Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-12-08
A THRILLING REVOLUTIONARY TALE.

God is everywhere. His words are in
the heart. He is on the battlefield, and
in our peaceful home. Praise His holy
name.
1t was in the wiIds of WissahiCOn, on
the dav of battle, as the MONDAY sun
came through the thick clustered leaves
that two men met in deadly conflict
near the reef which rose, like prime
val world, at least a thousand feet above
the dark waters of the WissahicOn.
The man with dark brown face, gray
eyes flashing with deadly light, and
la muscular form, clad in a blue frOck of
the Revolution, is a continental named
Warren.
The other with long black hair droop-
ing along his cadaverOus face, is clad in
the half military costume of a Tory refU
gee. This is a murderer OfPaOi, named
Delaney.
They met by accident, and how they
fought, not with sword and rife, but
with the long and deadly hunting knife
they struggled, twining and twisting on
the green sward.
At last the tory is downtown on the
turf, with the knee of the continental
on his breast-the upTaised knife flash
ed death in his face.
"Quarter! yieldn' gasped the tory
"Spare me, yield
my BROTHER" said the patriot, in
tone of deadly hate, my brother cried
for quarter on the night of PaOli, even
as he clUng to your knee you drove that
knife into his heart. I Will give you
the quarter of PaOIi."
And his hand was raised for the PlOw
and his teeth was clenched with deadly
hate; he paused for a moment and then
%ID +oVv-1r nT1n with n
rapid stride dragged him to the verge
Of the rock, and held him qUivering
over the abyss.
Mercy gasped the tory, turning
ashy pale by turns, and that awful gulf
yaWning below. "MeTcy I have a wife
and child at hOme-spaTe me-
The continental with muscular
strength gathered for the effort, hook the
murderer once more over the abyss, and
then hissed his bitter sneer in his face.
MY brother had a wife and two chill
dren. The morning after the night at
Paoli that wife was a widow; those
children orphans! Ask mercy from
them ~
The proposal made by the continental
in mOckery and bitter hate was taken
into serious earnest by the terror stricken
tory. He begged to be taken to the
widow and her children; and to have
the privilege of begging for his life.
Another moment Of serious thought
the patriotic soldier consented. He
bound the tory's arms still tighter,
placed him on his feet, and led him
through the woods. 4 quiet cottage
embossed amOug the trees broke on
their eyes. They entered the cottage.
There beside the desOlate hearthstone,
I sat the widow and her children.
She sat there, matronly woman OF
about 2S years, with face faded by care;
deep dark eye, and long black hair,
hanging in a disheveled state about her
shoulders. On one side was dark hair
ed boy of some six years, on the other
, side, a girl one year younger, with
light blue eyes, The Bible-an old ven
cradle vOlUme-lay open upon the moth
er's knee. And the pale tory flung him
self upon his knees, and confessed that
he had butchered her husband on the
night of PaOli, and begged his life at her
hands.
"Spare me for the sake of my wife
and child"
He had expected this pitiful moan
would touch the widows heart, but not
one reIenting gleam sOftened her face.
''The Lord shall judge between us, I"
she said in a cold icy tone, that frOze the
murderer's heart. ''LoOk, the Bible is
in nv lap. l will close the volume,
and let my little son place his finger at
random upon a line, and by that you
shall live or die"
This was a strange proposal, made In
good faith, Of mild and dark supersti-
ton of OIden times, for a moment the to-
ry pale as ashes, was wrapped in deep
thought-then in faint tone Of voice he
signified his consent.
Raising her eyes to heaven, the moth
er prayed to the Great Father to direct
the finger of her son. She closed the
book-she handed it to the boy, whose
cheeks redeemed with lOathing as he gaZ-
ed upon his fathers murdered. He took
the Bible and opened its holy pages at
random, and placed his fingers upon
verse. There was a silence. The con-
tinental soldier, who had sworn to
avenge his brothers death, stood with
dialated eyes and parting lips. The cUl-
prit kneeling upon the floor, with his
face like discolOred clay, felt his heart
in his throat.
Then in a clear, bold voice, the Wild
Ow read this line from the Old Tcsta-
ment. It was short, yet terrible:
/ "That man shall surely die ~
Look the brother springs forward to
plunge the knife into the murdeTer's
heart but the tory plnioned as he Is,
Cliugs to the widows knees. He begs
that one more trial may be made by the
little girl, that child of five years old,
with golden hair and laughing eyes.
The widow consents. There is an
awful pause. With smile in heI eye,
and without knowing what she was do
ing, the little girl opened the Bible Us. it
lay on her mothers knee;she turned her
, face away and placed her finger on a
! line.
The awful silence grows deeper. The
deep drawn breath of the brother, and
the broken grasp of the murderer, alone
disturbed the stiffness. The widow and
dark haired boy are bTeathless. The
little girl as she caught feeling Of awe
from those around her, stood breathless,
} her face turned aside, and her tiny fin
gers resting on the lines Of life or
death.
At length gathering courage, the wild
ow bent her eyes upon the page, and
raD1 II yyou from fba New TputamPnt.