Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-10-17
From the Waverly Magaztne.
An Incident.
BY j. R. MUFFLY.


It was one of those cold, cloudy. rainy
days in the early part of the season, just the
kind of weather that has tendency to make
one feel gloomy and down.cast, that | left my
Office after my usual daily routine of duties
had ended and, buttoning up my coat, |
hastenen on with chattering teeth, anxious to
get in out of the rain. As / was hurrying on
through a beautiful park wbicE adorns the
capital city of the "Old Keystone State" l
noticed a group Consisting of man. woman
and child, seated under the eutspresding
branches of one OF the numerous trees, as if
to shelter themselves from the storm.
The man seemed sad and weary his ell
bows were placed on his knees, and his head
rested in his hands his eyes were fixed on
the ground with a vacant stare, while his
frame quivered as if by some deep inward
emotion By his side sat one of the most abb
feet ard forlorn specimens of human nature
ever behald. She was thinly clad, evident
" suffering from the cold. The tears we're
falling thick and fast on the lis,le brown head
Of the child little girl of about eleven
summers, who was nesting close to Der
mothers bosonn ss if to seek some protection
from the cold and driving rain. But pass
ed on, an idle spectator of their sorrow Af-
ter geiDg short distance | was prompted by
chat inward feeling Of the heart with which
tie beneAcent Creator has seen fit to 81 gra-
cousfy eDdow mortal nan--sympaty for each
6thsr-to retrace my steps and ascertain, if
possible, the cause Of their seeming sorrow.-
] accordingly approached them and inquired
She cause of their grief. The woman raised
hsr pale face which still bore traces Of form
er beauty the tears rolling down her
checks, and with quivering lips tried to tell
ine, but sobs choked her nt.erance.
The husband then raised his head, and, af-
Ser painful effort, related TO Me his story.
lie said he had bsen living on the banks of
beautiful little stream in the State of Vir-
kinia, where be and his family had lived
tlp to the time that this most iamentable and
fearful seourgs, civil war, had broken in upon
eur hitherto peaceful and happy country-a
life Of uninterrupted peace and happiness
Bu:, like thousand of others, was forced to
abandon his Southern home and flee awav.
choosing rather to leave the enemies of his
country-all that he had been enabled to ac
cumulate by years of honest TOLL than be
compelled to fight against the glorious ship of
etate, with its ensigns streaming, its stars and
stripes SO redolent of hope; carrying joy and
gladnsss wherever seen by the true-hearted
and brave, and which he had been taught,
from childhood, to hail as the noblest emblem
Of earth.
One night, taking his wife and two little
ones. together With few articles Of furni-
tire and wearing apparel. on wheelbarrow,
he turned his face northward to seek friends
Who can picture the apgsh of that dssolate
family, when thus forced to leave their pleas
ant home where they had spent SO many
happy years, and around which clustered the
cherished associations Of early youth, recol-
lections which are very dear to every heart !?
Need tell you of the many weary day
journeying keneath the schorching rays of
the sun or of the many nights they spent
with no covering but the blue canopy of
heaven, exposed to the pitiless rain-or Of
the innumerable hardships and sufferings
which they endured on their long journey
through wild and thinly settled region of
country or, of the fond mother whose arms
ofttimes dropped lahguidly at her side, and
her weary body and aching limbs often sank
exhausted by the roadside? Still she bent
over her precious burden with the deep, fond
love which a mothers heart alone can feel
for her tffspring; but all of her most tender
care, and the hours of anxious watchfulness
availed not; its soft and rosy cheek grew
paler day after day, it's eyes of heavenly blue
grew more dim and sunken; its pittying
mosns, which awakened all the sympathie'
of a fond mothers heart, grew fainter. and
with her fearful eyes raised heavenward, she
would implore God to spare its life.
The rawlings and fearful struggles became
less .violont. until its plying walls were
hushed in death. No stately hearse, with
its gay cortege, was there; no man of Goi
with his solemn voice was there to perform
The last sad rites; no friendly hands wer,
there to aid them, and no eye. save Gods, t.
behold their tears, as they scooped out lit
tie grave by wayside, and placed their treas
ure in the cold ground. No winding shee
or coffin shielded its silent breast from tn,
clods of the valley. which those fond parents
placed on its lonely grave.
Gentle readers. fond mothers. that little
babe had starved to death They we're stary
ingl Already many days had passed sinc'
they had tasted food. The husband ant
father had become too weak to propel th,