The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1861-03-07
ever voladteerGdd:3 IT, .a'l'G

by three balls, poor fellow; it was
a hard fate for such boy"
For one moment the check of the
woman was blanched, the heart OF
the mother choked, but she spoke
almost calmly, as she,asked:
ssWlIfeh'omc vas it;Esiis! 'fsdll-ass
"I[cnry Picrpont, film not mis-
taken. Was lie known to you?"
"Was he known to her? Oh,
the torrent that followed that Qucs-
ton. Her noble first born! lie
who had taken the place of the
dead at their board, and with gray
ity beyond his years, carried out
the plans his father left unfinished .
And now his blue eyes were closed
forcvcr-his bright locks soilcd in
the dust. a deathlypalencss came
over her, but she rallied with a
great effort, and said, as calmly as
before, as she turned her whitened
cheek away:
Gle was my son, sir
"Now, God fotgiye me. | feel
as ifI had done cowordly thing"
murmurcd the officer, while his lips
grew pale with emotion. Coming
here to partake of this woman's
hospitality, l have cruelty stabbed
her to the heart"
"You are motto blame, my friend,"
said Washington, in his deep tones,
in which was blended q sudden pa
thos. "Ncither, ifIread heraright,
would she recall the child bravely
fallen i'll his country's cause. This
is no common woman-hcr very
face speaks Of her souls nobility.
Mark me, when ydu next see her,
she ewill be fearless; no word of sor,
row will issue from her lips. Our
mother, our wivcs-l am proud to
say it-are heroincs in this trying
period. And this" he continued,
pointing to the Bible, "is the secret
Of their greatness; wherever you
behold that volume opened, bearing
evidence of constant pcrusal, there
you will find women capable of any
emergency. Irepeat it, when we
meet again she will be calm and
fearless, although n mother be-
reaved of her child"
And so it was. Madam Picrpont |
had schooled her grief for the time
into sudden and sacred submission,
and when the officers were called
into another room to partake Of the
smoking viands she had prepared,
they found her collected, unchang-
ed in her manner and serene in
countenanee. The Office from whom
the news had so rudely burst was
lost in admiration of her conduct,
and was often heard to say, subsc-
quently, that he venerated woman
the more for'her sake.
Toward night the trio departed,
thanking the kind woman with all
their hearts for her courtesy, They
found their horses ready saddlcd,
and were forced to the conjecture
that Madam Pierpont had herself
performed the duty of hostler.
Gen. Washington kindly took her
hand before lie mounted his charg-
er, and addressed her tenderly and
ltfectionatcly. Tears came to the
eyes of his officers while they list
,ned, but though an increasing pal ,,
or spread over the Widows face, she
nurmured:
"I am thankful to my God, sir,
hat He has deemed me worthy of |
demanding my first born in this l
glorious struggle; he was ready, sir, |
'eady for life or death" 5
But when they had gone, and
jhe returned to the silence of that
one house, the mother wept ex- :
,eedingly bitter tears. Draw the |
curtain before her sacred anguish. l
Farewell, Pierpont house, with I
your carpet of mallows, and old I
ashioned flowers in old fashioned
,ots, standing upon the stoop. l |
eel sad at the thought that 1 shall
lever again see its open doors wrca-
he'd in vines, whcreon hung clus- t
ers ofluxuriating grapes; nor its