Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-10-04
AMBER COSGROYE.


My name Is Amber C0sCrove- and such Is
my good fortune that ! can write IN three
words the history OF NV Ei-lhood. Happy
-happleT-L91J sI lest ThcSe thin. clear. M
and-dowl sEoEes tell little 70 others. 10
me they tel Of z past Tor which can no1
De 100 thankful / write = hand Ike ny
sreat-g-andInothe-'s, 50 Aiasi5e tells me,
neat afaS 1~FZ1a4 - old-f a. io- ed TItke1s
VII CHI think aascr2Ds r. as well as anv !
can h1s4 fer Irss.lfs~ And So IN those re:lt.
formal Cld-lashlC-el strokes on The smooth
white paper see pictured not only ny LIE
but ny habits and ways And he 6zsnes
bStWee-s-Ev12E Of ILsmS Ife-v are the
breaks - ne eTe1 -ilw Of peaceful lie:
passages rough at the tine huJ now not
gnpleass.12- % remember -ur through them
passed ron being Amber McA-chael to
become -h@ vie q q --e- - noble and
brave, - ceuS-r-s and T-Ce. - nv own
father. and even Of Al1s--- Gan say no
more than that.
There Is q scene which IS often IN nv
mind when I 81 and think o. the past Bat
Il Is 10 passage II my own lie: ! took
place 5=fors I-<-as born. ana II far-1fs-
TAM land Try T. picture =. da-k-stlu Ez-ht
IN one OF ne central provinces % India
down JUassezfatdl. rs1glfv paved with
logs, 1it-oaIy hare and there by the moon
beams ple---t1Es rlrcEcH the branches over
head some dozen persons. Europeans and
natives are fastening. stumbling and fall
ing IN their hurry. but never pausinc. Be
hind them there IS 3 glare in the sky far
too deep Tor the moonlight brighter and
Tedder even Chaa the glow which hangs
over great city al night That crimson
illumination : no ordinary sight: II means
murder and blopdshea- 1or 1t Is the blaze OF
the FerI-Ighees' burning houses. Alrea1y
YOU can lear tire cries OF the pursuing
SepOyS. 50 1eroclous IN the hour Of their
long delayed vengeance that the blood of
men, as brave as the two who bring up the
rear Of the flying party, may well run chill
with fear. Not on their own account. but
for the women and children who are being
hurried along by their psnic-srricken SER
wants. Ne0 may Major CosErove's breath
come ARd CO. Tor his wife and children are
OF the party; vainly he tries 10 pierce the
darkness in front. and TO distinguish the
glesm Of the river, beyond which Is com
paratlve safety Es kn Jws that hardly
three miles On the other side of II is Brit
ISL sta5iO1- and the demons behind. cow
ardly IS cruel. may hesitate TO pursue
where every step brings them nearer TO
danger While he gazes in front his broth
er officer keeps turning back his head n the
direction -0f. the pursuit Neither speaks
his though =: but tie Majo-. his face " hIte
and Ssr. HssS the chambers 81 IFS reviewers.
and his companion sees him and mods. He
knows. without explanation, Tor whom
the, csrtrRd Ees SO carefully tapped home
ara lrAe1ded- Ha. the water a last There
tits b=Iv7esC lis dark wooded ta PAS ripping
quickly with q Il Susand TSals flashes over
the shallow ford But i L nof-.soo late:
= louder CIV rings through the night air:
the pursuers have sighted them. and are re-
doubling Iheir speed. The race 20 the ford
Is for dear life The fuEitiveS gain 5t. and
are half WAY acTosS before the enemy reach
the bank Even than escape seems Impos-
sible. dozen bullets plaSh The water. and
the SepOys, encouraged by their own mum
hers are crossing the ford to come 70 close
quarters BTeathless and dripping the
women and children are pulleiup the bank,
and the officers toll0v-OBe Of them. The
other,zvifh Stern graspof his friends hand,
and 5o-w ard gesture OF encoura cement or
farewell, with mIItbered God bless youl''
turns back into the water, and crelches IN
der the bank like a stag al hav- The Major
hesitates: but the lives Of his wife aB5 chill
dren are at stake He hur-ies On with
stidad curse Then al intervals amid the
desult0ry fire Of the Sepogs' rifles, be hears
the sharper cracks OF 8 revolver and shrill
cries of rage and pain The soundsare get
ting fainter IN the distance when there
arises Sendish veil of triumph t-eyod rest
his soul - murrers the Major in his turn
SoAthere as sswelhng in nv breast and q
chokia=-in- ny throat. that always comes
when / t--Irk of thIs-So II was that never
saw nv father, Captain McMichaG of the
10th. but learned, as soon as 4 was old
enough ID understand II. the tale OF how be
died 10 save his friends, with his back 10
the bank and his face TO The foe And he
did NOT die IN vain. Thelittle party reached
the ED2ish- camp IN safety and the story
of his death has become tradition III his
regiment
And now I, his daughter. am sitting in
the porch of q quiet cottage home amid
HsrafordShire orchards. idly gazing out
upon the sha3owed-aecked lawn. slapinE
from 1nv fest down to the. swiftly flowing
Tenle. fastening by en- its Nav to join the
Severn Crossing the river on my left Is
an old bridge. wide and bulky and may
arched. II front a gentle Hill rises from the
stream, and covering this hill Is q little
town a pictu-sJcs and irregular as old
fashioned and tiIne-stained as can be found
in anv county OF England 4 massive
church tower. DID rs the Domesday. crowns
Ii, rising proudly amid mingled trees and
roofs The ruins Of the castle are hidden
bv the shoulder OF the slope; but from my
post. at the door of our Back and white cot
fage can see up the wide street which
leads from the bridge until the prospect Is
srate.sa greet 1eafr elm waving above IL II
i summer. and there Is huznlIng OF bees
bover1n- above the sweet-smelling o1d-fash-
toned aczxers-ahe old man. the London
pri6e the columbine-which fringe the
SreeRsvRrd at nv feet
be-e-wheneveE- in fact nv uncle can
snare nse-ihat many people belieEe Mrs.
CoscroxA 10 be NV mother. She died when
was Earxa. the news of my fathers death
killing her: and Mrs CosgTove. who had
been her friend. became indeed second
mother ~ ne. and SO brought me home TO
Stuart PARK. The gallant Colonel, her hUs-
hand SrA at Delhi. ard before the Iautlny
was x1gru71ai out two OF her three children
died With TIE eldest she settled IN the
little black and white cottage at 1od1ord.
within dozen miles OF the park And
be-ween these homes have passed nay
life
This still summer afternoon, though my
fingers are knitting, and my eyes gazing