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Roger Malvin's Burial
MustItellherthathetravelledthreedays’marchwithmefromthefieldofbattleandthatthenIlefthimtoperishinthewilderness?WereitnotbettertoliedownanddiebyyoursidethantoreturnsafeandsaythistoDorcas?"
"Tellmydaughter,"saidRogerMalvin,"that,thoughyourselfsorewounded,andweak,andweary,youledmytotteringfootstepsmanyamile,andleftmeonlyatmyearnestentreaty,becauseIwouldnothaveyourblooduponmysoul.Tellherthatthroughpainanddangeryouwerefaithful,andthat,ifyourlifebloodcouldhavesavedme,itwouldhaveflowedtoitslastdrop;andtellherthatyouwillbesomethingdearerthanafather,andthatmyblessingiswithyouboth,andthatmydyingeyescanseealongandpleasantpathinwhichyouwilljourneytogether."
AsMalvinspokehealmostraisedhimselffromtheground,andtheenergyofhisconcludingwordsseemedtofillthewildandlonelyforestwithavisionofhappiness;but,whenhesankexhausteduponhisbedofoakleaves,thelightwhichhadkindledinReuben’seyewasquenched.Hefeltasifitwerebothsinandfollytothinkofhappinessatsuchamoment.Hiscompanionwatchedhischangingcountenance,andsoughtwithgenerousarttowilehimtohisowngood.
"PerhapsIdeceivemyselfinregardtothetimeIhavetolive,"heresumed."Itmaybethat,withspeedyassistance,Imightrecoverofmywound.Theforemostfugitivesmust,erethis,havecarriedtidingsofourfatalbattletothefrontiers,andpartieswillbeouttosuccorthoseinlikeconditionwithourselves.
