Valley Forge

Ilidclcn awiiy tlicre in a deep gln, not many miles froui Valkj Fcrffe, a 4naiiit (ild arm house rose darkly over a wide waste of inow. It was a cold, ark winter, Rnd ;he show bega to full, while frona th$ brond [ fire place of the old farm house the cheer ful blaze of massive hgs üaahed arouiid a vide and spaeious room. ïwo persone si.t by the fire- a father and child ïhe fi.thor, who aits youder with a soldier's belt thrown over his far reer's drBB is a man of soinc fifty years, his ryes bloodhot, his face wrinkhu and holloned by care, and by dissipatioii mere than o;iie. And the dnughter, wli ei's iu the fuli light of the blaze. opposite lier fat her- a Blender fonued girl of sonie seventeen years, is elad in a coarse linsey ikirt and ; kerehief, which 111:1de up the ciiuniv of a fanner's daughteï iu the days of the Iievolution, She was not ah uo ! . gjjre - perhaps that di?ease consumption, whieh makes the heart grow eold to naujC.__h::s been busy with that yjung face, siiarpeued its outlines, and stamped it with a deathly palenuss There is 110 b!iui)i on that y 'U:ig woman. The brown bair is laid plaiuly aside from the pale brow. Thei! tull me wh'at it is jou ice when you gaze 11 her face You look at that young girl, and see nothfng but the gleain of laigu eyes, that burn into your soul. Yes, those eyes are unnaturally large, and dark ar,d bright ; perhaps tion is feeding them. ( And huw then, as the fatlier sits there so Bad; and sik-ut and páte teil me, I pray, , the story of their lives. Tliat man, Jacob Manheira, was a ( peaceful, happy man before the , tion Sinee the war has begun, he has ' become dranken and idle; driven his wife, broken-hearted, to the grave ; and worse than all. joined a gang of tory refugees, who scuur the land at dead óf night. burning and nmrdering as they gTo-night, at the liour of two, this tory band will lu: in wait at a neighbu-ing pass, to attack and morder Washington, whose starving soldiers are yonder in their haunts, Valley Forge Wasbington, in his lonely journeyir.gs is Out to pass thig Farm-house ; the cut tliroats ave in the tioxt chamber, drinking and feasting as they walt fur two o'clock at niglit. And the duughter, for her ininio was Mary -they loved that name in the fiord i'id times - what wus the story ■■!' her lift; ï She li d beeti reared by the mother, now ciead, and taught to reveré this ma:) WasuingtöB, who will to night bèattaek ed a d murdered- tó reveré him next to God. Nay, um-v, tht mother on her death-bed, Joioéd her daughter'H hand to a partisan leader, Harry W illiams, who i ow shftres the crust and cold at Valley Foige. Well mightthe inaiden's eye flash with unnatural brightnesB - well muy her p Ie face gather a single lmniing liush in the centre of each check. For ye?terday afternoon, ehe went four miles, over roads of ice and snow, to teil Capt. W illiams of the plot of the rëfilgees. She did not reajb Vailey Forge until Washington had Ictt on one ( of bis journrys ; so this ïiight at twelve o'dlbck, the partisan company ucc-upicd . the rucks above the oeighborin pass to j trap the fullowtrs of George W asbiug ton. Y es, thatpale and slender girl, bering tho words of lier dj ing mother, i had broken througb her obedieuoe to her father, aft-er a long and bitter strttggie in a faithful dnughler's beurt! Bhe ln:d tra ved bis plot, to the euemies, i mg rat for the lift and safety of her atiier. And iiow, as the faihor and child are sitting theje, the shouts ot the tory ees echu t'ioin the next chaffiber as the lyüci ol' the ohl i-hick is on the hour of i Hark! liare is a sound of horse's hoofs vvtlhin the ferm ywd, thar'é is a pause ; the door opc d and a tail üguro, wrapped in athick clo: k, white sito snow, ei.ters, aívanctís to the fire, and in ! bncf worda solicita sume relVeshaients aud au hour'i )'■ , Why does the tory JSIanheiin start agb.u.Btt tbesight of the stranger's blue and gold uniform ? Thfcü ïnuinbliijg to Lis