The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-10-10

Look there upon the water of the well,
Faith" said the old woman.
Il can not, Nancy. l was frightened
"But you will not be harmed. Do it,"
The girl, she knew not why, timidly did
as she was commanded. but she suddenly
started back: otis the same awful ace
and form, Nancy" she said LET us go
away"
You have seen it, then. That was what
wished. Let me look upon it now"
The old woman bent low over the curb,
and thus remained many moments. Then
she arose and turning to the young girl,
said
ut has told me. know"
"What. Nancy?"
"Manv strange things. Fame and infamy
were here yesterday. Bo5h sprung in this
little corner of Connecticut colony. This
is what it said of you, Faith Leffingwell:
"A great but evil one shall save her;
greater and a noble one shall be her lover
Think well of that, Faith. Therein is your
destinv"
What does it mean, Nancy"
"You will live to learn. Tell me, did not
Mr.. Benedict once save your life:"
HE did, undoubtedly"
"Then the half is already told"
For many days the young maid pondered
over this mysterious oracle. She would
olO III Cdiullys bHOuSuUluIly dJ Jue ulSJdlls
forgetting her occupation, so that the
wheel would revolve very slowly, and her
hands with the yarn in them fell into her
lap. Then suddenly she would awaken,
and with vigorous twist set the wheel in
motion again. But though she reasoned
that it was all absurd, yet the meaning of
the oracle perplexed her.
Four years passed away. The war had
come. The two men whom she had brought
ToGSther were engaged in it. One, Mr.
BENEDICT, had already entered upon h.i
famA; the other, Nathan, was still an
humhle soldier, whose missives to her were
full OF courage and hope, and breathed an
ardent patriotism. One day messenger
gave Faith a letter 1t was from Nathan.
1t was tender, almost sorrowfully so, but
he babe her be courageous though he was
about to enter upon perilous mission, but
one that his duty called him to accept
This" he wrote, sis what God has set
apart for me to do"
'He will do it, father" said Faith. ''Na-
than never fails" And the patriotic old
man said: Nathan will do it, whatever it
is"
A week later Esquire Lef1ingwel sought
Faith. "My child" he said, have you the
courage Nathan desired YOU to exerCise:"
81 trust so, father; what need is there for
itY'.
. "Faith, if Nathan were required to give
up all, even his life, for his country, what
them"
"Did-he-not assume that when he be-
came a soldier"
"Would you have Nathan make the sac
rifice?"
Eyes. No. 1 can not say. do not
know"
"But if it were for his countryw
FEATHER, what is this news you have?"
"But this, my child. message | have
~ II l.
as a spy upon Long Island on a perilous
but important mission. That one was cap
tured by the British, condemned and
hanged, and when upon the gallOws his
dying words of sublime courage and faith
were: Il only regret that l have but one
life to lose for my country Those we're
Nathan Hale's dying words, my child.
Your, Nathan, weep not for him, but be
proud that such a man loved YOU"
"My NathaDw she said, with one
passionate CT, ; and then, with the chill
tone of des pair, she said, as she fateringly
crept toward her father for support, Ma
than has done what God had in store for
him. | thank God such man loved me-"
Then the reaction came.
The months and years passed. Faith
understood the mysterious oracle "A
greater and noble one shall be thy
lover" and she found content and joy in
the consciousness not only of his greatness,
but of the universal recognition of it.
But what of the other? A great and evil
one Great this one was now acknowl-
edged-a great soldier, daring COM
mander. No evil one surely, she used to
ponder.
One day her aged father, his face con-
vulsed with passion, came to her.
"Faith, my child, Benedict has falflled
the promise of his youth. He has become
infamous"
"What meant you, father"
"Hear this: The commander at West
Point has been detected in an attempt to
betray his country and has fled to the
British"
"Who was this commander, father"
Benedict Arnold, our neighbor once"
Gan evil one, an evil one. Surely this
strange oracle was true" and she then
narrated to her father the mysterious tale
of the oracle. Thus, probably, was this
tradition handed down
1t is believed by the antiquary, who has
the wooden image of King George, that
in his youth Benedict Arnold, for spite,
obtained it surreptitiously and cast it in
the we'll, where, in a proper light, it was
seen by some superstitious- minded person.
N Y Sam