Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-02-26

. IL u suuL OUT some Iear1ul dream
| and his deep chest heaved like a storr
! swept sea. My father had risen from
his seat and was leaning forward, hi
countenance bloodless, and the larg
: drops standing out on his brow. Chill
creptback to my young heart, ,andIwish
ed 1 was at home. The old man indeet
looked up, and never have since be
held such mortal despair pictured upol
a human face as there was on his.
cit was morning when 1 awoke, ani
the storm had ceased, and the cold wa;
intense. first secured a drink of wa
ter, and then looked in the accustomed
place for Mary. AS / missed her fol
some time, shadowy sense of some
horrible nightmare began to dawn upon
my wandering mind. thought had
fearful dream, but utinvoluntarily OPEN
ed the outside door with shuddering
dread. As the door opened, the snow
burst in. followed by the falling of
something across the floor, scattering
the snow and striking with sharp, bad
sound"
"My blood shot like red-hot arrows
through my veins, and 1 rubbed my
eyes to keep out the sight. 1t was-O,
God, how horrible, it was my own in
jured Mary and her babe frozen to ice.
The ever-true mother had bowed her.
self over the child to shield it, and her
own person stark and bare to the
Storm"
"She had placed her hair over the
face Of the child, and the sleet had fro
zen it to the white cheek. The frost
was white in its half-opened eyes and
upon its tiny fingers. do not know
whatever became of my brave boy"
Again the old man bowed his head
and wept, and all that were in the house
wept with him. My father sobbed like
a child. In tones of low heart broken
pa.hos, the old man concluded:
81 was arrested, and for months raved
in delirium. 1 awoke; was sentenced
to prison for ten years, but no tortures
could have been like those endured in
my bosom. o God, no!-I am not
fanatic. wish to injure no one. But
while live, let msstrive to warn others |
not to enter the path that has been so |
dark one to me-"
The old man sat down, but spell as
leep and strong as that wrought by
some wizards breath, rested upon the
audience. Hearts could have been heard
IN their beating, and tears to fall. The
I'D man then asked the audience to
'ign the pledge. My father leaped from
lis seat and snatched at it eagerly. 1
lad followed him, and as he hesitated
moment with pen in the ink, tear
ell from the old mans eye on the pa
YER. II
"Sign it, sign it, young man. Angels
would sign it; 1 would write my name
here ten thousand times in blood if it
would bring back my loved and lost
nes." |.
Ny father wrote Mortimer Hudson.n
he old man looked, wiped his counte-
ance flushed with red and death-like
aleness.
"It is-no, it cannot be; yet strange"
1uttered the old man. Pardon me,
ir, but that was the name of my brave
oy." e
Ny father trembled, and held up his
sft arm, from which the left hand had q
cen severved.
They looked for a moment into each
theirs eyes, and they both reeled and
asped: d
"My own injured sonn'
"My father!''
TLey fell upon each others neck and c
'eps until it seemed their souls would q
row and mingle into one. There was
'eeping in that church, and glad faces
round me.
'Let me thank God for this great
lessing which has gladdened my guilt
soul!" exclaimed the old man {
nd kneeling down he poured out his
cart in one of the most melting pray
IS ever heard. The spell was broken,
nd all eagerly signed the pledge, slow
: going to their homes 10th to leave the
,ot.
The old man is dead; but the lesson
lught his grand-child on his knee, as
is evening sun went down without
oud, will never be forgotten. His II
Inaticism has lost none of its fury in
" manhood's heart.