daughter about geüing sume food for the trayeler, bfi ruslies wildiy into tlie next room where his brother tories wcre feastiug. Teil nu' vvliy dois that young girl stand treinbling before the tail strauger, veiling ber eyes froi i bat calm face, witb its blue i')es and kiudlj sinile'i Ah ! if we niay believe the legenda of that tiiue, few men, iew warriors, who daied tbc terrors of battle vith a aniile, oould staud unabaslied before the soleinn presence of Washington. For it was Washington, exbaustcd with a long journey, big limbs stiffened and his face numbed with eold, who rcturning to the oamp soouer than his usual hour, was foroed by tbe storm to talg) refute i?, the farmer's house, and claim a (ittle food and au hour's repose at lus hands. I" a few minutes, behokt this strai-"-.-, wi'h li i oloek thrown off, sitting at tliat o!d oaken tab'', eating the food spread out by tbc girl, who stands trembling by bis side. And look ! hor hand is extended as ïf to waru biru of his danger, but she maltes do sound. Wiiy all this silent agony for the man who sits so calinly there '. Ome inonient ago, as the girl in preparing the hasty rapper, öpened v Ier olbset adjoining Úit next room, gbeheárd the low whiapera of her fatlier and the torios. She heard the dioe box rattle, as they were ensting lots who should shib Washiügto in his sleep! And 'iiow the words, "Beware! on this night you die !" treaibling baljf formed upon her lips, wheii her father comes hastily iVoni the room and hushes her with a look. ''Show the gentleman to his roora, Mary," (how oahnly polite a umrderer caí. be !) ' that eb amber at the heftd of the staiis on the h-ft, you mied." Mary iafcrea the liglit, treinbling ai.d pale. :8he leai'.s the soldier up the old, oaken stairs They ltsqd at the Inading, in this wiug of the farm house, o.imposed of two rooms; divided by thret waüs from tin main body of the mansión. On oue side, the rigbt, is the door of Mary's ohfimbér; on the other, the left, was the obamber of the soldier, tq him the chaiuber of death. Por a moment Mary stands thore, trembling and confusod. Washington gazes upon that Dale gjrl with a look of surprise. Look ! she is about to vrarn hiiu of his danger whcn ste thoi-e ! ber fatber's rough-faoe appears abovo the Load of the stairs. " Mary, show the gontlem:in intO tlmt room on the left And, look ye, girl, its gettillg late, and you had better go iuto your room and go to Blèep. ' While the tory watehes froru t'ao head of the sfairs Washington enters the chamber on the left ; Mary the o-ie 011 the rigiit. Au liour passes. Sttll the storm beats on the roof; stil! the snow drift iu the hiüs. Bet'oie the fire, iu the dim old huil, of the farm house, are seven dranken men. wit li tbat tall t .-y, Jacob -Man lioiin, sittinj.' iu thoir midtit, the nmiderer's kiiife iu bis hiiud ; lor the lot has faliei; on l.ih.. He is to go up and stib the sleoplng mau. Even the half dranken murderer turus ale at the tlioiight ; how the kniie tremjles in his guilty hand - tremblea a. the pisiol barrel : tlie jeern of bis comradts arouge ,hjpa, to tbc woii; ; the ligbt is iu one hand, the knii'e in the othor; he goes up stairs; he listens, first at the d'-or of bis dmghter's room ou the right, and thea at the door of the soldier s on Uft. Ailisstiil Then be plaees the .i;t on the iioor; he enters the eham ber on the left; he is göbe a moíBent. Silence ! there is a faint groan. He comes forth again, rushes down stairs, aod stands befare the fire with the hluody knife in lus hand. ■' Look 1" be Bhiitks, as he scatters the red drops over bis comrades, and over the hearth into the fire. "Look! it is he trkiter, Washington ?" His oinradcs gather around him with yells of joy ; already ii faney, they 3ount tho gold wliich will be Üioirs for tbis deed ; wheii lo ! tbe slair door opona, and tliere, without a wound, stands (ieorge Washington, asking ealuiiy for his horse ! " What!" ghriekud the tory Manheiiu, " can