Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-12-09

strong arms and were forcing him over a
precipice. He fought, he struggled, be
prayed for mercy, but only dersiye laugh
ter answered him and the torment was re-
doubled. They picked his flesh with sharp
needles; they burned his brains with hot
irons. At one moment he seemed plunged
into burning lake; the next, he wandered
through interminable fields of ice and snow
nothing but the feice glare of the sun
upon blocks and mountains of polar Ice
met his aching eyes. And everywhere,
whether he wandered over burning desert
sand of sailed in phantom ship amid the
icebergs of a polar sea, blood red banner
tapped before his eyes, inscribed with the
word ''Murderr'
1t last there came day when the ban
ner no longer tapped in his ears, and she
foated upon an odorous summer lake sweet
with the perfume of liacs. He reached
out his hand to grasp them. and a human
touch met that hand. He opened his eyes
and was conscious that he lay in Widow
Danforth's best bedroom, whose moreer
curtains tapped in the soft spring air which
bore to his bedside the odore of early flow
ers.
A sepulchral sigh sounded in his ear
and Widow Danforth bent over him, the
old time motherly-look ON her woe-beCon5
face as she turned her blue eyes to his.
"What am doing here?'
She lifted one of his thin, wasted hands
which lay upon the coverlit and held it be.
fore his eyes.
He drew long breath. His memory was
coming back, bringing the old sting ofpair
TO his heart.
sWhere is Robins?'
No answer.
He burst into passion of childish tears
His mother tried TO soothe him as one
would soothe fretful child.
where is she?"
"She has worn herself ont watching ovel
you. One night, when you were raving in
delerium, you said something which sc
frightened her that she has not been her
self since. DIR. Gray thinks that her mind
was in a weak state. She mourned good
deal fer her brother. who was not killed in
the army, as was supposed. but came home
few days before you did, and wandered
off the edge of the deep cut on his way to
the village. and was dTshed to pieces, tlie
same night that you came so near freezing
to death on your way TO Eagle Crals"
Her brotheri The only tie of relation
ship she had ever known-the brother
whom she had loved with such idolatry.
Escaped from death in India, and seek.
ing the sister who mourned him as dead
only to be stricken down by the jealous
hate of one who should have been his guard
ian and protector.
He turned his face to the wall with &
groan that seemed bursting his heart.
From that day he failed rapidly; and one
iright morning when the flowers bloomeC
and the birds sang blithely, he called, il
his weak voice. for Robina.
They brought her in, pale and helpless
as child, and laid her on the bed besid,
him.
my little Robin?" he whispered fondly
touching her hand reverenily, Il hav,
heard the call, an obey Only before
go, have a confession to make. for can
not go till you have forgiven me-"
She laid her little hand in his.
81 know all, dear John. That night wher
you lay i'll in your delirium you revealed all
May He forgive you, John, as fully as I do
Let us pray together"
i golden robin, swinging on the maple
bough outside, at that moment began hi
clear, warbling song.
Long ere the warble was ended, thei
lips had ceased to move, their hearts haC
ceased to beat.
In the little garden of Eagle Crag, wher,
birds revel in the wealth OF bloom, Hans
now strong hale man, spends a part o
every spring in pruning and training tn
flowers she loved and which they tended
and trained together. They lay side b,
side in the village cemetery.