Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-06-24
Thrilling Revolutionary r.,


name.
! 1t was in the wilds Of Wissahico,
the day of battle, as the MONDAY -
came through the thick clustered les,-.
that two men met in deadly conflict ns..
the reef that rose, like some primey,
world, at least thousand feet ab4yo -,
dark waters of the Wissahieon.
The man with the dark brown IL.
and dark grey eyes, flashing with de.slr
light, and muscular form, clad in a ~,
| frock of the Revolution, is a continer.5
named Warren.
The other man, with the long bio
hair, dropping along his cadayerous fac
is clad in the half military costume #
| Tory refugee. This murderer Of Pa6s
named Delaney.
They met by accident, and now tlsv
fought, not with sword and rifle, but viii
long and deadly hunting knife they -trus.
gled, twining and twisting on the gresr
sward.
At last the tory is downtown ca g.
turn. with the knee Of the continental "a
his breast-the appraised knife f4,hal
death in his face.
Quarter. / yield,7 gasped the tary, q.
the knee was pressed on his breast. '-sl-r.
me, / yield!'
NV brother said the patriot, in a e.
of deadly hate, my brother cried +
quarter on the night Of Paoli, and esq
A. be clung to your knees you strue K il4t
knife into his heart. o, ! viii give ya
the quarter Of Paoli.'
Aud his baud was raised for the blow.
and his teeth were clenched with deadly
hate. He paused for moment. and tben
pinioned the tory's arms, and with rapid
-tride dragged him 10 the verge 81 ihe
rock. and held him quiyering over ths
abyss.
Mercy gasped the tory, turning a-ay
pale BY turns, as that awful gull yawr.l
below. Mercy, ! have wife and cha
at home-spafe me"
The continental, with 4 mu-c1l--
strength gathered for the effort, -l8a
the murderer once more oyer ths aiy-.
and then Kissed his bitter sheer AZ L.
face.
Nv brother had a wife and ta.
children. The morning after the ni-i-
al Paoli that wife wac a widow ta.-s
children orphans. Ask mercy I'm
them
The proposal made by the Continent.
in rnorkery and bitter hate wac takrl !.
serious earnest by the terror-stricken toy
He begged 10 be- taken 70 fhe widow ELL
her children. and 10 have the prlylle-s.
begging for hi- life. After moment &.
serious thought the patriotic soldier q
sented. lie bound the tory's arms ~
tighter. placed him on he feet, slIl j.
him through the woods. n quiet cofta-
embossed among the trees broke Oh '1.t
eyes. They entered the cottage 4-rs
beside the desolate hearthstone ri g..
widow and her children.
, SIN .at there, a matronly woman a.
about - yaIrs. with face faded by eIs
deep dark sye. and long black A4--
hanging in dIsLeyeld state about b..
shoulders. One side vas dark Aalr.-
boy of some si.- years, Oh the Other -l-.-
u1rl enc wear younger, With light t--s
eyes. The bible-an old and s--tf4'.
voluue-lay open upon the mgt1s-.
knee. And the pale faced tory flung 4-..-
-.lt tu9u his knees. and confessed tAat =.
had butehercd her husband 81 the Il--'
Of P40li. and begged his lIle at her hand
Spare inr. Tor the sake Of 10y '-ir r--
= child :"
lie had expected this pitiful n..-l
would touch the widow heart, bat n.
enc relenting CLEAN -oftened her face.
The Lord shall Judge bet~een l-.
! she said. in a cold, icy tone, that iroze ~
murderer'- heart. Look, the bible j. %
NV lap. / will close the volume, and -+
nv little son place his fingers at rand O
upon line. and by that you shall i've
die"
Thi. vas a strange proposal made -
good faith. OF a mild and dark super-iIii-
Ut oIdeu times. For d moment the fa'-
pale a. l-hoz. was wrapped IN d..
thou.,ht-theis IN a faint voice Ls si---
fed hi consent.
Raising her dark eyes - Iearen, fhe
mother prayed 10 the Gr,at Father u.
g.. direct the finger of her son. She closed
the hook-she handed IL TO the boy, " la-e
check Redeemed with l0athing a. he gale-
upon biz father. murderer. lie took u
bible. and opened its holy pages at raa-
dom. aud placed his fingers upoE yeGsa
There Was q silence. The continent.
soldier. who lad. sworn 10 avenr" Dc
brothers death, stood with diiaied es1
and parted lips. The culprit .kneella-
upon the door. with his face like di-ao..r-
ID claS, felt hi heart leap to his Throat
Then i'll a clear, held voice, the widow
read this line from the ola Ie-f1'pt't
Ii was short yet terrible:
That man -hali surely die
Look The brother springs forRaIi 3.
plunge the knife into the murderer hear
but the tory. pinioned as j.. cling> u III
widows knees. lie begs that one ia.r.
irial may Ice made by the little girl H.
child Of five years old, with golden Ia.
and laughing eyes.
The widow consents. There j. an aE-
full pause. With smile in her eye, an
without knowing what she was doing. p
little girl opened the bible az it lay on b..
mothers knee; she turned her face aE-T
and placed her finger upon line.
The awful silence grows deeper. III
deep drawn breath OF tbs brother. at-
the broken gasp Of the murderer, a..l.
disturbed the stiffness. The widow go
dark-h4 ircd boy are breathless. The -
tie girl. ~ che caught a feeling OF lT.
from those around her, stood breathe.
her face turned aside. and her tiny i.-,
gers resting on the lines Of life OF ata:-
At length, gathering courage. tie AZ 1
ow bent her eyes upon the page and fta-
1t was from the New Testament.
Love your enemies.
Oh book of terrible majesty. ~
child-like love of sublimity that crl----
the heart with rapture: it never -la-a
, more strongly than there: in that l1t
hut of Wi-sahicon, when il saved ~.
murderer's heart.
Now look how wonderful are til We
Of Heaven. That very night as the a..
ow sat by her fireside-sat there glit
crushed heart and hot eyeliis, tLsas-.-
of her husband, who now lay q
drenGhed soil of Paoli-there was ~
at the door. She opened it, and that q y
band, living. though covered with WoEi-'
was in her arms.
He had fallen at Paoli. but not in daai-
He was alive, and his wife painting q u
: bosom.
That night there was prayer and ihlilA'
giving in the wood embowered cottage
Wissahicon.
; PERsoSAL.-Paymaster J. Bayarl. hel'