Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-04-27
The Restored.
a THRILLING REVOLUTIONARY TALE

God is everywhere! His words are
on all hearts. He is on the battlefield
or in our quiet home. Praise be his
holy name.
It was in the wilds Of Wissahickon,
on the day Of battle, as the noon day
sun came through the thickly clustered
leaves that two men met in deadly con
fiict, near the reefs, which rose like the
rocks Of some primeval world, at least
hundred feet above the dark waters
of the Wissahickon.
The man with the dark, brown face,
and darker grey eye, flashing with
deadly light, and muscular form, clad
III the blue frock of the Revolution-is
g Continental, named Warren.
The other man with long, black hair,
dropping along his cadaverous face, is
clad il the half military costume of a
Tory Refugee. This is a murderer of
Paoli, named Dobaney.
They met by accident, and now they
fought, not with sword and rifle, but
with the long and deadly hunting
knives, they struggled, twined and
twisted on the green sward.
At last the Tory is down-down on
the turf, with the knee Of the Continent
tai upon his breast-the appraised knife
flashed death in his face.
"Quarter ! I yield.' p gasped the To
ry, as the knee was pressed upon his
breast, ''spare me; | yield.''
sMy brother," said the patriot, in q
tone of deadly hate, s'my brother cried
for quarter on the night Of Paoli, and
even as he clung to your knees, you
struck the knife into his heart. u, |
will give yOu the quarter Of Paoli n'-
And, as his hand raised for the blow,
and his teeth were clenched with dead
ly hate, he paused for moment, then
pinioned the Tory's arms, and, with a
rapid stride, dragged him to the verge
OF the rock, and held him quivering ov-
er the abyss.
"Mercy!' !'' gasped the Tory, turning
ashy pale by turns, as that awful gulf
yawned below. "Mercy! ! have 8
wife and child at home-spare me!''
The Continental, with his muscular
strength gathered for the effort, shook
the murderer once more over the abyss,
and then Kissed his bitter sneer in his
face.
"My brother had q wife and two
children. The morning after the night
Of Paoli that wife was q widow, those
children orphans. Would you not like
to 90 and beg your life Of that widow
and her orphans %
The proposal made by the Continen-
tai i'll mockery and bitter hate, was Ia
ken in serious earnest by the terror
stricken Tory. He asked to be taken
to the widow and her children, and to
have the privilege Of begging his life.
After moments serious Thought, the
Patriot soldier consented. He bound
the Tory's arms still tighter, placed
him on the rock again, and led him to
the woods. A quiet cottage embossed
among the trees, broke Oh their eyes,
They entered the cottage. There, be-
side the desolate hearth-stone, sat the
widow and her children.
They sat there, a matronly woman
of about thirty three years, with q face
faded by care, a deep, dark eye, and
long black hair, hanging in a diSheTel-
ed state about her shoulders. On one
side was dark-haired boy of some six
years, on the other side a girl one year
Younger, with light blue eyes. The
Bible-an old and venerable volume
lay open upon the mothers lap
Aud now the pale-faced Tory flung
himself upon his knees, and confessed
he had butchered her husband on the
night of Paoli, and begged his life at
her hands.
"Spare me for the sake Of my wife
and child"
He had expected this pitiful moan
would touch the widows heart, but
not one relenting CLEAN softened her
face.
'sThe Lord shall Judge between US,
she said in cold icy tone that froze
the murderer's heart. "Look; the Bl-
BILE is in my lap, will close the vol
ume, and this boy shall open it, and
place his fingers at random upon a
line, and by that line you shall live or
die" ..
This was strong proposal, made in
good faith of q wild and dark superstl-
ton of olden times.
For moment the Tory, pale as ash
es, was wrapped in deep thought--then
in fainting voice he signiied his con-
sent.
Raising her dark eyes to heaven, the
mother prayed to the Great Father to
direct the finger Of her son. She clos
ed the book-she handed it to that boy
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