Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1870-06-09

| iOA HIS pOOI Slulul Cullu duu HOuld
take me to be with Him and my Sa-
Viour in better hfe."
A great sob burst from Mr..
OWENS heart. "AmenP' he said SOL
emnly, "Amen!"
Tonight in the early twilight,
shall see the cows all coming home
from the pasture-Daisy and Brindle
and Bet; old Billy, too, will neigh for
his stall, and precious little Blossom
standing waiting for me, but. | shall
never, never come. God bless you all
Forgive your poor Bennie.''
r
Late that night the door opened
softly, and a little figure glided down
the foot-path that leads to the road by
the mill. She seemed rather flying
than walking, turning her head neither
to the right nor left, starting as the full
moon sketched queer fantastic shapes
all around her, looking only now and
then to heaven, and folding her hands
as if in prayer.
Two hours later the same young
girl stood at the Mill Depot, watching
the coming of the night train, and the
conductor as he reached down to lift
her in, wondering at the sweet, tear
stained face that was upturned toward
the dim lantern that was held in his
hand.
A few questions and ready answers
told him all, and 10 father could have
cared more tenderly for his own child
than he did for Blossom.
She was on her way to Washington,
to ask President Lincoln for her
brothers life. She had stolen away,
leaving only note to tell her father
where and why she had gone. She had
brought Benny's letter with her; no
good, kind heart like the Presidents
could refuse to bemelted by it.
The next morning they reached New
York, and the conductor found suita-
bic company for Blossom, and hurried
her on to Washington. Every minute
now might be year in her brothers
life.
And so, in an incredible short time,
Blossom reached the capital, and was
hurried at once to the White House
The President had just seated himself
to his morning task of overlooking and
signing important papers, when with
out one word of announcement, the
door softly opened, and Blossom, with
eyes cast down and folded hands, stood
before him.
"Well, my child" he said in his
pleasant cherry tone. "what do you
want so bright and early this morn
ing?"
''Bennie's life, please sir" faltered
out Blossom.
''Bennie? Who is Bennie?"
"My brother, sir. They are going
to shoot him for sleeping at his
post
"Oh, yes" and Mr.. Lincoln run his
eye over the papers before him. 81
remember 1t was a fatal Sleep
You see, child, it was a time of fatal
danger. Thousands of lives might
have been lost for his culpable negli-
gence."
$50 my father said,' said Blossom,
gravely, "but my poor brother Bennie
was so tired, sir, and Jenny was SO
very weak. He did the work of two,
and it was Jemmy's night, not his
But Jenny was too tired; but Bennie
never thought about himself, that he
was also too tired.
"What is this you say, my child?-
Come here, l don't understand" and
the kind man caught eagerly as ever
at what seemed to be a justification of
an offence.
Blossom went to him; he put his
hand tenderly on her shoulder, and
turned up the pale, serious face to-
wards his. How tall he seemed; and
he was President of the United States,
too. A dim thought of this kind pass
ed for a moment through Blossoms
mind; but she told her story simply
and straightforward, and handed Mr.
Lincoln Bennie's letter to read.
He read it carefully; then taking up
his pen, wrote a few hasty lines and
rang the bell.
Blossom heard this order given:
"Send this dispatch at oncef'
The President then turned to the lit
lie girl and said:
"Go home, my child, and tell that
fathers of yours, who could approve
his country's sentence, even when it
took the life of child like that, Abra-
ham Lincold thinks the life far too pre-
cious to be lost. Go back, or wait un-
til tomorrow. Bennie will need
change after he has faced death
Wait and he shall go with you"
"God bless you, sir, said Blossom;
and who shall doubt that God heard
and registered that request?
Two days after this interview the
Young soldier came to the White
House with his sister. He was called
into the Presidents private room, and
a strap fastened upon his shoulder,
when Mr.. Lincoln said "that the SOL
dier who could carry a sick COM
rade's baggage, and die for the good
act uncomplaingly deserved all honor." "
Then Bennie and Blossom took their
W ay to the Green Mountain Home, and
crowd gathered at the Mill Depot, to
welcome them back, and Farmer
Owens head lowered above them all,
and as his hand grasped that Of his
boy, Mr.. Allen heard him say fervent-
ly, as the best blessing he could pro-
nounce upon his boy:
"Just and True are Thy ways, Thou
King of Saints ss A1
That night Daisy and Brindle and
Bet came believing home. from pas
ture, for they heard a well-known