Year: 1859

her a fierce blow in the face, ami she fell
forward upon the hearth The firiesI o
hell boiled in my bosom and with deeper
intensity as fell had cbkamitted wrong
had never struck Mar before; but now
some terrible impulse bore me on, and ]
stopped, as we'll as Iconld in my drunken
state, and Glen ched beth hands in Der
hair. g. y


".God Of mercy, yanS es = exclaimed my
wife, as she looked u ia my fendish
countenance, you Will not kill rus-syou
will not harm Wi1lie nd she sprang to
the cradle aud gfaspel Nm IN Ger EN- brace.
1 caught her again by the hair and
dragged her to the door, and as lifted the
latch the wind burst in with a cloud of
snow With the yell of fend still
dragged her on. and hurried her out into
the Storm. With wild ha! ha! closed
the door and turned the button, her plead
ing means mingling with the wall of the
blast and sharp cry of her babe. But my
work was not complete-


81 turned to the little bed, where lay
my elder son, and snatched him from his
SIT mbers; and against his half wakened
struggles, opened the door and thrust him
out. In the agony of fear he called me by
a name was no longer fit to bear, and
locked his fingers into my side pocket.
could not wrench that frenzied grasp away,
and with the coldness of a devil, as was,
shut the door upon his arm, and with my
knife severed-it al the wrist


The speaker ceased moment, aid
buried his face in his own hand, as if to
shut out some fearful dream. and his deep
chest heaved like fearful storm swept sea-
NV father had arisen from his seat and
was leaning forward, his countenance
bloodess, the large drops standing out
upon his brow. Chills crept back to my
Young heart, and wished l was at home
The old man looked up, and l never have
since beheld such mortal agony pictured
upon human face as there was upon his.


cit was morning when l awoke, and
the storm had ceased, but the cold was in
tense. l first secured drink of water,
and then looked in the accustomed place
for Mary. AS I missed her for the first
time, a shadowy sense of some horrible
nightmare began to dawn upon my wan
dering mind. l thought had fearful
dream, but utinvoluntarily opened the outside
door with shuddering dread.


"As the door opened, the snow burst
in followed by the fall of something across
the threshold, scattering The snow and

NV blood shot like red-hot arrows through
my veins, and rubbed my eyes to keep
out the sight. 1t was, 0, God! how hor-
rlble! it was my own injured Mary and
her babe frozen to ice! The ever true
mother had bowed herself over the child
to shield it, her own person stark and bare
to the storm.


''She had placed her hair over the face
of the child, ana the sleet had frozen it to
the white cheek. The frost was white in
it's half-opened eyes and upon its tiny fl n
gers. l know not wha. became Of my
brave boy"


Again the old man bowed his head and
wept and all that were in the house wept
with him. In tones Of low and heart bro
ken pathos the old man concluded


IL was arrested, and for long months
raved in delirium. awoke, was senten
ced to prison for ten years, but no tortures
could have been like those l endured
within my own bosom. o. God, no! l
am not fanatic. l wish to injure no one
But while l live, let me strive 10 warn
others not to enter the path which has been
so dark u one to me-"


The old man sat down. but a spell, as
deep and strong as that wrought by some
wizard's breath, rested upon the audience
Hearts could have been heard in their beat
ing, and tears to fall. The old man then
asked the people to sign the pledge My
father leaped from his seat and snatched
at it eagerly. had followed him and as
he hesita.ed moment, with pen in the ink,
tear fell from the old man s eye on tie
paper.


"Sign it, sign it, young man. Angels
would sign it, 1 would write my name ten
thousand times in blood ii it would bring
back my loved ones"


My father wrote "MoRTIMER HUDSON"
The old man looked, wiped his fearful eyes
and looked again, his countenance alter
natelY flushed with red and death-like
paleness.


at is-no, it cannot be; yet how
strange!' muttered the old man. "Par-
don me, sir, but that was the name of my
brave boy.'


My father trembled. and held up the left
arm, from which the hand had been sew
cred.


They looked up for a moment in each
others eyes. both reeled and gasped:


MY own injured sonl''


"My father!"


They fell upon each others neck and
grow and mingle with one. There was
weeping in that church, and sad faces
around me.


"Let me thank God for his great bless
ing which has gladdened my guilL-bur
dened SOUL" exclaimed the old man; and
kneelng down he poured out his heart in
one of the most melting prayers l ever
heard. The spell was then broken, aud
all eagerly signed the pledge slowly going
to their homes, as il 10th to leave the
spot"


The old man is dead. The lesson he
taught his grand-child on his knee, as his