Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-03-23
THE RESTORED.
A THRILLING EVOLUTIONARY TALE.


God is everywhere His words ore on oil |,
hearts. He is on the battle field, in our quiet |
home. Praise be to His holy name.
1t WAS on the wil0s of w Wissahickon, on the
day OF battle. MS the noon.day sun came
through the thickly clustered leaves, that
two men met in deadly conflict, near the
reefs, which rose like the rocks of some
primeval world, at least an 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 in blue frock of
the Revolution is a Continental named
Warren.
The other man with long, black hair droop.
ing Glong his cadaverous face, is clad in tho
half military costume of Tory Refugee.
This is murderer Of Paoli, named Dehsney.
They met by accident, and now they fought,
not with sword and rifle, bat with long and
deadly hunting knives, they struggled twin
ing and twisting on the green sward.
At last the tory is down-down on the
turf, with the knee Of the Continental upon
his breast-the upraised knife flashed death
in his face
"Qnarter yield !" gasped the Tory, as
the knee was pressed upon his breast, spare
me, yeli.'
"My brother" said the patriot, 10 tone,
! Of deadly hate, my brother cried for quarter
on the night Of Psoli, and even as he clung
! to your kneeJ you struck that knife into his
heart ., l will give you the quarters Of
Paoli" And. as his hand raised for the
blow, and his teeth were cencbed with deadly
bate, he paused for moment, then pinioned
the Tory's arms and with rapid stride,
dragged him to the verge OF the rock, and
held him quivering over the asyss.
Mercy" gasped the Tory, turning ashy
pale by turns, as that awful gulf yawned
below. Mercy! | have wife and child at
home spare me-"
The Continental, with bis muscular strength
gathered for the effort, shook the murderer
once more over the abyss, and then hssed bis
bitter sneer in bis face.
"My brother had wife and two children.
The morning after the night of Paoli, that
wife was widow, those children orphans.
Would you not like to go and beg your life
Of that widow and her orphans ?"
The proposal made by the Continental in
mockery aud bitter hate, was taken in serious
earnest by the terror.stricken Tory. He
asked to be taken to the widow and her chill
dren, and to have the privilege of begging his
J life. After a moments serious thought, the
patriot soldier consented. He bound the
Tory's a.ms still tighter, placed him on the
rock again, and led him to the woods. A
} quiet cottage, embossed among trees, broke
on their eyes. They entered the cottage
, There, beside the desolate hearth.stone, sal
, the widow and her children.
! She sat there q matrouly woman OF about
, thirty three years, with face shaded by care
deep, dark eye, aud long black hair, hang
, ing in q dsheveled slate about her shoulders
1 On one side was a dark. haired boy of somt
A. 81 Il
J, younger, with light blue eyes. The Bible
. an old and venerable Yolune-lay open upon
the mothers lap. And now the pale faceC
9 Tory flung himself upon his knees, and con
J. fessed be had butchered her husband on th'
h. night Of Paol, and begged his life at be
haGds.
e "Spare me for the sake of my dear wife an
q child"
g He had expected this pitiful moan woul
Q touch The widows heart but not one relenl
ing CLEAN softeued her face.
o The Lord shall judge between u.s." she sal
in cold icy tone that sroze the murderer
D. heart Look, the Bible is 10 my lap wi
IT close the volume, and this boy shall open i
IS aud place his finger at random upon a lint
aud tba; you shall live or die"
b, This was strange proposal, made in goo
faith Of wild and dark superstition Of olde
W was wrapped in deep thought--then in
u fainting voice be signl6ed his consent.
st Raising her dark eyes to heaven. th
n. mother prayed to the Great Father to direc
ly the finger of her son. She closed the boo
ly she handed it to that boy whose cheek re
20 dened with loathing as he gazed upon b
,d fathers murderer. He took the Bible, ope
he ed its pages at random, and placed his fng
on verse.
he There was q silence. The Continent
a soldier who had sworn to aveuge his brother
IT, death, stood with diating eyes and sepsrat
lie lips. The culprit kneelipg upon the hoC
lts with bis face like discoored clay felt his hss
ed leap to his throat.
= Then in q clear, bold voice, the widow re
he this lne from the Old Testament. 1t "
* short, yet terrible
his That man shall die -