Year: 1861




1t was in the wilds Wissahicon, OH the day
of battle, as the noon Gay sun came through
the thickly clustered leaves, that two men met
in deadly conflict near the reefs which rose
like the rock of some primeval world, one
thousand feet above the dark water Of the
Wissahicon.


The man with dark, brown face, and dark
er gray eyes, flashing with deadly light, and
muscular form, clad in a blue fFock of the
revolution, is continental named Warren.


The othe: man, with long black hair drop
ping long his cadaverous face, is clad in the
half military costume Of a tory refugee. This
is a murderer Of Pao named Dehuch.


They met by accident and now they fought
not with sword or rife but with longe deadly
hunting knives they struggled, twining and
twisting on the green sward. At last the
tory is downtown on the turf with the kuee
of the continental upon his breast-the up,
raised knife flashed death in his face.


Quarter ! yield" gasped the tory, the
knee was pressed upon his breast" spare me,
yield"


(" My brother" said the patriot 10 that tone
Of deadly hate, 4" Ny brother cried for quar-.
ter on the night of Paol, and even as he
clung to your knees you struck that knife
into his heart. O, l will give you the quar-
ter of Paol"


Aud. his hand raised for the blow, and his
teeth cenched with deadly hate, he paused
for moment, then pinioned the tory's arms
and with rapid stride dragged him to the
verge CT the rock, aud held him quivering over
the abyss.


Mercy " gasped the tory. turning ashy
pale as that awful gulf yawned below "Mer-
cy p | have wife and child at home
spare me


The continental with his muscular strength
gathered for the effort, shook the murderer
once more over the abyss, and than hissed
his sneer in his face;


Ny brother had wife and two children.
The morning after the night of Paoli, that
wife was widow, those children Orphans
Would you not like to go and beg your life
of that widow and her orphans !"


The proposal made by the continental in
mockery aud bitter hate. was taken in serious
earnest by the terror stricken tory-He beg
ged to be taken to the widow and her orphan
ed chd,en and to have the privilege of beg
ging his life After moments serious
thought, the patriot soldier consented. He
bound the tory still tighter, placed him on
the rock, and led him to the woods. A quiet
cottage embossed among the trees, broke
out on their eyes They entered the cottage
There beside the deSolate hearthSone, sat the
widow and her children.


She sat there, matronly women Of about
twenty-three years, with a face faded by
care deep dark eye and long black hair
hanging in diSheveled state about her shoul-
deres-On one side was a dark haired boy
of some six years, on the other side girl one
year younger, with light blue eyes. The bi-
ble-an old venerable volume LAY upon the
| mothers knee. Aud now the pale faced tory
flung himself upon his knees, and confessed
he had butchered her husband on the night of
Paoli, and begged his life at her hands


Spare me for the sake Of my wfe--my
child"


He had expected this pitifu moan would
tonch the heart, but not one reenting CLEAN
Softened her face


The Lord shall Judge between US y she
said in cold icy tone that froze the murder
erS heart. g Look, the bible is in my hand.
will close it, and thls boy shall open to
line, and by that you shall live or die"-
This was a strange proposal, made in good
faith, Of q wild and dark superstition of old
times. For moment the tory, pale as ashes,
was wrapped in deep thought, then in a faint
ing voice signGed his coucent


Raising her dark eyes to heaven, the moth.
er prayed to the Great Father to direct the
finger of her son. She closed the book and
handed it to the boy whose cheeks redeemed
with loathing as he gazedl upon his fathers
murderer. lie took the bible opened its
holy pages at random, and placed his finger
upon verse.


There was q silence The continental SOL
der who had sworn to aveng his brothers
death, stood with diaiating eyes and clenched
teeth. The culprit kneeling upon the floor
with face like discolored clay felt his heart
leap to his throat


Then in clear voice, the widow read this
line from the old Testament.


That man shall dls~


Look the brother springs forward to
plunge a knife in the murdererS heart, the
tory pnoned as he is, clings to the widows
knee.-He begS that one more trial may be
mand by the little girl, that chiledmwith the
golden hair and black eyes


The widow coucents There is an awful
pause. With a smile in her eye, without
knowing what she was doing, the little girl
opened the Bible as it lay upon her mothers
knte ; she put her finger upon line.


The awful silence grows deeper The deep
drawn breath of the brother, and the broken
gasp of the murderer, alone disturb the still.
ness the widow and dark haired boy are
breathless The little girl, as she caught
feeling Of awe from those about, stood breath
less, her face turned aside, and her finger on
the line of life or death. At length gather
ing courage, the widow bent her eyes upon
the page and red. 1t was line from the
New Testament


L0ue your enemies"