Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-08-14
A Thrilling Incident.

ago, noble looking old man whose
thin locks, silvered here and there with
the frosts of time, formed about his
temples the honored chaplet of age
His frank and open countenance, now
scanned with wrinkles and furrowed by
the ungentle touches of time, bore
of more than ordinary manly beauty,
| and his eyes, although deprived Of their
pristine lustre, still emitted sparks Of
the passion-fire that once glewed within
his bresst. It was evident from the
expression Of his face that the vener
able man was plunged in profound
reyerie. Ills eyes started abstractedly
into space, and sweet memories of his
departed youth appeared to have laid a
spell npon his spirit. Perhaps he was
recalling the iridesoent fancies of his
| boyhood and the soborer, but. noller,
realities of his ripper years, while his
dropping spirit, touched by the squire Of
memory, pranced like fiery steed amid
civic triumphs, and drank in the sc luc
tive plaudits Of the multitude. Perhaps
| he was living over again that bright
day on which an enthusiastic deputation
o. his neighbors informed him, amid
deafening cheers, that he had been
unanimously elected Justice of the
Peace for the 10th district, aud chat the
toga of q magistrate was ready to aligbt
gu his shoulders Perhaps he stood
drinks for the crowd" and assisted in
carrying home on a litter Of bougls
the limp but manly form of a conyivial
neighbor who had put thirteen cock
tails under his belt in honor of the
glorious event. Perhaps-but why
pursue this train of thought and permit
rampant fancy to force the flowers Of
Spring to bloom anew, when sad eyed
Autumn is advancing upon U.s. Again,
IN melancholy accents, we .nurinuringly
ask-why? While the white haired
patriarch was bound by the spell Of the
enchahter, the sound of hoofs was heard
on the dirt road in front of the house
and presen tly there appeared mounted
upon magnificent horse, young man
with flowing locks and q satchel slung
across his shoulder, who sat upon his
melted steed like Centaur, and chung
as firmly to the saddle as if he had
been stuck there with Spaulding'- glue.
After the noble animal on which he
was mounted had executed graceful
caracole, the young man rode up TO the
gate, tied his flowing bride reins in al
intricate bow knot to a swinging limb
aad alighted. As'he advanced up the
grayelled walk leading to the house,
STOPPING occasionally to inhale the sen
suous doors Of q dozen or SO holly
hooks, lie attracted the old mans
wandering gaze. In an instant an
electric shock seemed TO pass through
the aged frame, and an expression of
mingled hopes and fear swept over the
wrinklod face. The patriarch rose from
his sitting posture as the youth advanced
and uttered an expression Of wonder so
foreignto his usual dialect, that it
brought instantly to his side his wife
an aged matron with serene counte
nance-and thirteen little orphaned
grandchildren, two Of whom were boys.
Nearer and nearer approached the
strange youth, and now the old man,
after passing his tremuloua hand across
his forehead several times, seeking as it
were to brush away the nists Of age,
r,ishes. toward him and exelailns in
pathetic accents:
Strange and mysterious youth, who
are you? If these aged eyes have not
lost the power to distinguish objects
which this feebly fluttering heart holds
dear, You are my long lost--my tender
~ remembered and nevor-to-be forgot
ten-yo are my only-you are!
ga life insurance solicitor, at your
service, sir, ready to insure your life on
the ten year non-forieiting, orany other
plan calculated to deprive death Of its
sting and provide for loved ones after
life becomes extinct volubly exclaimed |
the mysterious youth.
For moment, but only q moment
an expression of horror and disappoint |
ment passed over the old mans face,and |
then he turned toward the interior of
the mansion to get gun. Meanwhile
the matron with the serencc counte-
nance grasped shovel, the biggest boy
stole silently behind the house to I'M
loose two faithful bull dogs that were
venting the pent up sorrows of their
captivity by growing hoarsely in the
smoke house, the. smallest boy picked
mp rock, the orphan children sound
ed the war whoop, and firing was about !!
to begin along the whole line, when the |
mysterious youth, seized with mortal
terror, after dropping an insurance cal
endar and three tracts on the doorstep, |
turned rapidly on hisheel and ignomin-
;o,~l, Ao3 ti,b;s 81 or,, will ;, - bo soo,, /