St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-01-17

sleeping, and after gazing on him some
time in silence, awoke him.
Pierre opened his eyes, and staring
about him, said: #.~ '.t..s
'The hour, then, is at last come" -
"No, Pierre" replied the officer, Kit is
not yet the:hour, but it will soon come"
"And what do you want with me until
then ?" g.. h.:.r
"Dost thou not know me, Pierre 2. No
matter; [ know thee we'll. I saw thee at
Austerlitz, and bravely didst thou bear
thyself From that day, Pierre, l have
had for thee a regard no less warm than
sincere. Yesterday, on my arrival at
Strasburg, I learned thy crime and con-
demnation. I have prevailed on the jail
er, who is a relation of mine, to allow me
to sec thee. And now that I have come,
| would say to thee Pierre, it is often sad
thought for man about to die, that he has
not a friend near him to whom he might
open his heart, and intrust with some sa
cred commission to discharge, when he
should be no more. It thou wilt accept
me, I will be to thee that friend"
Il thank you, co1nrade," replied Pierre.
"Why! hast thou nothing to say to me?''
"Nothing. ''~--~~
"What! not one word Of adieu to thy
sweetheart TO thy sister," =" :, =.
"a sweetheart? ? sister never had Ell
ther.' ~~~-....... .-~- -, i. ---.z
ITO thy father?'' .. .-s,. vr:,rt:r
''He is no more. Two months ago he
died in my arms"
"Thy mother then!''
"Ay mother !''--and Pierre, whose voice
suddenly and totally changed, repeated-;
'Emy mother: All, oonrade, do not utter
that namc--I have never sad it in nv
heart without feeling melted like child;
and even new, methinks, if were to speak
"What then 2" ....,:, vi,
"Thc tears would come-and tears do
not becomects 4 man. x < x X Tears!,n,
continued he, Clears. when I have but a
few hours to live! All! there would not
be much courage in that!' :..>. -.
ashamed Of Weeping, weFs f0 SPaaf t of
my. mother" ... -. :. -, ~~.. ...n::
TAAirtc you serious % said Pierre, eagerly
seizing the officers hand. "You a man
and soldier, and not ashamed to weep?'
"When speaking of my mother 2. Ger
tainly not. My mothel is so good, SO kind.
She loves me much, and I, too, love her
dearly"
"Shc loves you, and you love her? Oh!
then may, indeed, tell you all. My heart
is full-it must have vent; and, however
strange my feelings appear to you, I 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 into which he can pour
out his own. VIII you listen to me, and
not laugh at me? p
"suerely 1 will listen, Pierre. A dying
man must ever excite compassionate SYM
pathy." 49,.
<'You must know, that since came IN
to this world, I never loved but one being
: that being was my mother. But her l
| loved as none lovcd-with all that was in
me of life and energy. While yet babe,
, l used to read her eyes, as she read nine,
/ guessed her thoughts, and she knew
NINE She was the heart Of my heart,
f and 1 the heart OF hers Ihave never had
either sweetheart or wife; [ never had Il
friend; my mother was everything to nc.
= Well, I was summoned to t*ke up arms !;
and when they told Inc must leave her,
l. in a paroxysm Of despair I declared they
g might drag me limb from limb, but never
G should they take mo from her alive. With
one word spoken in her holy fortitude and
n strong courage, she chang ged my whole
II purpose. :. -.
r "'Pierre,' said she, you must go-it is
l. my wish:' 49,
l. "I knelt before her, and said, 4 will 50,
le mother
n ".Pierrc,' she added, thou hast been a
/, good son, and 1 thank God for it; but the
y, duties of son are not the only ones man
ID has to fulfill. Every citizen owes himself
n to his country; it calls thee-obcy! Thou
s. art going to be a soldier. From this mo-
'g ment thy life is no longer thine own II
is is thy country's. If it's interests demand
" it, Law it down cheerfully. If it be- the
n will of God that thou shouldst die before
d. me, I should weep for thee my hearts
ad tears; but / will say, "He gave, and HI
ey has taken away, blessed be the name o
ut the Lord p Go, now, and if thou Low.
at thy mother, do thy duty Oh! how pre-
nc cious those holy words! have never for
at gotten them. do thy Duty she said
ID. Now, the duty Of a soldier was always; ant
ry in all things, to obey; and in all thinss
at, and always, Iobcyed. It was to go straiggh
ZEE forward to face danger without hesitation
Ie without second thought; and I wen
re- straight forward rd-faced danger withou
hesitation second thought
CHI Those who saw me thus, as it We're, see
;C-