Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-09-04

the death watch and thu. -. 1'l -.
relief would remain with @ ~
man till he stood on the 500. .ssiss =
trap was sprung. ~
Adm lamp, suspended f,o,
rough-hewn cross-beams = .aeaaa
prisoner and his sister seato ,s'la
It, while in front of them $50 ~ osls
white-haired post chaplain h! Y
Kentuckian. aaass
That picture impressed me ro.
The rain came down on tbe n
roof with the rattle Of h3p5,os Nv
ture drums to the accomnar,
the winds shrill fling. HAD =.
miliar with funeral dirges AMI 1sH
burial services, and altbopob
witnessed one unmoyed. tho
emn of them had never affected
did the preparations for de,a
on before my eyes
Many night when lying ma.
mangled dead and LISTENING
heart-rending cries Of the ,
Ihave cursed the cruel barba,s-
war, and this feeling Of loatbi,-
grown on me with the wears
looked in at the white face ana
form of the woman dearer to M
life, felt like shrieking out ~.
against the conditions that wi,bor, !,
deserving, had crushed her purs /.
heart.
After few words Of exhorta,io, !
impressed me as being the yery $50
of heart-born eloquence, the ola Il. IL
lain began Tom Moore's exouisrs
cred song; "Come. We disconal,'E
where'er ye languish." During tie 4,
ing, in which the prisoner and ri,
ter joined, / went in and sat DOM /
side her, and with broken voice ~
as did the stolid guards, to give eu5,
sis to the closing line: Earth ha,b
sorrow that Heaven can not heal
Promising to call again before IN
light, the chaplain went out An
twelve o'clock, and the fury Of the so-
seemed to be intensified by the sile,y
/ made an effort to speak, but reahr
how weak words were for my purros
whispered to Carrie that wouli Al
down to the telegraph Office and find d,
II a message had been received ir,
Washington.
"No word yet, sir" replied the open
tor to my inquiry; 'and," he added 1
he bent his ear over the receiving inst,
ment, I'm afraid we can get no rsn
from Washington tonight"
"Why not?" | asked.
"The storm covers wide area sail
the operator. "and | fear our counu
cation with the North will be shutC.
before morning"
HAS this happened before?'
YES; several times
''And how long before repairs vss
made?"
"The shortest time was twenty-iou
hours, said the operator.
Feeling that even the elements ven
arrayed against the unfortunate prs
oner, / made my way back to the Ia
house.
Carrie gave me a quick, searching
look. but she asked no questions III
knew as well as if | had told her Tia
no word of comfort had been receive
from Washington.
! suggested to Frank to lie down, b.
he shook his head and said, grimll
1.-THE time is too short to spend it /
sleep. When the end has come one ca
rest through eternity"
1t seemed as if the sun had gone dow
for the last time, SO long was the nigh
Just before daylight the chaplain
turned, and, thankful for the excuse b
presence gave me, / again sought Il
telegraph Office. There l found Gener
Boyle, and he did not need to tell
that he had not closed his eyes in sle
during the night
In answer to my question, the opera'
said:
"The direct lines working west frC
Washington are down"
"Then," l gasped, ''you can not col
municate with the Capital?'
Eyes, Cincinnati has just said tn
they were about to operate over the g
circuit by way of Cleveland Buha
New York and south along the Goa
but as the storm is moving rapidly
that direction, should not be surpris
to find all communication shut on
fore ten o'clock" said the operator
While we stood bending over the
strument on whose mysterious ticki
so much depended, the gray dawn o.
stormy morning stole in the ROOM
the reveille went ringing through
camp.
| looked at my watch; it was ten m
utes to six. In four hours Frank bre
would be standing in the place OF E.
cution, from the direction Of whiei
could hear the hammering OF the u
making the scaffold ready.
| was about to walk out with the VI
eral when the clicking increased IN
verish way, and the operator called Q
"Wait, gentlemen, think 'heTe
something coming soon! :,
We turned back and bent over ~
reading tho words as they came from
pencil: :,
WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. TO- u
- General ]. Boyle, Commands
Camp Dick Robinson, Ky.:-Ihe r
ident directs me to say that after an
terview with Messrs. Speed ana hol.
deems it best for the interest o.
service to-"
Then the writing stopped ana
clicking died out while the opera
-. ~rr-f4aa hOHFA ~