It was
one of those fortunate accidents, or providentially ordered
interferences, which once in a while save a life. The stone disc
worn by Alice chanced to lie exactly in the missile's way, and
while it was not broken, the ball, already somewhat checked by
passing through several folds of Father Beret's garments,
flattened itself upon it with a shock which somehow struck Alice
senseless.
Here again, history in the form of an ancient family document (a
letter written in 1821 by Alice herself), gives us the curious
brace of incidents, to wit, the breaking of the miniature on
Beverley's breast by a British musket-ball, and the stopping of
Hamilton's bullet over Alice's heart by the Indian charm-stone.
"Which shows the goodness of God," the letter goes on, "and also
seems to sustain the Indian legend concerning the stone, that
whoever might wear it could not be killed. Unquestionable (sic)
Mr. Hamilton's shot, which was aimed at poor, dear old Father
Beret, would have pierced my heart, but for that charm-stone. As
for my locket, it did not, as some have reported, save Fitzhugh's
life when the musket-ball was stopped. The ball was so spent that
the blow was only hard enough to spoil temporary (sic) the face of
the miniature, which was afterwards restored fairly well by an
artist in Paris. When it did actually save Fitzhugh's life was out
on the Illinois plain.
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