neither ítfeel nor bullets baria you ? A-re y'dü a living man 'i ís tbere uo wound in your uniform ?" TBe apparition drives bim niad. He starts forward ; be placeé bis band treinblingly upon the arnis and breast of Washington. He then looks at the bloody knifé, elaaped in his right hand, and stands there quivering in the death spastn. While Washington looks on in gilent wonder, the door is thrown open ; tin; bold troopers from VaKey Furge AroBg the room with the gatlaut and bronzed visage of Capt ijliamsio their midst At tbis moment the old clouk in tbe room Btrack üwelre. Then a hornd tbougbt crasbed throngh. the bruin of the toiy, Manheim., lle seizes the liybt, ruslies to the room o! bis daubtcr, on tiie ribt. Soiuo one ! bad juut risen fïoni the the ebamBér was vacant, - then tovrards the eharuber on the left, with steps of leaden buaviness ! Lo ! now the kuiie quiveiv i;i ius hand. He pauses at tbe door - he listens - his blood eurdles in his vcms. - : Gatbering courage, he pttshea open the door-goes towards the bed, tfarough wbose curtains he had struck so blincüy ' moment ago, Agaln he pauses - not a sound; stüine-ss inore terrible tbau the 1 grave lle fliiigs as-wlc tho eurtains There, in t!e f uil ligbt of the lamp, her forui but half covered, bathod in her owii bloüd - there lay his daughter Mary. ' And do iiot look upou the face of her A father, as hc starts silentiy baek, firoien Btone ; but in the pause of horror, lieten to the uiystcry of the deed. Afur the father had goue down stairs an huur ago. Mary silenlly stole from the ehamber on tliu nglit, her soul Shaken froui a thuusaiid fcars Bhe openod the door on tlie iet't, and behcld Washington gitting ut the table. She thought lier exislence was in the act, sbe askd him, in a tone ol ealm puLteness, to en trithe room on the right. Mary enteied the uhumber on the left. Can you imagine the agony of tliat glrl'ti sou!, ;is. ly mg ou the bed ittteuded as tlie di'ath oouch et Washington, she gilently awaited the kriife although tli.it. knife might be cleii'jhed in a father'a Iniüd. And now (hal father, frozon to stone. etood there, holuiug the light in mie liand the other Btill ck'nehiüg the red knife. There lav hls child, the blood Btreajning froiu that yi'ound 'm her arm, her eyes covered with a. glassy iüin. ' " Mary !" shnelied the guilty father - for robber ai'.d tory as he was, he ealled to her but that was all he could say. Suddenly she secmed to wake fruin that stupor. She sat up in bed, with glas.sy eyes, Tbe strong hard of death was on lier. As she sat there, ereet and glansy, the room was thronged with sojdiera - Her lover rushed lorward, and called her by name. No aiiawer. Cali' d aguin - sp( ke to her in that familiar voiee of oldn time; Btill uo answer. She kuew him uot. Yes, it was true - the strong hand of j death was upon her, " He has escapod ?'' she said, with a liu.sky voice. "Yes!' shrieked the father. " L'.vc, Marj, oüly live, uud lo nv.'iTow I wiil join the camp at Valloy Forge," Therc that the hero woman- dying hh iíie v:'.s. not so much t'rom the ! wouud in her arm as froni tlio agony which has brokou ber laat choid of lit'o, spread fbrth ber íinns us f .!ic beheld a forui flontiiig above the bed beckoning her away '■ Mo'ther!'' she whispered, wlnlo there gronped thc goldiers - therü, witli apeeohless aguí y oh bis brow, stood tlio lover - thiTu hiding his face with onc hand, while theother grisped tlio light crouebed the lathor- tho light flariíillg over her dark bed, with the forn in ita oeuter "Mother, thank öod! For with my life 1 have sa ved hiña - " LaoS ! even as staring on thnt bloody eouch there, ibe spoaks tluit half formed woid, lier arms stiffen, her eyes wide open, set iu duath, glare in her tather's face. She is dead. From the room hor spirit has goné Tli.it half formed word, st:'l quivcring on the lips of t!io herdie woman - that word uUered in a husky wliisper, choked !'3 thedeath rattle. was- Washington