The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-05-18
RICHMOND, WAYNE CO., md,

handouts ready. In less time than it
takes to tell it, the other two men have
measured their length on the foor; but
the officer springs back and draws his re-
i volyer He is about to fire, when the
elder brother catches the weapon, and
attempts to wrest it from his hand
They grapple for an instant, and the pis-
tol goes off in the struggle A low
scream follows,-but the officer falls to
the floor, and the elder brother bounds
away into the darkness.
In a moment every one is on his feet
again; but not step Is taken, not
movement made. Even these hardened
men stand spell bound and horror strick-
en- by the scene that is before them.
There, upon the floor, the blood stream
ing from a CHASTITY wound in her neck,
lies the fair young girl who was the sun
shine of that humble home. The youn-
ger brother is holding her head in his
lap. and moaning as If his heart were
breaking, and the aged mother is kneel-
ing by her side, trying to staunch the
| streaming blood; but the crimson river
is running fast, and with it a sweet young
life is howing,-fowing on to the great
sea where the sun shines and the sweet
/ south wind blows forever
The soldiers look on in silence; but
the officer speaks at last. Come" he
says, .sit's all over with the gal. The
4 boy must go with me-"
Leave US alone tonight. You can
murder him in the morning"
! The look and tone of that woman
would move a mountain. They move
/ even these men for they turn away, and
| then the scene changes.
! Now we see a great wood,-one OF
| those immense pine forests which cover
nearly all Of Upper Georgia. The bay
4 ing Of hounds is heard in the distance,
I and upon the scene totters a weak, fam
! ished man, with bleeding feet and mat
ted hair, and torn bedraggled clothing.
He sinks down at the foot of a tree and
draws a revolver He knows the hounds
are close at hand; and starving, hunted
down as he is, he clings to life with all
the energy of the young blood that is in
him. He soon staggers to his feet, and
puts up his weapon. He says nothing,
but the look in his eye soon tells of the
desperate resolve he has taken. He
tries to climb the tree, but the branches
are high up in the air; his strength fails,
and he falls backward. Again he tries,
and this time is successful. A moment
more and he would have been too late,
for the hounds have tracked him far, and
now, with wild howls, are right upon
him. Down among these furious beasts
he would be torn limb from limb in an
instant,-and 0 horror! the branch
bends,-his arm trembles he is losing
his hold,-he is falling! No he catch
es by stouter limb, and once more is
in safety Meanwhile the hounds are
I. L,x L. II tGn ch -.
of men are heard, far away at the west
ward He listens, and, drawing himself
nearer the trunk of the tree, takes out
the revolver. Five charges are left. and
every cap is perfect His life is lost;
but for how many lives can he sell it
The shouts grow louder, and, guided
by the cry of the dogs, the men come
rushing through the forest One nears
the tree-hears a shot-staggers back
and falls headlong. Another comes on,
and another, and still another, and they
all give up man hunting forever! The
rest pause. and hide behind trees. warn
ed by the tate Of their comrades. Four
lives for one. Shall he have another. or
shall his last bullet be wasted? At last
a man springs into sight and gains
nearer cover The pistol cracks,-a ri
fie shot cuts the air, and, 1t is
dizzy hight,-our heads swim, and we
turn away, while the scene changes.
Once more we see the little log cabin
among the mountains. 1t is night and
mid winter. The snow lies deep in the
woods, and the wind sighs mourDfnlly
around the little cabin. and has a melan-
choly shiver in its voice as it tries to
whistle "Old Hundred through the key
hole. The same wood fire is burning
low on the hearth, and the same aged
mother and little sister are seated before
it. The same. and not the same,-for
the roses are gone from the young girls
cheeks, and the mother is wasted to a
shadow! The cattle are stolen from the
fields, and the last kernel of corn has
been eaten What will keep them from
starving? The mother opens the Book,
and reads how Elijah was fed by the ra-
vens Will not the same Lord feed
them She will trust Him,
And again the scene changes. It is
the same play, but one OF the players is
living He is the pale faced boy in the
prison. Kindly and gently we say to
him: You look sick; should you not be
in the hospital?' ~
Il think mott like the sum-" he an
swers. "When the colder weather
comes, may have to go there
He rM go, and-then the curtain will
fall. and the little play will be over.
Is it not thrilling drama? With
slight variations of scenery, it has been
acted in ten thousand Southern homes,
with Satan for manager and jeff Davis
for leading actor and ''heavy villain
The Financial Editor of the New York
Times saws that the receipts of yold into