The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-12-12

my husband 10 dead, too,'' said Ellen,
. and have only one draught left.''
...s.n "Inen 1, viii take it," said the mother,
Ellen caught her and struggled with her,
The poor child mOurned In Its mothers arms,
and pang shot through the breast of Ellen.
% For Gods sake, miserable woman, - she said.
do not go near that basin! Yon are mad
with want; you viii leave none for my chill.
dren. Stay here and I will bring your child
water: foa ana can want, and yours and
fixed on the water and dilated with intense
desire her lips wide open, dying almost for
the draught E1lpn's soul was concentrated
in the fear that the last hope of her boy and
with the woman with all her might she
screamed aloud; she lost her hold; she seized
pistol from the table, and, close as she was
to her adversary. fired 1t full at her. The mo-
and broke her fall, and laid hold on the child
to free it from her dying grasp
"Give him me-, give him met" said the mo-
ther, struggling to lift herself mp, and stretch
ing her hands out for the boy.
The trembling Ellen stopped to give him to
her, bat the childs head dropped on one side
rs she held him out. He made no effort to get
into his mothers arms. Ellen wildly raised
his face, and he was dead, too. The shot had
gone through his breast to his mothers, and
little blood began to steal from his lips
He's dead! ?" said the mother, who was
then feebly, with her fast failing strength, she
raised him, after more than one effort, in her
arms, and pressed her lips to his twice with
all the passion that death left in her The
wasted form of the child lay there, all pale
and withered the straight brown hair was
parted ON his thin forehead; the mother un-
covered breast, where his head rested, was
white, and the hands delicate; the raiment
was luxurious; that head had not been reared
in expectation of dying on a bed of rock. El-
len burst into q food Of tears, and wrung her
hands as she stood by, looking on what she had
done.
The woman lifted her eyes and tried to form
her lips into smile /; she no longer felt any
vehement passion, and, the torment Of thirst
was now only one of the pangs of death
Ellen moved to fetch some, she stopped her.
No; it was for him. He is at ease now
You did right. Don't grieve.''
Forgive me, }" said Ellen, kneeling at her
side.
"Oh, yes! the poor, precious babe suffers
no more. was mad you said truly in that.
nursed him at my breast till his lips grew
dry even there we lived not far from your
cavern, and have seen you, and been glad
you had water. We had some. WeP Yes
is not my husband dead and my boy is dead,
too! See there is blood ON his face !; wipe it
away he will die else,' Ellpn's sobs caught
you killed him! oh, good angel, guardian
angel! You have killed him, and there is only
to suffer. He is gone from this dear, dear
body wish it did not look so like him still
it looks in pain, tOo-it looks thirsty Ell
len hid her own face on the mothers shoulder
for an instant-her children had awakened at
the noise of the pistol, and they were ont of
bed and clinging around her; her sorrow
reused theirs, and the sound Of their lamenta.
ton reached the dying woman ear. - There
are my children crying. Alas thought they
had all been dead.'
"They are mine,' said Ellen. " Yours are
at rest yours are all dead
IS Thank God!'' said the mother; and,
though the words were earnest, the voice was
faint; all the effort OF nature was in them,
but they came feebly from her lips. After
that, indistinct sounds and murmured names
only We're heard her breath came in gasps
and at long and longer intervals, till the
faint shuddering of her limbs ceased hyde
grees, and, after it had been insensible to the
world for awhile, the spirit quilted it forever.
Ellen's heart died within her her senses We're
troubled and she pressed herself in Paulett' s
arms without knowing when he came or be-
ing surprised that he was there.
"Oh, Paulett!' she said at last, g. have
not done wrong, but it is so dreadful! -
Paulett soon gathered from her all that had
happened, and gazed with pity ON what had
once been q beautiful form, but rejoiced that
it suffered no longer. Ellen, shuddering, ar
ranged the dress, composed the limbs, and,
with thousand tears, placed the infant Oh
that breast which had been SO faithfully its
mother to the last. And there they slept
mother and child-the day Of trouble ended
for both.
"My poor Ellen,'' said Paulett. II wish
it We're thou and my children who We're there
at rest!'' and Ellen pressed her Charles and
her Alice to her heart, and would have been
glad if they had, indeed, been dead.
CHAPTER ".
In that time of trouble and unexampled
events, the mind received impressions in II
different manner from what it had ever done
before. The stern gloom that hung over the
future. the hazard which life
pended, the close contact with universal
death, and the desperate struggle by which it
was STAYED of, gave to- all things new cha
racter; and the scene of the last chapter was
but one of the series of deadly and dreadful
excitements which were now the habit of
every day. The solemn frame Of mind which
it induced in Ellen was Of q piece with the
solemn nature Of their existence and she
could talk of it with her husband ut any time
and not disturb the natural bent which their
conversation took. They searched the neigh.
mother and her family and the marks of her
footsteps on the drst of the soil enabled them
to trace her to Hope, village in the plain,
two miles, or rather more, from the Peak
She and her husband had used the church for
their habitation, and, it seemed, had employ
ed the same kind Of precaution as Paulett 10
defend 1t, and conceal that it was their dwell
ing. -r... . ..... - loo
One entrance only was left, anu the other
aperatures blocked up; but all care was use
less now, for death had set them free from
pain and fear. On q bed beside the altar lay
the body of q man, over which was spread i
cloak Of fur and velvet, which, in the lifetime
OF the world would, have been most precious.
His eyes were decently closed, the curtains Of
the bed drawn round him, and the pillow
which supported his head was marked with
the pressure Of another head, and with mois-
tnre which could have been only the tears of
his wife. The floor of the church was in con-
fusion, like the dwelling Of one too much dis
tracted with troubles to attend TO what did
not relate to it; but there was corn, which'had
served for food, and fuel heaped on a stone
which had been hearth-there was a draw
Ing Of 4 woman and o beautiful place but
these We're cast into q corner, probably by the
irr liable hand, d,Qf Despair. On q table stood
empty cups, which had long, perhaps, been