Mercy

Whilst wandering over the field of battle, followed by Zauker, his sergeant, Van Rahdeu heard a suppressed moaning, and found amongst the bushwood, close to the bank of a little rivulet, a sorely wounded French soldier. The unfortunale fellow had been hit in three or four places. One baU-had entered behind the eyes, which projected, bloody and swollon from their sockets, another had shattered liis right hand, and a tliird had broken tlie bones of Iris leg. He could neilher see, nor move, nor die ; he lay in the broad glare of the sun, parched with thirst, listening to the ripj.le of the stream, which he was unable to reach. In heart-rending tones he iinplored a drink of water. Six and thirty hours had he lain there, he said, suffei-ingagonies irom lieat and thirst, and wounds. In an instant, Zauker threw down Iris knopsack, filled his canteen, and handed t to the unhappy Frenchman, vho drank as though he vvould never leave off. When at last satisfied, he said very calml y, " stop friend ! one more favor ; blow my brains out!" I looked at Zauker, and made a sign witli my hand, as much as to say, " Is your gun loaded V' Zauker drew his ramrod, ran Oto the barrel quite noiselessly, so that the wounded man might not hear, and nodded his head aiïirrnatively. Without a word I pointed to a thicket about twenty paces,giving him to understand that he was not to fire till I had reached it, and hurrying away, 1 left him alone with the Frenchman. Ten minutes passed without a report, and then on turning the corner of a wood, carne face to face with Zauker. " 1 can't do it, Lieutenant," aaid he. " Thriee I leveled my rifle, but could not pull the trigger." He had left the poor French sergeant-major, (such four gold chevrous on his coatsleeve, denoted him to be) a canteen full of water, liad arranged a few boughs above his head to shield him f rom the sun, andassoon as we reached the camp he hastened to the field hospital, to point out the spot wliere the wounded man Jay, and procure sui'gical assistance. - Blackwood. Human nature, bad as it is, could nol draw the trigger that was to put a poor, writhing, mulilnted fellovv mortal out of pain. And vet the man with such tender f'eehngs that he could not draw ihai trigger, may have been the very man that shot ihe musket six and thirty hours beibre, that made such sad havoc on the poor "French soldier." Reader, does it need anydeepand intímate acquaintance with philosojjhy to teil why there sliould be such a change ? How true is it Ihat men will do tliat in mnsses which as individuáis, tKo world could not hire thern hardly to think of.