Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-06-02
then followed months of silence. Where

tnen IOllONOu IHOullo VI sllCuNO' w hNiN
was Philip? why did he not write:
One day DR.. Walsh came home pale
and faint, with a newspaper crumpled
and crushed IN his hand. Not imme'
diately, but by and BY he was forced to
let his wife read what be had seen in
that paper. She read and fell like one
m0rtally stricken.
1. was a paper from far distant city,
and il told the sad fate Of the exploring
party under the charge Of Col. John
Beauchampe how they had been at
tackled by an overpowering body of In
dans, and how those not massacred
had been carried away captive.
Poor little woman! Poor DR..
Walsh. But the mother suffered most.
Her head, already taking on its crown
Of silver, was bowed in binding agony,
and her heart was well.nigh broken.
The joy had gone out of her life and
thick darkness was round about her.
And so half year passed, One day
the postman left letter at the door.
The hand of the superscription was
familiar. Mrs. Walsh tore it open and
glanced her eyes over the contents.
Oh, joy! Oh, rapture! Her bOy;hved,
was well, and was on his way home 10
her.
When DR.. Walsh entered the room
he found his wife fainting with the let
ter ciutched tight in her nerveless grasp.
BY and by, when the great surge had
passed, husband and wife sat down and
read the letter understandingly.
Thank God found true friend
or should say, true friend found me,
wrote Philip, after he had told Of hi;
safety and his whereabouts. But fol
the coming Of this friend | should have
dcd ere this. He heard Of me by
hamc, and when he learned that l was
from Ellsworth, and was the son o.
Silas and Mary Walsh, be bent all his
energies for my release. He spent
thousands Of dollars IN enlisting an(
oqupping men for The work, and with
his own hand struck down my savage
captor and took me henceforth under
his care and protection, God bless him
/ And be you ready, both, 10 bless him,
for he's coming homo with me-
Upon their bended knees that nigh
/ tic rejoicing parents thanked God TO
all His goodness, and called down
blessing upon the head of the unknown
/ prcscrYcr Of their son.
And with Philip came man OF mid
die age-a strong, frank-faced hand
some man, with gray eyes and curling
hair
This said Philip, when he had beer
released from his mothers enrapture'
embrace, is my preseryer. Do yo'
know MN 2
The doctor looked and shook hl
head. lie did not know.
But tic little woman observed NOR
l-ocr'r T-nOn her the LIGHT brok
oyorpowcringly.
Is it hc:' sic whispered, Iputtin
forth her hands. Is it James Ammer
ton"
Yes, said the man, stranger nov
no more. L am James Ammerton
and l thank God who has given me al
opportunity thus to show how CRATE
fully remember all your kindness t
me MY more than mother
And he held her hands aud presse
them to his lips, and blessed her agar
and again, telling her, with streamin
ewes, that she, of all the world, ha
lifted lin up and saved him.
That evening Mrs. Walsh, sitting b
lcr husbands side holding one OF hi
hands, said TO him
Once upon time a pebble wa
kicked about IN waste OF sand' !
lapilary saw it, and when he ha
brushed away the dirt from the surface
he applied his chisel and broke throuS
the crust, and behold--a diamond pur
and bright