Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1889-08-29


What should I do?
What I ought to do was very plain.
The lessons of life which my fond
mother had taught me did not leave
me in doubt. l ought to have gone to
Adams and made such offer of concilia.
ton as one gentleman may honorably
make to another and if he had rejected
that, I could have simply turned from
him, and refused to do further wrong
to right the wrong already done. But
I had not the courage to do that. l was
a coward. l feared that my friends
would laugh at me, and that the espec'
ial friends of Adams would point at me
the finger Of scorn.
So, in the cowardice Of my heart,
thought l would be brave before the
world, and I accepted the challenge.
The sooner It is over the BETTER re-
marked Watkins. And with this senti'
ment I agreed.
Certainly responded. Let 1t be
on this very day. at sunset; upon the
rivers bank. directly beneath the White
Heart Ledge. l will send friend to
you to make further arrangements.'
And the weapons
Pistols
And so it was fixed.
An hour afterwards found John
Price, a young physician, who agreed
to act as my second. He did not urge
me to abandon the idea, nor did he en-.
ter upon the work as though he loved
it, but he did it because he fancied that
I was determined and in case of acci-
dent his professional services might be
of value.
knew that Adams was good shot !;
and he knew that I was the same, for
we had practiced much together; so
there was no advantage to either party
in the weapons.
After dinner Price came to me, and
told me that all was arranged. Every
thing had been fixed as l had planned.
and Adams and his second would be on
the appointed ground at the appointed
time.
After Price had gone I sat down and
wrote two letters. What coward |
was to write chem. One was to my
mother, and the other to the gentle be-
ing who promised to be my wife. AS l
sit now and think of that hour shud-
der with horror-the hour when I
wrote to my mother and to my betroth-
ed. What was | about to DO? To rob
them Of all earthly Joy forever. And
for what? Aye, for what? Because
had not the courage to be bold. frank
man to obey my God and the laws of
my country. 1t was to bow before a
wicked spirit-to offer my blood to fol-
ly and my hand to murder.
White Heart Led ge was a high, per-
pendicular wall Of granite rising above
the river, the top crowned with dark
spruce trees. It received its name from
peculiar mark, where mass of white
quartz appeared, half way up the ledge
in the form OF heart.
Late in the afternoon Was upon the
sandy shore beneath the ledge, and al
most at the same time Laban Adams
made his appearance. We were both
anxious to be thought brave men. He
did not speak to me, nor did speak to
him. Our seconds conferred awhile to-
gether, and then Price came to my side.
Must this thing 60 on Pie asked.
told him l did not know how it
could be stopped. l lied, for did
know.
He informed me that if I W ould make
the least overture of peace he felt sure
that Adam would accept it.
4 think, he said, that Adam is sor-
ry for what has happened. You struck
him, and be cannot retract.
And he called me liar
4 know he did, and I know that he
did wrong. In fact. there was wrong
upon both sides. Offer him your hand,
and think he will take it without
word of explanation
No. l would not do it.
And why not ? l wanted to do it,
The spirit of my heart urged lne to do
it. The spirit Of my dear mother, speak
ing In those old lesson of love and bless
ing, urging me to do it. And another
spirit. clothed in a younger, starry love
urged me to do it. God, speaking thro>
His s II, urged me to do it. The law
of the land urged me to do it.
And yet l would not. | was afraid
that men would say was coward
O, what precious coward | was.