The Newtown bee., 1888-12-21
Bible smith,
Concluded from First Page,

commission, they had too many on hand
to luck arter me to onct, so they put me
inter tent under guard OF whole
Georgy regiment. Things looked maj
Ing squally and much as determined to
be "a man, my heart went clean down
inter my boots whenever 1 thought Of
Sally. l never felt so afore or since, for
then hadn't got used to lookin' at the
gallus every day. l didn't know what
to do, but thinking Of the. Lord kneeled
down and prayed to Him right smart. /
tcllcd Him hadn'tsno face to meet Him
aforc I'd done suthin' for the kentry and
that Sally's heart would be clean broke
II l went afore her; but, howsomever, l
said, He know'd best and il it was His
will, had just nothin' to say agin it.
That was all said, but said it over and
over a heap of times and it was right
dark when got off my knees. The Lord
yered me, that are sartin, ease / hadn't
more'n got through prayin' fore dirty
ey-back-drunkern a member of Con-
grcss-staggered inter the tent. reckon
he thort it was his own, for he dropped
down onter the ground and went to
sleep, akin nuther leave nur license.
''Then, all to onct, it come inter my
head what to do"-which was to cut his
cords with the Confederate's bowie-knifs,
change coat and hat with the uncon-
scious fellow and, thus disguised, escape
from the camp. This he did and, after
many adventures and hair-breadth es-
capes, reached the mountain which look
ed down upon his home. 81 got to the
edge OF the woods" he said, ''on the hill
just ahind of my barn, about an hour by
sun; but l dar'n't go down, for, we
knows, the house stood i'm clarin' and
some of the varmints mought be a-watch-
in for me. lay thar till it was clear
dark and then crept to the rear door
and listened. And what d. We 'spose /
yered? Sally a-prayin' and prayin' for
me, so arrest and so tender-like that l
sot down on the doorstep and cried like
child, did,
Here he paused few moments, while
something in his throat choked his utter
ance. When he went on, he said, "She
telled the Lord how much was to her;
how she'd loved me ever since she first
seed me; how she loved me afore her
father or mother, or even the children;
how she'd tried to make me love Him and
she know'd that, way down in my heart,
l did love Him, though didn't say so,
case men don't speak out bout such
things loike women does. Then she said
she couldn't bear to have me hung up
like as If | was traitor; that she could
part with me il lie thought best-see me
die and not weep tear, if | could only
die like a man, with musket in my
hand, dom suthin' for my lSentry.
! couldn't stand no more, so i opened
the door, fell upon my knees, took her
inter my arms, lay my head upon her
shoulder and sobbed out: The Lord has
will be worthy of the great love yes Civ
en- to me-
Here he paused again for few mo-
ments and there was peculiar softness
and tenderness in his voice when he adj
ded, "Sinee that minnit this earth has
been another earth to me; and though
Use lost everything, though l has no
home, though night arter night / sleeps
out in the cold and the wet a-scoutin',
though my house is burned down and my
wife an little girls is scattered, though
every day Use in danger Of the gallus,
though Use been roped to a tree TO die
like dog and a thousand bullets has
yelled death in my ears, though Use seed
my only boy shot down afore my very
eyes and not able to speak to him, to
give him morscl of comfort, or yerc
his last word, Use had suthin' alters here,
Qaying his hand on his heart) that has
held me up and made me look death i'm
the face as il / loved it. And if We
haven't that, sir, no matter what else yes
got-what money, or larnin', or friends
yes pore, porer nor ez."
| never met him again. In a few
months he was shot down by the Con-
fedcrates.