"Now only think of that, general! And besides, when he was going away,

what do you think he did? Why, sir, he sent for me and said, -- Well,



my good madam, and what shall I pay you for all the trouble we have given you,

and also for taking care of the doctor I am going to leave with you,



and the sick people, who may be on your hands for a fortnight yet?

"I told him it was no business of mine to fix a price.



"He seemed surprised, and asked me what I meant by that.

"I answered that I was now all one as his prisoner, and prisoners had nothing



they could call their own.

"My king, madam, said he, does not make war against widows.



"I told him I wished to God all his countrymen had remembered that!

it would have saved the hunger and nakedness, and cries and tears



of many a poor widow and orphan. At this he seemed mightily hurt.

"I then told him that many of the British officers, after eating and drinking



all that they wanted, for themselves and people, and horses,

instead of turning round to pay, as he had done, had turned in to plunder,



and then set fire to the houses, not leaving the widows and children

a cover over their heads, nor a bit of bread for their mouths,



nor a stitch of clothes for their backs.

"My God! said he, and is this the way that my countrymen have come here



to carry on war! Well madam, (so he went on) my king does not know

any thing of this, nor does the English nation, I am sure.



If they did, they would certainly call those officers to account.

Such men will ruin our cause. For the word of God assures us,



that his ear is always open to the cry of the widow and orphan;

and believe me, madam, I dread their cry more than I do



the shouts of an enemy's army. However, madam, (continued he,)

I have not a moment to lose, for I am sure general Marion is pursuing me



as hard as he can, so let me know what I owe you.

"I told him again, I made no charge; but since he was so good as to insist



on giving me something, I begged to leave the matter entirely to himself.

Upon which, after a moment's study, he looked at me and said, Well, madam,



suppose we say sixpencesterling a-piece man and horse, all around,

will that do? I replied that was too much, a great deal too much,



for such a poor breakfast as I had given him and his men.

Not a penny too much, madam, said he, live and let live is the royal law,



madam, and here's your money. With that he put all these guineas here,

into my hand! and said moreover, that if the doctor and sick people



should be longer with me, and give me more trouble and cost

than we had counted on, then I must send a note to him,



at such a house in Charleston, and he would send me the money.

And now, general, would it not be a burning shame to go kill



such a dear good gentleman as that?"

Marion listened with delight to the old lady's history



of this amiable officer; but on her leaving him to hasten our breakfast,

he looked very pensive, and at a loss what to do. However,



as soon as the troops were refreshed, he ordered my brother, colonel H. Horry,

who led the advance, to remount, and push after the enemy with all speed.



We followed close in the rear. For an hour the general

did not open his mouth, but rode on like one absorbed in thought.



At length heaving a deep sigh, he said, "Well, I suppose I feel now

very much as I should feel, were I in pursuit of a brother to kill him."



About three o'clock our advance came up with the enemy,

near the wealthy and hospitable captain John Singleton's mills,



where the firing instantly commenced, and was as spiritedly returned

by the British, still retreating. Our marksmen presently stopped



one of Muckleworth's captains, and several of his men, who lay dead

on the ground at the very spot where we happened to join the advance.



The sight of these poor fellows lying in their blood,

gave the general's wavering mind the casting vote in favor of generosity;



for he immediately cried out, "Call off the troops! call off the troops!"

Then turning to his aid he said, "I cannot stand it any longer; we owe



yon Englishmen to our injured country; but there is an angel that guards them.

Ten righteous Lots would have saved Sodom. One generous Muckleworth



shall save this handful. Let us turn and fight other enemies."

The general's orders were quickly passed on to the troops to cease firing.



And to their credit be it spoken, they never, I believe, obeyed his orders

with more alacrity than on this occasion. Indeed I heard many of them say,



afterwards, that major Muckleworth's generosity to their wounded comrades

and to the poor widow, had so won their hearts to him, that they had none left



wherewith to fight against him; and they said also, that, for their parts,

they had rather kill a thousand such savages as Rawdon and Tarleton,



than hurt a hair of major Muckleworth's head.

From the effect produced on our troops, by this amiable officer's conduct,



I have often been led to think favorably of a saying common with Marion, viz.,

had the British officers but acted as became a wise and magnanimous enemy,



they might easily have recovered the revolted colonies.

