National Republican., 1885-04-25


ago in decidedly meditative mood ana
had just passed Tenth, going toward
Ninth, when wonder occurred.
81 A minute previous 1 saw and heard
what thousands Of my fellow-citizens see
and hear daily at that point: right and
left q continuous line Of imposing build
sngs-oontinuous save for single break,
an alley, but that the exit on spurred and
bleeding steed Of an actor who, moment
before, stfodo tho stage In the awful
tragedy of Assassination, shocking, as
founding, and overwhelming not Wash
ington alone but the world.
Yet the world grew calm and still
again as IL always has done and will do
no matter what storm of horror may con-
vulse II.
Probably that day Of my pensive prog
ress alone Of sll the surrounding crowd
remembered the fight by night, the pur-
suit, the search in . thousand directions,
the universal alarm, the wrath, the pity.
Brokers and prinoely real estate agents
piled their gold and rustled their volu-
minous verdant notes as usual, smiling
WIN VI SioAhbf
half asleep over their ample pages, wrote
and erased, and wrote again, and dreamed
of next pay day. Tho music store
bresthed harmony from ovory piano, or
gan, flute, Lutte, and other instrument,
each eloquent, though voiceless, in its
own praise, endeavoring by its silent
charms, like o fair Circassian slave in the
Oriental market, to attract a purchaser.
Whito-aproned walters darted among the
little tables in the big dining rooms,
bearing aloft in imminent peril broad
trays we'll filed to guests impatient to be
the same. AL eolors mingled, alluringly,
in the art stores, and beauties Of BRASS
being old fashioned, / dislike brazen
beauties-glittered In tho windows. Tho
two drug stores. from their opposite cor
nors. cast bright but dangerous looks to
each other, like the rival houses Of Capu-
lets and Montagues, for, fear, owing to
their distracting propinquity, neither
store has learned to love its neighbor
as itself. No envious feeling, however,
could disturb the fruit stand. 1t stood
alone in Its glory, and especially it's ap-
pies, which / eau recommend as moro
tempting than those once offered in Para
dise. being-a distinguished advantage
without peril Of evil consequences.
Other places of business were beaming
and brisk. except the Masonic Temple
is that place Of business, or pleasure. or
,what2-which was only alive along the
pavement floors, the rest, all the way to
the roof, shut up and dark.
A litue beyone this awful haunt Of
mystery rosc the majestic and perfect
Parthenon porch Of tho Interior Depart
ment, the edifeo itself embracing the
entire square.
Along tho two streets, + and Ninth,
ratified and jingled the crowded cars,
whilo byithem and across ran carriages
and rumbled carts aud sped clattering
horses and ghostly bicycles, and the pave.
ments were thronged with gay women,
jolly children, and men of multifarious
pursuits, pleasures, and desires. Noises
indescribable prevailed, now rising in
tone, now falling, but never ceasing.
What was this2 A sudden and pro,
found calm, deep. dense, and chaotic
mist. The strange veil parted, vanished
with 1t vanishing the houses. the streets,
the people, the vehicles, all / had seen
and heard just beforei
i, too, vanished, though strangely the
while fully aware of what followed; and
another, a boy. stood where ] had been-
j who yet was not-stood, then looked
behind him, then hastened away.
1t was q time of commotion, time OF
terrors. The victorious British army ad-
yanced toward Washington. Bladens.
burg, yondor in Maryland, had vainly
opposed the march of the national enemy.
and the boy, so young that admission into
the ranks could not be permitted, had
nevertheless engaged in tho opposition on
his own private and patriotic account.
Twice or thrice he discharged his rusty,
borrowed fint-lock at the audacious in
vader, then, like soldier true. obeyed the
order Of authority, which q single word
expressed obeyed that word: Retreat p
Precipitation, its drops dark with dust,
fell from his crimson face, for the day
WAS the sultriest of summer, and swift
indeed had been his motion along the con-
fused turnpike road. The wheels of his
brain still whirling at an extravagant
rate, scarcely could he remember now the
numerous and startling incidents of tho
rout, but one presented itself clearly aud
promised to be permanent. Truly, it be-
came so, and far beyond his utmost dream
ing. 1t remained all through his long
life-and who shall say that even death
has obscured or blotted it outP
In a dusty cloud the relocated cavalry
was gallopinR toward the metropolis.
Women and children, wild and bewild-
about in all angles, calling to each other
and.desperately seeking safety.
Almost under the horses hoofs little
girl, hatless, her black hair streaming,
ran, stood, ran back and stood again;
knew not what to do, was lost-and really
moment later would have been lost for.
ever-trampled by the furious steeds, had
not our young volunteer seen the peril,
rushed to the rescue, caught the child in
his arms, and instantly thrown her over
the waysido fence into the rough protec-
tion Of the bordering bushes.
The mist returns and fingers years and
years, and when it is gone the scene how
different!
War no longer overshadows the land.
The youthful hero, now in early manhood,
walks the streets of the improved capital
conyersinR with friend somewhat above
his own age. OF course, the summer noon
light inspires the twain with thoughts of
love and poetry. On that particular even
ing, as he has done on many particular
evenings thereabout, the friend is to visit
some charming young ladies, who are
three sisters, and invites the ex.soldier
boy to accompany him. The bashful hero
for time declines, but at last yields to
Tesolute urgency His slow consent Ia
received with the gay and confident
words Thank you 1t is important. 1
will introduce you to your future wife !"
The story is so strange that 1t is bold
to tell 1t, and should not be believed
when told, except that, in many cases,
nothing is so incredible as truth.
Much to tho astonishment of the two
young gentlemen, much to the astonish-
mont Of the three young ladies, and most
IN the agton ishment land deliuhtl of ona Of
the latter, the rescuing warrior of the day
of Bladensburg and the rescued maiden
of the perilous turnpike met Met again
for the first time since their romantic
encounter, met and spoke glowingly of
the past, more glowingly of the present,
most glowingly of the anticipated and
olighted future. Many visits followed.