The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-04-07

cured for my mothers convenience when sht
was strong enough to sit up. All, a lucky
conception! We would wrap the invalid care
fully in a double set Of blankets strap her
gently to Il chair, and if she could endure the
pain Of removal, Robin would take her OF
his back (she was scarcely as heavy as Z
chlld) and leave the city for the first place
of safety that offered
Hurriedly l proposed this plan to my
mother, who to my ineXpressible relief, &c
cepted it eagerly Her pale face flushed q
little, and she actually looked better at that
moment, than had seen her look for years.
TendeIly, as if she had been baby, Robin
placed her in the chair, securing her frail
person by passing several cords and a broad
strap across her chest and knees, and lastly,
taking the burden, with no apparent effort
upon his back he went down stairs bidding
me follow him.
But oh that walk OF three miles, first
through the burning streets OF Fredericks-
burg with the roofs crashing above our heads,
Jets Of fire darling between doors and Win
dows, the hiss Of balls, and the peculiar sing
ing Of the great shells as they passed in
curves OF flame through the thickening
smoke; and then, these greater dangers
avoided, our plodding along the country
roads, chokcd up by ovcrthrown carriages.
and scattered goods of every description,
with horses escaped from their owners, gal
| Looping madly among the debris of many y
ruined homeStcad-can | ever forget it all
ever erase from memory the freghtful pic
lures of that time?
At last. we reached Il farm house. the peo-
/ pie OF which were our friends Nv mother.
with ordinations of amazemcnt from the
whole family, was taken at once to bed, but,
strange to say, she did not seem at all ia
tigued
This delicate woman, who had not left her
/ chamber, scarcely her couch, for years, had
bravcd the horrors Of bombardment in the
open streets--ridden on a Negroes back for
three or four miles, and yet had not sue
cumbed. And what is more, from that night
my mothers health improved, until now five
years after, having the satisfaction of see
ING her seated comfortably near me, and en-
gagged upon some delicate sewing-work, in
the very chair which formed so important
a part OF the rescue OF December, 1862,
! Hex comparative recovery has puzzled the
faculty, excepting one physician Of aclnowl-
edged genius. who declares it was the most
natural thing in the world.
Odd YOU ever read Little Dorrit, Miss
! Martha ?" he asked me yesterday | replied
that had. 'Well, then. recall that scene
which represents Arthur Clennam's mother
under the influence OF u great mental shock,
throwing off the paralysis of twenty years,
and rushing through the town to find little
| Dorrit, and cntreat her mercy!
Ignorant critics laughed at Dickens for
introducing what they called Il tour de force
but Dickens, as usual. knew what he was
about. Such shocks, especially in nervous
diseases, act often with the subtle force Of
galyansm and the cases are numerous
where what YOU would have sworn must kill
tho, patient outright, results in q temporary,
and even in some eases (loo}l at your
mothcr,) 4 permanent cure.
What meanwhile, Of old Robin ? He still
lives with the family and i'll his hale old
age delights to repeat to his cronies the mi
nutesl particulars Of the event of which he
was the unqueStionablc hero.
Every week he gets more gallulous con-
corning it, so that, in due time, the light
from Fredericksburg promises, under his
creative fancy, to develop into quite IN
''Iliad'' Of adventures!