The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-01-29

sense ofsome horrible nightmare began
to dawn upon my wandering mind
l thought 1 had dreamed a fearful
dream but involuntarily opened the
outside door with a .shuddering dread
"As the door opened, the snow
burst in, followed by fall OF some
thing across the threshold, scattering
the snow and striking the floor with
hard, sharp sound. Ny blood shot
like red hot arrows through my veins,
ard rubbed my eyes to shut out the
sight, 1t was-it-Oh! God, how
horrible it was my own injured
Nary. and her babe frozen to death
? "rhe ever true mother had bowed
herself over the child to shield it,
leaving her own person stark and bare
She had placed her hair over the face
| of the child, and the sleet had frozen
lit to the white cheek. The frost was
white in the halt open eyes, and upon
its tiny fingers. | know not what
became of my brave boy"
Again the old man bowed his head
and wept, and all that were in the
house wept with him. In tones Of
low, heart-brokcn pathos, the old man
concluded BH
81 was arrested, and for long months
raved in delirium. / woke. l was sen
tenced to prison for ten years, but no
tortures could equal those in my own
bosom. Oh! God !! no lam not a ia.
matte; | wish to injure no one. But
while live, let ME strive to warn 9TH
ers not to enter the path which has
been so dark and fearful one to me
| could see my angel mother, wife and
children beyond this vale of tears.'
The old man sat down, but Il spell
as deep and strange as that wrought
by some wizards breath rested upon
the audience. Hearts could have
been heard in their beating, and tears
to fall. The old man then asked the
people to sign the pledge. My father
ieaped from his seat and snatched it
eagerly. l had followed him as he
hesitated moment with his pen in the
ink; a tear fell from the Old mans
eye upon the paper ~
"Sign it, young man, sign 1t. An
gels would sign it. | would write my
name ten thousand times in blood If 1t
would bring back my loved ones.'
My father wrote his name. "Mor-
timer liudson.'
The old man looked, wiped his tear
full eyes, and looked again, his counte-
nance alternately flushed with red and
deathlike paleness.
> at is--no, it cannot be, yet how
strange" muttercd the old man.
"Pardon me, sir, but that is the name
of the brave boy
My father trembled and held up his
left arm from which the hand had been
severed They looked for moment
into each others eyes, both reeled and
exclaimed
My own injured boy y ''D
"My father!''
They fell upon each other till it
seemed their souls would grow and
mingle into one. There was weeping
in that church and l turned bewilder-
ed upon the streaming eyes around
me.
''Let me thank God for this great
blessing, which has gladdened my
guilt .burthsnsd SOUL" exclaimed the
old man, and kneeling down, poured
out his heart in one of the most melt
ing prayers have ever heard. The
spell was broken, and all eagerly sign
ed the pledge, slowly going TO their
homes as 10th to leave the spot. The
old man is dead. but the lesson he
taught the grandchild on his knee as
his evening sun went down without a
cloud, will never be forgotten. His
fanaticism has lost none Of its fire in
my manhood's heart.