National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-07-02
A Thrilling Revolutionary Tale.

God is everywhere. His words
are in the heart. He is on the bat
t!etield or in our peaceful home.
Praise his holy name.
1t was in the wilds of Wissahicon
on the day of fbattle, as the MONDAY
sun came through the thick cluster
ed leaves, that two men met i'll dead
ly conflict near the reef that rose
like some primevial world, at least
a thousand feet above the dark wa
terS Of the Wissahicon.
The man with the dark brown
face, and dark gray eyes, flashing
with deadly light, and a muscular
form, clad in a blue frock Of the
Revolution, is continental named
Warren.
The other man, with the long
black hair, dropping along his ca
daverous face, is in the half miliata-
ry costume Of a Tory refugee. This
a murderer ofPaoh, named Delaney.
They met by accident, and now
they fought, not with sword and
rife, but with long and deadly hunt
ing knife they strdgglel, ,twining and
twisting on the green sWard.
At last the tory is down-do WI
on the turf, with the knee of the
continental on his breast--the up
raised knife flashed death in his face.
Quarter !! | yield = gasped the
tory, as the knee was pressed on his
breast. .Spare me, Yield =
My brother, sad the patriot, in
a tone of deadly hate 'my brother
cried Tor quarter on the night OF
( paoli, and evan a. he ciuns to your
knees you struck that knife into his
heart. Q, will give you the quar-
ter Of PaGli.
And his hand was raised for the
blow, and his teeth were clerchcd
with deadly hate. He paused for a
moment, and then pinioucd the to-
rvs arms, and with rapid stride
dragged him to the verge Of a rock g,
and held him quivering over the
abyss,
Mercy! gasped the tory. turning
ashley pale by turns, as that awful
gulf Nawned below. 'Mercyn |
have a wife and child at home
spare me-.
The continental, with muscular
strength gathered for the effort,
shook the murderer once more over
the abyss, aud then hissel his bitter
sHecr in his face.
MY brother had wife and two
children. The morning after the
night at Paoli that wife was Il wild
ow those children orphans! Ask
mercy from them =
The proposal made by the cont.
Mental in mockery and bitter hate
was taken III serious earnest by the
crror.stncken tory. He begged to
be taken to the widow and her chill
dren, and to have the privilege of
begging for his life. After a mo-
ment of serious thought the patriot.
ic soldier consented. He bound the
,Ory's arms still tighter, placed him
on his feet, and led him through
the woods. \ quiet cottage embos.
omed among the trees broke ON
their sight. They entered the cot.
tage. There beside the dcsolatc
hearthstone sat the widow and her
children.
She sat there, a matronly woman
of about % years, with caac faded
10y care; deep dal, eye, and long
black haIr, hanging in disheSclcd
state about her shoulders. One
side was II dark haired boy Of some
six years. on the other side girl
one year younger, with light blue
ewes. The hiblc-an old and vcncr.
able volumc-lay open upon the
mothers knee. And the pale faced
tory flung himself upon his kuccs,
and confessed that he had butcher.
ed her husband on the night OF paO.
Ii, and begged his life at her hands.
Spare me, for the sake of my
wife and child!'
lie had expected This pitiful moan
would touch the widows heart, but
not one rclenting gleam soltcncd her
face. THE Lord shall judge be-
tween us, she said, ina cold, lev
tone that froze the murders hcarl
Look, the bible is in my lap. |
will close the volume, and let my ii.
tie son place his finger at random
upon line, and by that you shall
live or die.
This was strange proposal made
in good faith, of u mild ana dark su.
pcrs,ition of oldcn times. For u
moment the tory pale as ashes, was
wrapped in deep thongllt---then in
u faint voice he signilicd his consent.
Raising her dark eyes to heaven,
the mother prayed 10 the great ia.
tlcr to direct the finger OF her son.
She closed the book-she handed IL
TO the boy, whose check reddcncd
with loatling as he gazed upon his