The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-07-16


from the vessel, it seemed to be almost
against their faces. The roar shook tho
ground. The5troops were too busy saw.
ing themselves to notice the fngitives,
and they pushed on as rapidly as posi-
BILE
No one wassuflciently protected from
the rain. Little Mary bad the hardest
part, for nearly all the children were in
her care. The mud was deep some
of the little ones could walk but short
distance at a time, and bad to be carried
Mary having always one, sometimes
two, in her arms Several of tho ser.
wants were near her, but none of them
seemed to notice her or her burdens II
The last horse had been carried of that
day there was no escape but on foot
Suddenly ball came crashing through
the trees Then charge Of grape-shot
cut the boughs overhead. They were
exactly in the range, of the guns! !, 1t
was evident they had taken the worst
direction, but there was no help for, it
now-it was too late to turn back In
her agony. the mother cried aloud on
God to protect her family. Mary hug
ged closer the child in her arms, and
trembled so she could hardly keep up.
Another crash The shot,shrieked past
them, striking the trees in every direc.s
ton. The assault was fierce, the roar
was incessant. The frightened family
rushed on as swiftly as possible toward
a friends plantation, far back from the
shore; but it was soon seen that they
would not have strength to reach it,
even if they we're not struck down by
the flying shot. The Americans were
pouring their fire into these woods,
thinking the enemy would seek refuge
there. The wretched fugitiyes expected
every moment to be their last. On they
pushed through mud and rain and
streaming shoe. II U1&H1IH
Soon they found they were getting
more out of the range of the gums .
They began to hope; yet now and then
q ball tore up the trees around them, or
rolled fearfully across their path. They
reached one of the houses where their
field-hands lived, with no one hurt; they.
were over a mile from the mansion, and
out Of range. The negroes said that
no shot had come that way. Unable to,
flee further, the family determined to
stop here As soon as they entered Mrs.
Gibbes felt her strength leaving herr and
sank upon. a low bed Chilled to the
bone, drenched, trembling with terror
and exhaustion, the family gathered
around her. She opened her eyes and
looked about. She sprang up wildly.
"Oh, Mary!" she cried, "where is,
John p
The little girl turned pale and moan
ed ; "Oh, mother! mother he's lstil,'-
She broke into crying. The negroes,
quickly sympathetic, began to wiring
their hands and wall. 4' s9i noilhS
"Silence!" said Mr.. Gibbes. with stern
but trembling voice. The tears were in
his own eyes. The little child now miss
ing was very dear to them all, and,
moreover, wss deemed sacred charge,
as he 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 go back for the
child ?" ~ sai al5R
No one spoke. Mr.. Gibbes turned to
his wife for counsel. AS the two talked
in low tones, Mrs Gibbes called her
husbands attention to Mary, who was
kneeling with clasped hands, in prayer
at the foot of the bed. In a moment
the little maid rose and came to them,
saying calmly: s-ss
"Mother, / must go back after baby,
"Oh, my child" cried the mother, in
agony, Il can not let you" s. ts
"But, mother, ! must" pleaded Mary.
"God will care for me-"
1t 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
husband. His face was buried in his
hands. Plainly, she must decide it her,
SELF With streaming eyes she looked
at Mary. roA 'h'siF 'a 'e = H'oli
"Come here, my child" she called
through her sobs. Mary fell upon her
mothers neck. One long, passionate
embrace, in which all mothers love
and devotion were poured out, and the
clinging arms were opened with word.
Mary sprang up, kissed her fathers
forehead, and sped forth on her danger
Gus mission of love. =, .,,e--
The rain had now ceased, but the
night was still dark and full Of terrors,
for through the trees she saw the fre-
quent flashes of the great guns. The
woods were filed with the booming
echoes, so that cannon seemed to be on
every hand.s She. few on with all speed.
Soon she heard the crashing trees ahead,
and knew that in moment she would
be once more face to face with death. ~
She did not falter. ~ IS Sc ~
Now she was again in the fierce whirl-
wind! All around her the shot howled
and shrieked. On every side branches
fell crashing to the earth. A cannon
ball plunged into the ground close be-
side her, cast over 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. Sud-
denly she remembered that this night he
had been given to another nurse. Up
J into the third story she hurried, and, as
+, she pushed open the door, the little fel-
low, sitting up in bed, cooed to her and
put out his hands.
With the tears raining down her
cheeks, Mary wrapped the baby warmly
and started down the stairs. Out into
the darkness once more; onward with
her precious burden, through shot and
shell Three times she passed through
this iron storm. The balls still swept
the forest; the terrific booming filed tho
air. 'tA
With the child pressed tightly to her
brave young heart, she fed on. She
neither stumbled nor fell. The shot
threw the dirt in her face, and showered
the twigs down upon her head. But abe
was not struck. In safety she reached