Middletown transcript., 1882-03-31

threw himself upon the bed, and press
ing his temples into the ragged quilt,
felt the panorama of childhood pass
across his mind like something cool,
sorrowful and compassionate. The
sickness she had cured, the bad words
she had taken from his undutiful lips,
the whipping she had saved him from
at the cost of her deceit, the lie she
had never told him, the tears he had
found her shedding upon her knees
when first he had been drinking, the
money he had never given her out of
his salary but had spent with idlers, his
ruined soul which to that mothers
thought was pure as baby's still, and
watched by all the angels of God !:
These were admonitions from the green
meadows of childhood. Before was the
barren field of honor.
How short is the struggle betwixt
youth and selfshness, that sum of all
diseases and crimes that selishness
out Of which wars arise and hell is hab-
tied
A poor, overworked Christian negro,
slave in the tavern, hearing the sob
bing Of Robert Ute and aware that
one of the duelists occupied that room,
lifted the latch and wakened the
wretched boy from his remorse.
"Young moss" he said, "doan'
you fight no juels Oh doan' do it,
for de Dressed Lords sake! It's muffin
but pride and sin. Yo's only pore,
split boy, but you got a soul, young
moss Doan' you go git kilt in dat ar
bloody gully wha' so many gifts hurt
amoss to def ~
Ute arose from the dream of home,
and kicked the poor slave out of the
room. He then drank, speculated upon
his chances, practiced with an imagi-
nary pistol at the wall, and meditated
running away, alternately, until Til
tock's business step rang in the hall.
"Bob, +" he said, "we've picked you
beautiful piece of ground, and the
other rarty's waiting. It's the most
popular juel of the season."
They walked up the sandy village
street, under the old hip-roofed houses,
crossed the Branch bridge, and pro-
ceeded a quarter of mile on the road
to Washington. There, where riv-
ulet crossed the road amongst some
bushes, they descended by path into a
copse, and on to green meadow-space
cleared away by former rain freshets.
Farm boys, town boys, and intruders
of all sorts were lurking near. The
field Of honor represented a gypsy |
camp.
Lieutenant Dibdo's companion came
up to Tiltock and said that his friend |
did not wish to fight, and would make
any manly apology, even though uncon-
scious of offence, if the challenge was
withdrawn. The crowd was ardent for |
the fight, and Tiltock, who was pune
tilious about honor, particularly where
he cut safe figure, repelled the COM
promise, as unwarranted by the
code" He knew as much about the
code as about honor, and more about
both than about getting living.
:'Then, !" said the lieutenant, {" 1 am
authorized to say that my principal will |
take Mr.. Utie's first fire. Let him i'm
prove the generous chance as he will.
The second time he will make business
of it,
The interlopers fell back. The word |
was given: "Ready--Aim--Fire ~
Robert Ute, sustained by braggadocio,
that quality which makes murderers
die on the scaffold heroically, fired full
at the body of Lieutenant Dibdo. The
officer fired into the air and remained
unmoved and unharmed.
''Is another shot demanded ?''
Yes" said Tiltock, "our honor is
not yet satisfied
He waved the crowd back in an i'm
perious way-they having rushed in
after the first shot-and he gave the
word himself like dramatic reading.
Robert Ute looked, and this time
with livid, sobered face, into the open
pistol of the man he had provoked, the
professional officer Of death. The fine,
cool face behind the pistol was concise,
grave, and eloquent now as judges
pronnuncing the last sentence of the
law. The next instant the boy was
biting and clawing at the ground in
mortal agony. The impatient crowd
rushed in. A faint voice was heard to
gasp for what some said was water''
and some thought was mother .
Then a figure with dissipated face a
little dignifed by death, and with some
of the softness of childhood glimmering
in it, like the bright foot fall of the
good angel whose mission was done and
whose flight was taken-this figure lay
upon its back amongst the bushes, un-
der the sunshine, peeped at by distant
hills, contemplated by idlers as if it
were the body of slain game-chicken,
and the drunken surgeon" was idiot
ically feeling for his heart.
Gentleman, 7" said Tiltock, with
flourish, 1--WE are all witnesses that
every thing has been honorably con-
ducted.'
The city had its little talk. The
newspapers in those days were models
of what is called high-toned journal
ism, and printed nothing on purely per-
sonal matters like duels when requested
to respect the feelings of families. AS
if "the feelings of families" were not
the main cause of duels There was a
mother somewhere, still clinging with
her prayers to the footstool of God,
bnDipn fo- tho cou1 of hnr how o1,o,,