The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-07-23

cheek. At this moment the child Il
the cradle awoke, and set up fanishes
vail, startling the despairing mothe
like serpent's sting.
1--WE have no food, James-hav,
had none for several days. I hav,
nothing for the babe. Ny once KIND
husband, must he starve p
That sad, pleading face, and those
| streaming eyes, and the feeble wall o.
the child, maddened me and, II
yes, Il-struck her a fierce blow IN the
face, and she fell forward upon the
hearth. The fires of hell boiled IN NV
bosom, and with greater intensity as
felt had committed q wrong. i had
never struck Mary before, but now
some terrible impulse bore me on. and
l stopped down as well as I could in nv
/ drunken state, and clenehed both hands
| in her hair.
"' God Of mercy, James 2 exclaimed
my wife as she looked up in my fenaish
eountenance You viii not kill us
I you will not harm Willie 2 and she
sprang to the cradle and grasped him in
her embrace. / caught her again bv
her hair, and dragged her 10 the door
and as lifted the latch, the wind burst
IN with cloud of snow. With the veil
of hend dragged her on, and hurled
her out into the darkness and storm.
With wild ha ha I closed the door
and turned the button-her pleading
mOans mingled with the wall Of the
blast and sharp cry of the babe. But
my work was not yet completed
turned TO the little bed where lay
my elder son, and snatched him from
his slumbers, and against his half
awakened struggles opened the door
and thrust him out. In agony of fear he
called me by a name was no longer fit
to bear, and locked his fingers into my
side pocket. I could not wrench the
frenzied grasp away and with the cool
ness of devil-Rs ] was l-shut the
door upon the arm, and with my knife
severed it at the wrist"
The speaker ceased q moment, and
buried his face in his hands, as if to
shut out some fearful dream, and his
deep chest heaved like q storm at sea.
My father had arisen from his seat, and
was leaning forward his cOuntenance
bloodless, and the large drops standing
upon his brow. ChiIls crspt back to
my young heart, and ] Wishe1 was at
home. The old man locked up, ard I
never have since beheld such mortal ag-
Ony pictured on human face as there
was on his.
It was morning when I awoke. and
the storm had ceased, but the cold was
intense. I first secured a drink of
water, and then looked in the accus-
toned place for Mary. As I missed her,
for the first time a shadowy scene of
some horrible nightmare began to draw
upon my wandering mind. thought
had had terrible dream, but involun-
tarily opened the outside door with a
shuddering dread. As the door opened
- l.. I'll
of something across the threshold, scat
tering the snow, and striking the floor
with a sharp sound.
My blood shot like red-hot arrows
through my veins, and I rubbed my
eyes to shut out the sight. 1t was-it-
o God how terrible It was my own
injured Mary and her babe frozen to
ice The ever true mother had bowed
herself over the face of the child to
shield it, and wrapped all her clothing
round it, leaving her own person stark
and bare to the storm. She had placed
her hair over the face of the child, and
the sleet had frozen it 20 the white
cheek. The frost was white on its half
opened eyes, and upon its tiny fingers.
know not what became of my brave
boy"
Again the old man bowed his head
and wept My father Bobbed like
child. In tones of loN and heart-bro-
ken pathos, the old man thus eontin-
ued:
"I was arrested, and for long months
raved in delirium. woke-was SEN
fenced to prison ten years-but no tor
lures could have been like those I en-
dured within my own bosom. Oh, God,
no II am not fanatic. / wish to in
jure no one. But while I live, let me
live to urge others not to enter the path
which has been 50 dark and fearful
one to me. / would see my wife and
children beyond this vale of tears"
The old man sat down, but a spell as
deep 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 old man then asked the people to
sign a pledge. My father leaped from
his seat and snatched at it eagerly. I
had followed him, aud as he hesitated
a moment with the pen in the ink,
tear fell from the old mans eye on the
paper.
gels would sign it. would write my
name there ten thousand times in blood
If it would bring back my loved and
lost ones"
Nv father wrote &" Mortimer Hud-
son." The old man looked, wiped his
fearful eyes and looked again, his coun-
tenance alternately flushed with red
aud deadIy-pale.
ct is-no, it cannot be-yet how
strange" muttered the old man. ''Per-
don me, sir. but that WAS the name of
my brave boy.
NY father trembled and held up his
left arm, from which the hand had been
severed.
They looked for moment in each
others eyes; both reeled and gasped-
"My own injured boy p
My father !"
They fell upon each others necks, un-
til it seemed that their souls would
grow and mingle into one. There was
weeping in that church, and L turned
upon the streaming faces
around me.
"I,et me thank God for this great
blessing which has gladdened by guilt
burdened soul, " exclaimed the old man,
and kneeled down, pouring out his
heart in one of the most melting pray
e 5 I ever heard. The spell was then
broken, and all eagerly signed the
pledge slowly going to their homes,
as If loath to leave the spot.
The old man is dead, but the lesson
he taught his grandchild on his knee,
as the evening sun went down with a
cloud, will never be forgotten. His
ss sfanaticism" has lost none of its fire in
my manhood's heart.
|
The Snow Plant of the Sierras.
One of the grandest objects which