Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-30

horri be agony. 1t was so terrible to near thel
dying cries, that Paul put his fngers in bis ears
but soon he became accustomed to the sights ane
sounds, and looked upon the scenes With indif
ference. He pitied the sufferers, but was power
less to aid them. Soon he found that his o~r
spirits began to droop. He reused himself, de-
termined to brave out the horrors of the place.
He sang songs and told stories, and got up games
10 keep his tellOw-prisoners in good heart But
Notwithstanding all his efforts to maintain bis
growing weaker. Instead of being robust. he be-
came thin and spare. His cheeks we're hollow
and bis eyes sunken. There was fever in bis
bones. Day by day he found himself taking
shorter walks. At night, when he curled down
in his burrow, he felt tired although he had done
| no work through the day. ln the morning he
was stiff, and sore, and lame, and although the
ground was cold and damp. it was easier to he
there than to get up. His hair became matted,
his fingers were long and bony. Each day his
clothes became more ragged. When he hrst
entered the prison, be tried to keep himself clean
and free from veamiu, but in vain. One day ne
went out to wash his tattered clothes, but the
stream dirty he sat down and waited for 1t
to become clear. He sat hour after hour, but 1t
was always the same slimy, sickening stream.
The rebels took delight in deluding the pris-
oners with false bopes,-telling them that they
we're soon to be exchanged and sent homei but
ns'ead of release the dead-ca went It's daily
rounds, bearing its ghastly burden. That was their
exchange, and they looked upon the shallow
trenches as the only home which they would ever
reach. Hope died out and despair set in Some
prisoners lost their reason, and became raving
manacs, while Others bscame only gibbering i'd
lots Some who still retained their reason, who
all heir lives had believes that the Almighty is
God of Justice, began TO doubt if there be
God. Although they had cried and begged for
deiverance, there was no answer to their prayers
Paul felt that his own faith wavering; but be
could not let go OF the instructions he bad received
from his mother. In the darkest hour, when
he most soreiy tempted to break out into |
cursiug, he was c7mforted and reassured by Unc e
Peter, old gray headed negro, who had been
slave all his life. Peter had been whipped, |
kicked, and cutf1d many times by his hard |
hearted, wicked master, not because he vas ua- |
faithful, but because he loved TO pray, and shout,
and sing. Through the long night, sitting by his
pltch-knot fire in his c.bin, Uncle Peter had |
sung the songs whiuh lifted him in spirit almost |
up to heaven, whItber his wife and children had |
gonr, alter cruel whippings and scourgings by |
their master. IL was 80 sweet TO think ot ner as
having passed over the river Of Jordan into the |
blessed land, that he could not refrain from shout
ing
'' Q my Mary is sitting on the tres Of life,
To see the Jor dan rrli
o. rcli, Jordan on JOrd,n, roll Jordan. ron!
VIII march Ihe angel march
/ vi ms ca the angr' msrcI,
my coal Is rtsins heaysnSaId,
TO see where the Jordan rolls"
tie had given fuOd and snelter to some of the !
prisoners who escaped from the horrible place, !
sn1 had piioted them through the wo ds and for |
this WAS arrested anu thrown into the prison.
Uuce Peter took great liking to Paul, and
when Paul was Gown hearted, cneered him by |
saying Never yoI give up. Dont let 20 OF
bear such treatment, but colored people have |
borne II ali our lives. But pears like my heart !
would break when think of my children sold
down Souf' Uncle Peter wiped MS eyes With |
his tattered cost-sle.ve, and added - But de |
Lord is coming 10 Judge the earth with right |
den | reckon de rsbs will catch it,
Uncle Peler dug roofs and cooked Paul's food |
for him, for the rebels would not allow them any
wood, although there forest the prls on.
Paul could not keep back the tears when he saw !
how kind Uncle Peter was. He thought th :,
he never should weep again, for he felt that the
fountains OF his heart dryirg up. nele !
Peter sat by him through the long days. tanning /
him with his old tat,ered d straw hat, brushing the
flies from his face, moisteniDg his lips with wafer,
and thing his brow. He was black char /
coal, and had a great aud thick lips,-bu, |
all hat Pa loved him.
The days aud weeks and months went by,
Uncle Peter keeping the breath Of life in Paus
body, while thousands of his comrades died. .
There was no hope of release, no prospect OF de-
words from home, cheering
news, no Intelligence, except from other prisoners
captured from time 10 time, and sent to The hor
ribie ughter-pen to become maniacs and idiots,
to be murdered, to die OF starvation and rot
tenness,-to be borne in the dead cart 10 the
trenches.
Though Paul sometimes was sorely tempted TO
yield to despondency, there we're hours when,
with clear vision, he looked beyond the horrors
Of the prison TO the time when God would bal
,nce the scales of justice, and permit judgment
to be executed, not only upon the feud Wirz,
who had charge of the prison, but also upon jeff
Davis and the leaders OF the rebellion. And
though bis soferings were terrible 10 bear, there
was not moment when he was sorry that he had
enlisted to save bis country. So through all the
: loom and darkness his patriotism and devotion
'hoae like star which never sets