Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-11-28

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could hide her face. 1t was never too
long for her, although = modern
church -go.r would be aghast at having
to listen to even a sermon Of such a
length. The psalms Of rejoicing had
been sung. These had been harder to
bear. The preacher had settled into
his discourse. He had turned his
hour glass, aud was already at "third'
E."
Go il his providence has exceed
in 3ly b .sssd US in delivering US from
dagger -hes was saying. Patience
Sd lidered. What good was it to her
to be delivered since John had perish.
ed under the Indian tomahawki
A figure appeared in the doorway.
Such figure Gaunt, tsttered. Wild
eyed, uukempt, barefooted, bleeding
"a mere skeleton covered with ragged
shrsds of garments. 1t stood in the
doorway quivering and motioning
strangely.
Patience Patience !" it cried.
'Tis some crazy e1horter such as
used to come and harangue the con-
gregations in my grsndfather's time.
said Judge Fletcher, whose ancestor
bad been a judge in the days of the
persecution of Anabaptists ani Quak-
ers. The tituing.mau stalked down
the aisle to put out the intruder.
Some of the men half rose, but sat
down again when they saw that the
matter was being attended to. 1t
was dreadful thing in those days to
disturb meeting. But John Hal
combs widow, unmindful of disturb
ance, started up at the cry and fairly
ran down the aisle.
ut is John 1t is John |" she
cried.
Never had a religious service in
Bethlehem Hill been broken up like
this one. The minister stopped in the
very middle Of his most important sem
teuce. The dreaded tithing.man him.
self, who bore upon his soul the awful
responsibility Of every man and wo-
man, boy and girl in the meeting
house, forgot it all and cried out like
frightened boy: ut is ghost !"
Bat it was not ghost. 1t was
John Halcomb himself, safe.
The story of the Indian attack on
the village Of Wyoming in l77S is a
story Of marvellous escapes as well as
of torture and massacre. No adven'
ture in it seems more marvellous than
that of John Halcomb. which is one Of
the we'll attested stories Of history.
With fifteen other capivss, John
Hallway had been ranged around
large fat stone while woman fury
called Queen Esther" who seemed at
the head of this ceremony Of sacrifice
Of prisoners, crushed the heads of one
after the other with a great stone
death maui. Two ofthe captives sud-
denly leapsd to their feet and dashed
into the forest. The indians pursued
them but did not shoot, probably be-
cause their plan was to bring them
back alive and torture them to death
One of the two-and it was John Hal
comb-tripped on a vine and rolled
down the steep river bank. Then ne
gave himself up for lost. But the
fall, instead of bringing him to death,
saved his life. he lodged under the
heavy branches of fallen tree and
the pursuera, sure that he was ahead,
dashed past it without discovering
| him. he lay concealed in this lucky
hiding place until darkness came.
Then wounded. lame, and almost fam
sasi, be started out oa the journey
of days through the tracklsss forest
infested with hostile Indians that lay
between him and Patience. A man
| less brave of heart would have given
| up score of times, but there was no
| give up to John Halcomb.. He might
be so weakened that he could only
crawl, but he crawled on TottsriDg,
stumbling, crawling. dragging him
self along his painful way BY inches
and in danger of his life all the way,
be covered the toilsoms miles and
came to make for his wife Patience
real day Of Thanksgiving.
A Ettlo LEARNING IA almost as dan.