The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1878-08-14
WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST Il, 1878.

"On, mary sne crleu' no1
is John ?"
The little girl turned pale, and
moaned: "Oh, mother! mother!
he's left!" She broke into crying.
The servants, quickly sympathetic,
began to wiring their hands and
vail.
"Silence !" said Mr.. Gibbes, with
stern but trembling voice. The
tears were in his own eyes. The
little child now missing was very
dear to them all and, moreover,
| was deemed a sacred charge, as
be was one of the orphan children
of Mr.. Gibbes' sister, intrusted to
! him on her death bed.
The wailing ceased; there was
silence, broken only by sobs, and
the master asked:
"Who is willing to 60 back. tor
! the child p
No one spoke. Mr.. Gibbes
turned to his wife for counsel. AS
tho two talked in low tones, Mrs.
Gibbes call her husbands attention
to Mary, who was kneeling with
clasped hands, in prayer, at the
foot of the bed. In amoment, the
little maid rose and came to them,
saying, calmly:
"Mother, I must 60 back after
baby"
"Oh, my child" cried the mo-
ther, in agony, ~ cannot let your
"But, mother, I must" pleaded
Mary. "God will care for me-"
Il was a fearful responsibility.
The guns yet roared constantly
through the darkness the house
might now be in flames it might
be filed with carnage and blood.
Mrs. Gibbes turned to her hrs-
hand, His face was buried in bis
hands. Plainly, she must decide
it herself. With streaming eyes,
she looked at Mary.
"Come here, my child" she
called through her sobs. Mary
fell upon her mothers neck. One
long, passionate brace, in which
all a mothers love and devotion
were poured out, and the clinging
arms we're opened without word.
Mary sprang up, kissed her
fathers forehead, and sped forth
on her dangerous mission of love.
The rain had now ceased, but
the night was still dark and full
of terrors, for through the trees
she saw the frequent flashes OF
the great guns. The woods were
filed with the booming echoes, so
that cannon seemed to be on
every hand. She flew on with all
speed. Soon she heard the crash
ing trees ahead, and knew that ID
a moment she would be once more
face to face with death. She did
cot falter. Now she was again in
the fierce whirlwind! All around
her the shot howled and shrieked.
On every side branches fell crash
ing to the earth. A cannon-ball
plunged into the ground close be-
side her, cast over her heap Of
mud, and threw her down. She
sprang up and pressed on with
redoubled vigor. Not even that
ball could make her turn back.
She reached the house. She
ran to the room where the little
child usually slept. The bed was
empty! Distracted, she few from
chamber to chamber. Suddenly
she remembered that this night
ho had been given to another
nurse. Up into the third story
she hurried, and. as she pushed
open the door, the little fellow,
sitting up in bed, cooed to her
and put out his hands.
With the tears running down
her checks, Mary wrapped the
babe warmly and started down
the stairs. Out into the darkness
once more onward with her pre-
cious burden, through cannon-roar,
through shot and shell! Three
times she passed through this iron
storm. The balls still swept the
forest the terrific booming filed
the air.
With the child pressed tightly
to her brave young heart, she fled
on. She neither stumbled nor
fell. The shot threw the dirt IN
her face, and showered the twigs
down upon her head. But she
was not struck. In safety she
reached the hut, and fell ex-