The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1861-01-10


vanced to the side Of the camp bed in whict
the condemned was TRANQUILITY sleeping, and
after gazing on him some time in silence
awoke him.
Pierre opened bis eyes. and staring abou
him. said:
The hour then is at last come"
mo. Pierre replied the officer. cit il
not yet the hour, but it will soon come"
''And what do you want with me unit
them"
"Dost thou know me Pierrel No mat
ter. l know thee well. I saw thee q
Austeriiz. and bravely didst thou bear thy
self From that day, Pierre, l have had 4
regard for thee no less warm than sincere
Yesterday. on my arrival at Strausburg.
l. armed thy crime and condemnation
have prevailed on tie jaiior, who is a rela
ton Of mine. to allow me to see thee. AND
now that have come, l would say to thee
pierre, it is often sad thought for man
about to die, that he has not friend neal
him to whom he might open his heart, and
iintrust with some sacred commission to dis
charge when he should be no more. II
thou wilt accept me l will be to that friend -
Il thank you. comrade,' replied Pierre.
"Why! hast thou nothing to say to me-"
Nothing"
"What! not one word of adieu to thy
sweetheart--'o thy sister,
"a sweetheart? A sister, I never had
either"
ITO thy father"
"He is no more. Two months ago he
died in my arms
.Thy mother. Them
my mother.' said Pierre whose voice
suddenly and totally changed, repeated
''my mother! All, comrade, do not utter
that name, for l have never heard that name
Il have never said it in my heart--with l.
out feeling melted like CHILD; and even
now methinks if | were to speak Of her,
! what tGen?'
( "The tears would come--and tears do
not become a man. Tears!"
continued he, .tears when have but few
hours to live! All there would not be
much courage in that!"
/ Thou art too stern, comrade. think |
have, thank God, as much courage as other
people; and yet | would not be ashamed Of
weeping We're | to speak of my mother"
/ Are you serious?" said Pierre, eagerly
sezing the officers hand. you. man
and soldier. and not ashamed to weep?"
When speaking of my mother? Ger
tainly not. My mother is SO good, SO kind.
She loves me much, and /. too, love her
dearly"
"She loves yous and you love her. Oh!
then may, indeed, tell you all. Ny heart
is full--it must have vent; and, however
strange my feelings appear to you. l am
sure you will not laugh at them. Listen,
then; for what you said just now is quite
true. A man is glad, when about to die. to
have heart to which he can pour out his
own. Will you listen to me, and not laugh
at me?''
'.Surely l will listen, Pierre. A dying
man must ever excite compassionate sym
pathy"
! "You must know that since l came into
this world l never loved but one being
that being was my mother. Buther | loved
as none loved--with all that was in me Of
Ii and energy. While yet babe l used
TO read her eyes, as she read mine; guessed
her thoughts, and she knew mine She W as
the heart OF my heart, and | the heart of
hers. | have never had either sweetheart
or wife; | never had friend; my mother
was everything TO me. Well. l WAS sum-
moned to take up arms: and when they
told me l must leave her in paroxysm Of
despair declared they might drag me limb
from limb. but never should they take me
from her alive. With one word spoken in
her holy fortitude and strong courage she
changed my whole purpose.
".Pierre,' said she, you must go--it is
my wish
Il knelt before her, and said. Il will 90,
mother
".Perre, she added, thou hast been a
good son, and | thank God for it. but the
duties Of a son are not the only ones a man
has to fulfill Every citizen owes himself
to his country; it calls thee-obey! Thou
art going to be soldier. From this mo-
ment thy life is no longer thine own; i, is
thy coun.ry's. If its interests demand it
lay it down oheerfully. If it b. the will ol
Col that thou shoudst die before me.
would say. "He gave. and He has taken
away. blessed be the name of the Lord!''
Go, now, and il thou love thy mother, do
thy duty On! how precious those holy
words! have never forgotten them
DO thy duty, she said Now, the duty oI
a soldier was always. in all things, to obey
and in all things, and always, l ooeyed. II
was to 60 straight forward--to face danger
without without second thought
and | went straight forward; faced DANCE,
without hesitation; withouta second thought
Those who saw me thus, as it were, seek to
meet the bullets. said. There is a brave
fellowl' They might have better said
There is man who loves his mother!'
Zone day a letter brought me the tiding.
that she was ili-my own poor mo,her!--
longed to go to her. l asked for leave o.
absence; it was not granted. remembered
her last words--'If thou love thy mother
do thy duty l submitted. A little after
heard that she was dead. Obi then nv
sense forsook me; at any risk determined
to travel 10 the country. Whence pro
ceeded SO ardent. so impetuous desire te
see once more place where my mother
had Just diedl l viii tell you; aud as yo,
have . mother. and as she loves you. aud a.
you love her. you viii understand me.
I'VE peasants Of Morvan are 4 simpl.
and eonhding race. We have not received
the instruction, nor attained the knowledg,
thAi they have in the cities; but We hav,
our beliefs, which the townsfolk call super
stititious. What matters the name? B.
they superstitious or beliefs, we have them
and clever would ha sha man that ronl.