• sentiment [´sentimənt] n.情绪；多愁善感 (初中英语单词)


• accordingly [ə´kɔ:diŋli] ad.因此；从而；依照 (初中英语单词)


• ignorance [´ignərəns] n.无知，愚昧 (初中英语单词)


• contest [kən´test, ´kɔntest] v.争辩 n.争夺；竞赛 (初中英语单词)


• conceive [kən´si:v] v.设想；表达；怀孕 (初中英语单词)


• furious [´fjuəriəs] a.狂怒的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)


• retreat [ri´tri:t] v.&n.退却；撤退；放弃 (初中英语单词)


• instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即，立刻 (初中英语单词)


• dreadful [´dredful] a.可怕的；讨厌的 (初中英语单词)


• childhood [´tʃaildhud] n.幼年(时代)；早期 (初中英语单词)


• inspire [in´spaiə] v.鼓舞；使感悟；吸入 (初中英语单词)


• remind [ri´maind] vt.提醒；使记(想)起 (初中英语单词)


• thence [ðens] ad.从那里；因此 (初中英语单词)


• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)


• solemn [´sɔləm] a.严肃的；隆重的 (初中英语单词)


• sunset [´sʌnset] n.日落；晚霞 (初中英语单词)


• striking [´straikiŋ] a.显著的，明显的 (初中英语单词)


• pursuit [pə´sju:t] n.追踪；追击；事务 (初中英语单词)


• scratch [skrætʃ] v.&n.抓，搔；抓伤 (初中英语单词)


• parcel [´pɑ:sl] n.包裹；一批 vt.区分 (初中英语单词)


• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• hunger [´hʌŋgə] n.饥饿；渴望 (初中英语单词)


• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• hasten [´heisən] vt.催促；促进 vi.赶紧 (初中英语单词)


• wealthy [´welθi] a.富有的；丰富的 (初中英语单词)


• presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)


• generous [´dʒenərəs] a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词)


• severely [si´viəli] ad.剧烈地；严格地 (高中英语单词)


• horrid [´hɔrid] a.令人讨厌的；极糟的 (高中英语单词)


• preacher [´pri:tʃə] n.讲道者，传教士 (高中英语单词)


• manhood [´mænhud] n.人格；男子气概 (高中英语单词)


• generosity [,dʒenə´rɔsiti] n.慷慨；慷慨的行为 (高中英语单词)


• wherein [weər´in] ad.那里面 (高中英语单词)


• surgeon [´sə:dʒən] n.外科医生；军医 (高中英语单词)


• significant [sig´nifikənt] a.重要的；意义重大的 (高中英语单词)


• countryman [´kʌntrimən] n.同胞(乡)，乡下人 (高中英语单词)


• fortnight [´fɔ:tnait] n.两星期 (高中英语单词)


• orphan [´ɔ:fən] n.&a.孤儿 vt.使成孤儿 (高中英语单词)


• stitch [stitʃ] n.针脚 v.缝(纫) (高中英语单词)


• colonel [´kə:nəl] n.海(陆)军上校 (高中英语单词)


• handful [hændful] n.一把，少数，一小撮 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• shameful [´ʃeimfəl] a.可耻的；猥亵的 (英语四级单词)


• daring [´deəriŋ] a.&n.勇敢(的) (英语四级单词)


• baptist [´bæptist] n.浸礼教徒 (英语四级单词)


• excellence [´eksələns] n.优秀；杰出；优点 (英语四级单词)


• fishing [´fiʃiŋ] n.钓鱼；捕鱼；渔业 (英语四级单词)


• anecdote [´ænikdəut] n.轶事；趣闻 (英语四级单词)


• detachment [di´tætʃmənt] n.分开(离)；分遣队 (英语四级单词)


• skirmish [´skə:miʃ] n.小战斗 vi.打小仗 (英语四级单词)


• thieves [θi:vz] thief的复数 (英语四级单词)


• corruption [kə´rʌpʃən] n.腐化；贪污；贿赂 (英语四级单词)


• nimble [´nimbəl] a.敏捷的；聪明的 (英语四级单词)


• sixpence [´sikspəns] n.六便士(硬币) (英语四级单词)


• sterling [´stə:liŋ] a.真正的 n.英国货币 (英语四级单词)


• amiable [´eimiəbəl] a.亲切的，温和的 (英语四级单词)


• hospitable [´hɔspitəbəl] a.好客的；招待周到的 (英语四级单词)


• righteous [´raitʃəs] a.正直的；正当的 (英语四级单词)


• halter [´hɔ:ltə] n.缰绳，绞索 (英语六级单词)


• malignant [mə´lignənt] a.恶意的；有害的 (英语六级单词)


• refreshing [ri´freʃiŋ] a.使心神爽快的 (英语六级单词)


• gratification [,grætifi´keiʃən] n.满意；喜悦 (英语六级单词)


• middle-aged [´midl´eidʒid] a.中年的 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• pensive [´pensiv] a.沉思的；忧郁的 (英语六级单词)