Warren telegraph. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1857-1861, 1861-07-27
THE RESTORED.
A THRILLING EVOLUTIONARY TALE.

peaceful home. Praise Dc TO his holy namcl
1t was on the wids of Wissahican, on the day
Of battle, as the MONDAY sun came through the
tricky clustered lcaycs that two men met in
deadly conflict near the reefs which rose like
the rocks Of some prilncval world, at least one
thousand feet above tho dark waters of the
Wissahicon.
The man with the dark, brown face, and
darker grey eye, flashing with deadly light and
muscular form, clad in a blue of the revolu.
tion-is continental named Warren.
The other man with long black hair, dropping
along his cadaverous face, clad in half military
costume of a. tory refugee. This is murderer
Of Paoli named d ,haney.
Taey met by accident and now they fought,
not with sword and rife, but with long and
deadly hunting knives, they struggled, twisting
on the grccn sward.
Al last the tory is down. down on the turf,
with tho knee oil the continental on his breast
tn upraised knife flashing death in his face.
Quarters yield" gasped the tory, as the
knee was pressed upon his breast. "Spare me,
yield"
My brother" said the patriot soldier in a
tone Of deadly hate MY brother cried for
quarters on the night of Pao, and even as he
clung to your knees you struck at knife into
his heart. o, will give you quarters of Paoli.
And as his hand raised for the blow and his
teeth were clinched with deadly hate, he paused
for a moment then pinioned the tory's arms
and with rapid stride dragged him to the verge
of the rock, and held him over the abyss.
Mercy" gaspcd the tory, turning ashy pale
by turns, as that awful gulf yawned below.
Mercy, have vie and child at home, spare
me-"
gathered for the effort, shook the murderer once
fba ahycc nd han h;ecoI h;o h. 4tor
snecr in his face
My brother had wife and two children.
The mo ming 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
moekery and bitter hate. was taken in serious
earnest by the terror-stricken tory. He begged
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 rocks again, and led
him to the woods A quiet cottage, embossed
among trees, broke on their eyes. They enter
heartb-stone sat Tho widow and chiT5rcfi
She sat there, a maironIy woman of about
twenty-three with face faded by care, deep
dark eye, and long black hair hanging in dis
hevelled state about her Shoulders. On one side
was dark-haired boy of some six years, on the
other side girl one year younger, with light
blue eyes The Bble-an old and venerable
volume-lay upon the mothers knee. And
now the palefaced tory flung himself upon his
knees, and confessed he had murdered her hus
band on the night of Pao!i, and begged his life
at her hands
Spare me for the sake of my wife and chill
dren-"
He had expected this pitiful moan would
touch the widows neart, but not one relenting
gleam softencd her face.
The Lord shall judge between u.s." she said
in a cold icy tone that froze the murdercr's
heart Look, the Bibl' is in my lap; | will
close the voluma, and this boy shall open it. and
pace his finger Mt random upon line, and by
that you shall live or die"
This was a strange proposal, made in good
faith Of a wild and dark superstition Of olden
times For moment, the tory, pale as ashes
was wrapped in deep thought-then in faint
ing voice he signified his consent.
Raising her dark eyes to heaven. the mother
prayed to tho Gr,at Father to direct the finger
of her son. She closed the book, she hand,d it
to the boy, whose checks r, ddened with othing
as he gazcd upon his fathers murderer. He
took the Bible, opened its holy pages at random,
pldCSu Ills ulOl ~ NCisS.
There was q silence. The continental soldier
who had sworn to avengc his brothers death,
stood with dilating eyes and parted lips. The
culprit knceling upon the floor, with his face
like discolored clay, felt his heart leap to his
throat
Then in a clear bold voice the widow read
this line from the Old Testament. 1t was short
yet teri iblc -
That man shall die ="
Look the brother springs forward to plunge
a knife into the murdercr's heart but the tory,
pinioncd as he is, ciings to the widows knees.
He bcgs that one more trial may he made by
the little girl that child of five years old with
golden hair and laughing eyes.
The widow consents. There is an awful
pause With smile in her eye, without know
ing what she was doing, the little girl opens the
Bible as it lay on her mothers knee she turned
her face away and placed her finger upon line.
The awful silence grows d1cpcr. The deep
drawn breath of the brother, AMI broken gasp
of the murderer, alone disturb the stiffness the
widow and dark. haired boy arc brcathless. The
little girl, as she caught feeling Of awe from
those about her, stood brcathless, her face turn
cd aside and her tiny finger resting on the line
of life and death.
At length gathering courage, the widow bent
her eye upon the page and read. IL was q line
from the New Testament:
Lore your enemies"
Oh, book of terrible majesty and chidlikc.
lovc-of subliuity that crusnes the heart with
rapture YOU never shone more strongly than
thcro in that lovely cot of the Wissahicon when
you saved the murderer's heart.
Now look how wonderful arc the ways OF
bcav,n. That very night us the widow sat by
her fircsidc--sat there with a cruShci heart and
hot ey,lds, thinking of her husband who now
lay mouldcring on the dreuched soil of Paoli-
thce was a tap at the door. She opened IL.
and that husband living, though covered with
wounds, was In her arms
He had fallen nj Pa H. but not in deati he