this asso-
citation, are row scattered throughout the
United States.
The inhabitants of Waldorf never for
got their pastor, nor he them. He came
back from time TO time to spend a few
days in the quiet little village of his youth,
where the most eventful crisis of his life
was passed.
In 1859, three out of the ten pseudo
victims of DavouSt were still living in
their old homes, and the people bethought
them that the semi centennial anniversary
of snah an event deseryed- q special cele-
bratiou, DR.. -, of Leipzig formerly
the PASTORS sony was invited to be with
them. He came-he would have come
from the ends of the earth-and after a
solemn religious service in the church
proceeded to the very spot on which he
had stood and faced the French rnuskets,
and there related to the children and
grandchildren OF those he had saved, the
narrative which l have here given in less
moving and eloquent words. Those who
were present described the scene as singu-
larry impressive and affecting. The
three old men sat near him as he spoke;
and the emotions of that hour of trial
were SO wildly reproduced in their minds
that, at the close, they laughed and wept
as they had done on the same day fifty
years before.
La conclusion, the speaker referred to
the oIticer:% whose humane stratagem had
preserved their lives. "Since that day."
said he, have never heard of him. ]
did not even learn his name; but he is
ever remembered in my prayers. Most
probably he died a soldiers death on one
of the many fields of death that inter-
vened between Jena and Waterloo; but
if be should be living, it would cheer my
last days on earth if could reach him
with single word Of gratitude"
In the same year there lived, and, nc
doubt still is living, in Lyons an invali,
ded and pensioned captain of the Napo.
leohic wars. After life of. vicissitudes
he found himself In his cid age, alone
forgotten, poor. Men no better and bra.
yer than he had achieved distinction by
some lucky chance; fortune had come tc
Others, and others had begotten children
to cheer and vitalise their declining DAYS
Him the world had passed by, and fol
years he had been living. quiet, silent
pinched, life, by the aid Of his scanty pen.
sion. His daily resort was cafe, where
he could see and read the principal Euro.
pean journals, and perhaps measure the
changed politics of the present time BY
the experience of his past life. = s''
One day in November, 1856, he entered
the cafe as usual, took his accnstoiriec
seat as he was Won't to do, and picked NJ
the nearest paper. It happened to be thu
Augsburg Allgemeine Zeitung; but b,
had spent some years in Germany, ant
understood the language tolerably. Hi
attention was attracted by letter dated
jena 'Iena!h he thinks-"f was Their,
TOO; what is going on thsFs hosses' Il,
reads little H.ftner: Celebration at Wal
dorf. Waldorf! The name is familiar
where have heard it?" As he ccntih
ues his perusal, the Old captains excite
ment 50 unusual circumstances, attract
the attention of all the other hd5itues o
the cafe. "Grand Disa payo4st-W al
dorfTthe ten n1en-the pastors son
Did I dream such thing, or is this tn,
same?" Forgotten for years and years
efaced by hundred other military ad
ventures, OVERLAND and lost in the crowded
stores Of a. soldiers memory, the seen,
came to light again. The pastors Sol
still lived, still remembered, and thanked
the preseryer of his native village! Man,
long year had passed since such a GLOW
warme | the chambers of the old man
| heart. S.. sss5 ID ..s7-. 80.
That evening he wrote to DIR. -, il
Leipzig. He was i'll, and but few month
distant from his last hour; but the sol
dier's letter seemed like proyidentia
answer to his prayers, and frightened tn
Pickering close of his life. A manly ant
affectionate correspondence was carried OF
between the two while the latter lived
The circumstance became public, and tn,
deed was officially recognized in wa,
most flattering to the pride of Capt. La
motto. The Grand Duke of SAKE Wei
mar and the King of Saxony conferre,
II