Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-05-08
VOL. 7.--NO. Sc.
A TALE OF THE REvoLurIoN.

TALE OF THE REVOLUTION
AN EXCITING INCIDENT.
God is everywheie.- His words are on the
hearts. He is the battle field or in our peace
ful home. Praise be TO his holy name
1t was on the wilds of Wissahicon, on the
day Of battle, as the MONDAY sun came through
the thickly clustered leaves, that two men met
in deadly conflict near the reefs which rose
like the rock of some primeval world, at least
one thousand feet above tho waters of the
Wissahicon. The man with the dark brown
face, and darker grey eye, flashing with dead
ly light, and muscular form clad in blue
trock of the Revolution-is a continental
named Warren. The other man with long
black hair dropping along his cadaycrous
face, is clad in half military costume of a
tory refugee. This is a murderer Of. Paoli.
named Delaney. They met by accident, and
now they fought not with sword and rifle, but
with long and deadly hunting knives they
struggled, twining and twisting on the green
sward. AT last the tory is down-dOwn on tho
turf, with the knee of the continental upon
his breast-the up raised knife flashed death in
his face.
Quarters! L YIELD" gasped the tory, as
the knee pressed upon his breast, ssspare
me, yield.''
ssMy brother,'' said the patriot in that tone
of deadly hate, ssmy brother cried for quarter
at Paoli, and even as he clung to your knees,
".
give you quarters of Paoli.'
And as his hand raised for the blow, and his
teeth were clenched with deadly hate, 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 abyss.
ssMercy! ~ gasped the tory, turning ashy pale
by turns, as that awful gull yawned below.
"Mercy | have wife and child at home
spare me-"
The continental. with his muscular strength
gathered for the effort, shook the murder once
more over the abyss, then hiSsed his bitter
sneer in his face.
ssMy brother had wife and two children.
The morning after the night of Paol that wife
you not like to go and beg your life of that
widow and her fatherlesS children.
The proposal made by the continental in
mockery and bitter hate, was taken to the wild
dow, and to have the priviledge of begging his
life. After moments serious thought, the
patriotic 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 the trees,
broke on their eyes. They entered the cot
tage. There, beside the desoate heaIthstone
sat the widow and children. She sat there
a matronly woman of about twenty-ihree years,
with a face faded by care-a deep dark eye
state about her shoulders. On one side was
dark haired boy of some six years. on the 9TH
er side girl one year younger, with Light
blue eyes. The Bible-an old and venerable
vOlume-lay open upon the mothers knee.
And now the pale face tory flung himself up
on his knees, and confessed he had butchered
her husband on the night of PaoH, and begged
his life at her hands.
ssSpare me for the sake of my wife-child-''
He had expected this pitiful moan would
touch the widows heart, but not one relenting
CLEAN softened her face.
s'The Lord shall judge between u.s." she
said in a cold icy tone, that froze the murder
er's heart. 'sLook the Bible is on my lap;
will close the volume, and this boy shall open
it, ard place his fingers at random upon a
verse;
There was a silence. The continental SOL
der, who had sworn to avenge his brothers
DEATH stood with dilating eyes and parted lips.
The culprit kneeling upon the floor, with his
face like discolored clay, felt bis heart leap TO
his throat. Then, in a clear bold voice, the
widow read this line from the Old Testament.
1t was short, yet terrible:
ssI'hat man shall die -
Look the brother springs forward to plunge
a knife into the murderer's heart, but the tory,
pnioned as he is clings to the widows knees.
He begs that one more trial may be made by
the little girl, the child of five years old. with
the golden hair and laughing eyes. The wild
ow consents. There is an awful pause. With
a smile in her eye, without knowing what she
was doing, the little girl opens the Bible it
lay on her mothers knee she turned her face
away, and placed her finger upon line. The
awful silence grows deeper. The deep drawn
breahs of the brother, and broken gasp of the
murderer, alone disturb the stiffness the wild
ow and dark haired boy were breathless. The
little girl, she caught the feeling of awe
from those about her, stood breathless, her
face turned aside and her tiny finger resting
on the line of life CT death AT length, gath
ering courage, the widow bent her eve upon
the page and read. 1t was a line from the
New Testament:
ssLore your enemies ~
Oh book of terrible majesty, and chIldlike
love-of sublimity that crushes the heart with
rapture-you never shone more strongly than
there in that lonely cot of the Wissahcon
when YOU saved the murdarer's heart.
Now look how wonderful are the ways of
Heaven. That very night as the widow sat by
her ireside--sat there with crushed heart
and hot eyelids, thinking of her husband who
now lay mouldering on the drenched soil of
Paoli-there was a tap at the door. She
pened it, and that husband, living, though
covered with wounds, was in her arms. He
had fallen at Paoli, but not in death, he was
alive, and his wife lay painting on his bosom.
That night there was a prayer in the wood en-
bowed cottage of Wissahicon.
The Knights of the Golden Circle have
their headquarters in Baltimore, and thence
distribute arms, munitions, apd clothing to
their lodges through the South.
>s~ ---