The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-26

an Gods name, Brother Brddlev"
strong arm kept blowing walked Father
Peters, with the battle light in his eyes
and rife In his hand. A moment Of
awed silence; then the blacksmith
shouted:
"For Father Peters, boys Cheerl
D--n you, cheer!'
And they did cheer and swung their
hats, and their eyes blazed till it SEEM
ed as if there were no further need OF
the tallow dips or the blue flames Of the
forge.
my friends" said Father Peters,
"God is watching and not listening
now, and so prayer must be an act.
Tonight, perhaps within the hour, we
shall be called on to strike a blow for
the Union under the lead of Brother
Bradley. Are you all ready to do it,"
"We uns arep' was the response, CIV
On as one man.
''And are you ready TO swear to this?"
"Yesp' with thrilling emphasis.
The old clergyman drew from bis
breast small United States flag that
ut lluu CdIIltu Oll ullOuk tut DItIlOuS
things from his house. He always hung
1t over the meeting house door on Wash
ington's birthday and the Fourth of Ju-
", so that the people knew it. Indeed
1t was the only f 9 of the Union a ma
jority Of them had ever seen, but its
rarity seemed to intensity their devo-
ton to it,
Standing in their midst, Father Pc
GERS called on every man who was will
ing to swear allegiance to the Union to
uncover his head and take hold of
margin of the flag with his right hand.
This was promptly done by every man
in the smithy.
"Now, my friends, want each man
TO repeat his name aloud when / repeat
mine and to say my words after me.
Are you ready?"
A hoarse, solemn Eyes" was the re-
tponse.
Il, Robert Peters, every man shout
ed his name and raised his face TO the
black rafters of the smithy, ''in the
presence Of Almighty God, do invoke
his aid and pray that he may set against
my name in the eternal records this the
solemn oath which herein take of my
own free will and accord: That /, from
this time on, devote my best efforts and
strength, and if need be my life, to the
maintenance of the Union of my ia.
theirs; that by night and by day, early
and late, in summers sun and winters
snow, l will work for the restoration Of
the seeded states TO the Union and
consider suffering and privation pleas
ure in this effort. Goods and lands,
hands and life solemnly devote to this
holy purpose And if called on to bat
tie will battle as did the children Of
God of old till the flag of our fathers,
Of ourselves, and of our children, floats
again in glory over every foot of our
land. So help me, God, and give me
strength to keep this my most solemn
oath and obligation.
And this oath in that blacksmith's
shop that night was the origin of the
mighty Union league, which soon after
numbered its secret adherents by tho
millions.
A few words and signs, to enable
Union men to tell each other at night
as well as in the daytime, were agreed
on. Then the old Clergyman asked if
they would unite with him in prayer.
Every man, including strong Dick
Bradley, knelt down in the cinders and
ashes, and even the man working the
bellows knelt, though no did not cease
his efforts.
And as Father Peters prayed shots
were heard up the hill. This was fol-
lowed by cries of alarm and with white
faces the pickets came running in,
shouting rs they ran:
''Het Magoone! Het Magoone and the
gangr'
The men extinguished the lights in
the smithy, seized their rifles and rushed
out. The beacon fires had died out along
the hills, but to the south there could
be seen a newer fire. 1t came from the
direction Of the clergyman's house. A
few minutes of watching and all doubts
were at rest, for the flames broke ont
through the roof, and the humble home
where Father Peters hoped to end his
days was in flames.
A