Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-11-24

fully. LII It be the WAEoI Oou Gua6 Ciiou
shoulpst die before me, should weep for |
thee my hearts tears then | would say, |
He gave, and He has taken away, bless
ed be the name of tie Lord Go now,
and if thou love thy nbthss, do thy duty.
Oh! how precious faosss@holy words; |
have never forgotten them - Do thy du-
ty,' she said. Now ths duty of soldier
was, always and in all things, to obey and
always | obeycd 1t vas to go straight
for#aId-to face danger without hesitation
without second thss5ht :.and | went
straig ght- -forward-facee danger without
hesitation-without q ssaad theught.--l
Those who saw me thus seek, as it were,
to meet the bullets, sad, There Is brave
fellow' They migbs have better said,
There is man who owes his mother !!
One day letter brought me the tidings
that she was ill-mv own poor mother i
| longed TO 60 to her, / asked for leave
of absence; it was not sranted. Iremem
bered her last words-7G thou love me ;
| submitted A little after I heard that
she was dead. oh then my senses for
sock me; at any risk | dastermined to trav-
ell to the country. N@nce proceeded so
ardent, so impetuous @xAesiTe to see once
moro place where e mother had just
dieda will tell you yaa5 al you have a
mother, and as she ives you, aud you
loye her, you will uaerstand me. We
peasants of Moivan asa simple and conf
ding race. We baVesaI received the in
struetion, nor attaincdsthe knowledge that
they have in the eitiq; but we have our
beliefs, which the towS6lks call supersti-
tions. What matters sse name Be they
superstitions or belief I have them, and
clever would be the uan thai could up
root them. Now, ogT of these beliefs to
which We cling the most, is that which
attributes to the first Eower which blows
IN the grave mould skSh virtue that be
who gathers it is certain of never forget
ting the dead, and of6ever being forgot
ten BY them. Belief, bow dear, how sweet
With it death has 10 terrors-for death
without forgetting, nx being forgotten, il
but sweet sleep andfealm repose after {;
5 long toll: That fog;sI painted to SCI
fdoned my Psi, ai75 ksnS on my Away.L
After ten days of long and weary march,
reached my mothers grave. The eartl
seemed yet afresh-no flower. waited
Six weeks elapsed, aud then one lovel,
morning saw little blue flower For
get-me>not.' AS plucked it, I shed gla
tears, for methought that little flower wa
my mothers soul; that she had felt that
was near, and under tie form Of that flow
er had given herself to my heart one
more. There was nothing now to detain N
in the country, for my father had soon 70
lowed my mother to the grave, and ha
plucked my precious flower what NOR
did | want? [ remembered my mother
charge-do thy duty | sought the gen
d'arnes, and said, 4 am deserter-ar
rest me- And now I ain to die and if, {
, you assured me, have in you friend,
f die without regret, for you will do me tt
only service | require. The flower, whic
7 at the risk Of my life | plucked from Il
/ grave, is here in little case next to n
heart. Promise me that you will see th
= they do not take it from me. 1t is ii
D link which unites me to my mother : ar
e if | thought it would be broken-oh
should not have the courage to die. Sa
=! co you promise to do what | ask of you
t Il promise = said the officer.
r 'Your hand, that may press it to n
Il heart. You are very kind to me; and
;, tie Almighty God were in his Omnip'
e tence to give me my life second time
:, would devote it to you"
# The friends parted.
It The next day had dawned. They a
rived at the place Of e1ecution, and alree
Q had the fatal sentence been read, when t
> low n,urmur that ran through the ran
@ changed into almost deafening shouts.
- The Emperor the Emperor Long Ii
I the Emperor
IN lie appeared, dismounted from his hors
,e and then, with his short, quick step,
:: walked up to the condemned.
" Pierre said be to him.
ID Pierre gazed at him, and made an eff
- to speak, but sudden stupor seemed
a oyerwhelm him. The officer who
e. visited his cell was the Emperor himse
s; Pierre continued the Emperor,
er, member your own words of last night
ey God gives thee life second time devo
er it not to me, but to France She, too
th a kind mother Love her as thou iii
nd thy frst-thine owo.'.
Die He then turned to depart, and greet
lstt shouts of admiring love followed him
nd he was out of sight.
"1 ,9 Some years after this, captain of
- Old Guard fell mortally wounded on
~, ,on field of Warterlco.
y. Amid the diu of battle, be was hear
{ Huo