Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-12-10

1 - uasuhtSHS IN e0Owsturu
was not u good place or time foI
the acquiring of the accomplish
ment. We gave it up and trleC
the other. Each man took /,
couple OF sticks and fell to chafin,
them together. At the end of hall
IN hour Ne we're thoroughly chilled
and 80 were the sticks. We bitter
~ execrated the Indians. the hun
ters and the books, they had be.
trayed rs with the silly device. and
wondered dismally wfat was mex
TO De done. At this critical mo.
m~nt Mr B4llou ashed ont. fou.
metehes from The rnbbish Of ~
sIl M = hsxe ca "A
four gold bars you'd have seemed
poor and cheap good luck compared
to this One cannot think how
good match looks under such cir.
cumstances-or how lovable and
precious. and sacredly beautiful To
the eve. This time we gathered
sticks with high hopes and when
Mr.. ballou prepared to light the
hrst match. there was an amount
OF interest centered upon him that
pages OF writing could not describe.
The match burned hopefully a mo.
ment. and then went out. Itcould
not have carried more regret with
1t III It had been a human life. The
next match simply flashed and
died. The wind puff.d the third
one out just as it was on the immi-
nent verge of success. We gather
ID together closer than ever. and
developed a solicitude that was rant
and painful as Mr.. Ballou. scratch
ed our last hope on his leg. 1t lit,
burned blue and sickly, and then
budded into q robust fame. Shad-
ing it with his hands. the old gen
tleman bent gradually down and
every heart went with him-every-
body. too, for that matter, and
blood and breath stood still. The
llame touched the sticks at last.
took gradual hold upon them
h"sitated-hesitated-took a strong
'r hold-hesitated again, held its
breath five heart breaking seconds.
he" gave a sort Of human gasp and
went out. Nobody said a word for
several minutes. 1t was a solemn
sort Of silence even the wind put
on stealthy, sinister quiet, and
made no more noise than the fall.
ing flakes OF snow. Finally a sad
voiced conversation began, and il
vas soon apparent that in each one
If our hearts Law the conviction
that this was our last night with
the living. / had so hoped that |
v's the only one who felt 50.
When the others calmly acknow-
l"dg"d their convictions, i. sound
ID like the summons itself. Ollen-
dnrff said:
Brothers. let us die together.
Aud let us go without o2e hard
[ cling towards each other. L-tu
forget and forgive bygones. $50
! forgive Mr.. Ballou with all nv
heart, and"
Poor OIiendorff broke down ard
the tears came. He Was not alone
FIR ! was crying too, aud so was
Mr.. Ballou. Ollendorff got b
voice again and forgave me fr
things | had done and said. Tn. n
he got out his bottle Of whisky and
said that whether he lived or died
he would never touch another drop.
He said he had given up all hope
Of life. and although i'll prepared,
was ready to submit humbly to b 8
fate that he wished he could be
spared a little longer, not for an,
8 lfish reason, but to make q thor
"ugh reform in his character, and
D. devoting himself To helping the
poor, nursing the sick and plead
ing with the people to guard them
Ives against the evils ofintemper-
arce. make his life a beneficrnt
example to the young. and lay IT
down at last with the precious re-
q .ction that it had not been liv, d
In vain. e
Mr.. Ball0u made remarks OF sim
liar purport, and began the reform
he could not live to continue by
throwing away the ancient pack of
cards that had solaced our captivi-
ty during the food and made it
bearable.
NV own remarks were of the
same tenor a. those Of my comrades
aud I knew that the feelings that