Year: 1861




list at one time, and, without the common
nccessaries of life, had perished by hum
drcds while of those capable of doing
duty, scarcely one had blanket to cover
him at night, or food enough to keep body
and soul together. Pale, emaciated, rag
ged and dirty, many with bare feet upon
the frozen earth, they walked shivering
through the camp by day, and crowded
themselves together at tight, to get what
little warmth they could from each others
bodies, the most folorn and wretehed set
of beings that ever a nation called to
arms.


"God help us all W calculated the
mother, in detected tone. " | suppose
after all our hardships, we shall be COM
PEELED to succumb to our tyranncal foes.
" Never" cried the young officer,
" while there are thousand men left in
our country to make a last desperate
stand. We can only be conquered by an
initiation and if it is Gods will that
tvrant shall rule over this broad continent
not single true heart will live to feel
the oppression and degradation. Ere that
time, dear mother, | for one shall be be-
yond the reach of earthly monarchs.


God bless you, William cried the
mother, enthusiastically, grasping his
hand 'your fathers spirit speaks in you.
He died on the battle field with those sem
tments in his heart and | freely give
you-my son and only hope-to the glo-
rious cause which his blood and that of
thousands of others has hallowed."


For several days the intrepid young Of
iicer remained concealed beneath his moth
er's roof, his presence supposed to be
known only to themselves. But one ev-
ening near the end of his furlough, when
he was beginning to think about prepara-
tions for his secret departure, an officer,
with six men, appeared at the door, and
said that he had orders to arrest one Wm.
Rugglcs, supposed to be somewhere in
that dwelling


Why, that is my son ~ said the wild
ow, in great trcpdation.


SO much the more likely that he
should be here, then,' was the unteeling
reply.


=" And for what would you arrest him ?
and what will be done with him if
found ~


We shall take him for spy, aud if
found guilty, he will be hung of course, as
every cursed rebel should be. Here,
Badger and Wilcot, guard the back door,
you Dent and Walters, begin the search
and you, Jones and Johnson, remain
where you are. Sharp, now, all of you
alive or dead, let him be tai ken. Now,
good woman, if he is in the house, Of
which we are very strong y assured, let
him appear and save yourscltmuch trouble,
otherwise the consequence be on your own
head


- II you think my son is in the house,
search to your hearts content" !" returned
the mother, externally calm, internally
suffering.


And forthwith the search begun.


Meantime the young Lieutenant, who
had heard enough to comprehend his
danger, had set about cffecting his escape,
but not altogether in the manner first ln-
tended. He went out on the roof, IT Is
true, and tied the long rope to the CHM
ney, casting one end down toward the
street, but this only for blind. He had
seen tina. the bricks of the dividing wall
betwean the house occupied by his mother
and the one of the two adjoining build
ings, had been loosely put up under the
ridgepole, and his present design was to
remove a few of these, crowd through
into the loft of the other house, and then
replace them. This purpose he effected
before the soldiers searching for him came
up near enough to hear the little noise he
was compelled to make. The open trap
door of the roof, and the rope around the
chimney served to mislead them, as he
had hoped and it was with feeling Of
intense satisfaction that he heard them
announce the manner of escape. lmme-
diatcly after the whole party left IN haste,
first threatening Mrs. Ruggles with sub
sequent vengeance, for harboring, con-
cealins, and conniying at the escape of a
rebel spy, even though the man was her
SON


When fully satisfied that all the sold
iers had gone, young Ruggles attempted
to return into his mothers dwelling by
the way he had left, but in again dis
placing the bricks for this purpose, one OF
them Slipped and went down through an
open trap door upon the Moor below
making a loud noise. Immediately after
light flashed up through the opening,
and timid female voice demanded who
was there.


Here was dilemma. Should the
young soldier reply, he would be exposed ;
and should he keep silence, search would
probably be made which might prove
even more serious in its consequences.
What was to be done? A sudden insplr-
alton seized him. 1t was a woman'S
voice, aud women are seldom steeled to
pity. lie would make himself known,
appeal to her sympathies, and throw him.
self upon her mercy.


LADY, he began, in gentle tone,
calculated to re-assure his fair hearer,
'.be not alarmed. | am friend in dis
tress, the son Of your next door neigh
Dor, am hunted as a spy by British
soldiers, and, if found, my life will he
forfeited. If you cannot pity me, for
Gods sake pity my poor mother, and as
sst me for her sake !"


He presented himself at the opening OF
the loft, and boldly descended the steps
leading from it, directly before the lady
a sweet beautiful girl of eighteen, who