Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-05-11
bless you all. Forgive your poor, poor
Bennie.r


Late that night the door opened,softly.
and a little figure glided out and 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 or left, starting as the full moon
sketched queer fantastic shapes all around
her, looking only now and then to heay-
en-, and folding her hands as ifin prayer
Two hours later the same young girl
STOOD at the Mill Depot watching the COM
ing OF the night train and the conductor.
as he reached down to lift her in wondered
at the sweet, tear-stained face, that wss
upturned toward the dim lantern held in
his hand.
"A few questions and ready answers told
him all, and no father could have cared
more tenderly for his own child than he
did for Bloss6m.
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 Bennie's letter
with her; no good, kind heart like the
Presidents could refuge to be melted by
it.
The next morning they reached New
York, and the conductor found suitable
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 capitol and was hur-
ried at once to the White House. The
President had just seated himself to his
morning task of overlooking and signing
important papers, when, without 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 pleas
ant, CHEEKY tone, "what do you want so
bright and early in the mornings"
Bennie's life, please sir" faltered out
Blossom.
Bonnie? Who is Bennie?"
My brother, sir. They are going to
shoot him for sleeping at his postn
oh, yes" and Mr.. Lincoln ran his
eye over the papers before him. 81 re-
member. 1t was fatal sleep. You see,
child, it was time of fatal danger
Thousands of lives might have been lost.
for his culpable negligence"
So my father said," said Blossom,
gravely, :" but my poor brother Bonnie
was so tired sir, and Jenny was very
weak. He did the work of two, and it
was Jemmy's night not his. But Jimmy
was too tired; and Bonnie never thought
about himself, that he was also too tired"
What is this you say, my child? Come
here, don't understand and the kind
man caught eagerly as ever at what SEEM
ed to be justification of an offence.
Blossom went TO him; he put his hand
tenderly on her shoulder, and turned up
the pale serious face towards his. How
tall he seemed; and he was President of
the United States, too. A dim thought of
this kind passed for moment through
Blossoms mind; but she told her story
simply and Straightforward, and handed 8fr.
Lincoln Bennie's letter to read.
He read it carefully; then taking up his
pen, wrote few hasty lines and rang the
bell.
Blossom heard this order given:
"SEND THIS DISPATCH AT ONCE
The President then turned to the little
{ irl and said:
"Go home, my child and tell that father
of yours who could approve his country's
sentence, even when it took the life of q
child like that, Abraham Lincoln thinks
the life far too precious to be lost. Go
back, or wait until Tomorrow Bonnie
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 reg
istered that request?
Two days after this interview the young
soldier came to the White Honse with his
sister. He was called into the Presidents
private room, and a strap fastened upon
the shoulder, when Mr.Lincoln said "thRt
the soldier who could carry n sick COM
rade's baggage and die for the good act
deserved honor"
Then Bonnie and Blossom took their
way to the Green Mountain Home, and
crowd gathered at the Mill Depot, to well
come them back, and Farmer Owens head
lowered above them all, and as his hand
grasped that of his boy, Mr.. Allen heard
him say fervently, as the best blessing he
could pronounce upon his child:
Just and true are thy ways, thou King
of saints
'"rhat night Daisy and Brindle and Bet
came believing home from pasture, for
they heard well-known voice calling
them at the gate, and Bonnie, as he pats
his old pets and looks lovingly in their
great brown eyes, catches through the still
evening air his Puritan fathers voice, rs
he repeats TO his happy mother these jubi-
liant words Fear not, for | ann with thee:
] bring thy seed from the west; | will say
TO the north, Give up, and to the south,
Keep not back; bring my sons from afar,
and my daughters from the ends of the
earth; even every one that is called by my
name: for | have created him for my glory,
| have formed him, yea / have made him"
S-@-e
Collision on the S0uth Carolina Railroad
-COIOred Man Killed.
CHARLESTON, May S.-A collision oc-
Cured this afternoon on the Charleston