The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1860-09-06

STRAINED, Wild glance; then the glad truth
broke into her heart, for the hazel eyes had
their roguish glance, though they were set
in pale, wasted face.
ooh, Reuben, Reuben, thought it was
ghost!" and she fell upon his neck with
u wild sob ofjoy.
1t was long before he could get her to
talk nationally. She would throw her arms
around his neck, and, hugging him tightly,
murmur such tender words over him be-
twixt sobs an1 laughter, as Reuben Palmer
had not heard since he lay babe in his
mothers crib.
"You precious darlin fellow, have you
really ccme back to us alive? Bless your
heart, how white and changed you are. Oh,
Reuben, darlin, is it really you, or am l
dreamin' 2"
And at last she grew calmer, and was
able to tell her brother Of that terrible night
when the awful tidings came of his death,
and how they hadn't one of them smiled
since, and how, though his mother tried to
"tear up every one who looked in h r face
could see that her heart was broken.
And then both the young man and the
maiden sat down on the grass and wept as
though they were little children.
At last Rebecca rose up. "Oh, what
will mother say. You must come right
into the house, Reuben only p'raps I'd
better break it to her slow like, for she's
weakly now, and the sudden Joy might kill
her Oh, there's father!'
And they saw the old Deacon come slow
ly into the yard md alight from his horse
just before the barn door, and remove the
heavy bags of flour from the animals back,
for the old man had just returned from the
mill.
"Ws'll go and tell him first You just
keep around the corner of the barn, and LII
break the news" cried Rebecca.
She came painting up to her father just
as he was leading the horse into the barn
'Oh, say, father, | want to tell you
something's happened
The old man turned and looked into the
eager face of his daughter, and his son,
standing little way off, could see the
change which the last two weeks had
wrought in his face.
"Well, what is it my child p
"lou'll be SO glad, father and yeti
can't tell it. Oh, Reuben, do come here.
AID he came out. "Father,'
The vague superstitions which almost all
country people held at that period of ghosts
who haunted their own homes and visits
made hy the dead to the living, at once
suggested even To the well balanced mind
OF iii, deacon the possibility of his sons
spirit returning to him.
lie turned white rs his child had done,
lu. he did not speak, and Rcbecca cried
out. "Don't be afeared father 1t isn't
ghost, but Ruben's own self, and he wasn't
dcal. as we all thought"
One long, greedy glance, and the father
knew his child
"Oh, Reuben, my son Reuben, the Lord
be praised!'
And the father and the son fell upon
each others nocks, like Jacob and Joseph
Of old, and wept
"Wc must break it to mother easy, chill
dren, or it'll sar,ain kill her for joy" said
the old man, vigorously wiping his face
with his pocket hankerchicf
SO it was arranged that Deacon Palmer
should 20 in and break the joyful tidings
to his wife according to his best Judgment
The trio went up to the house; Deacon
Palmer entered the kitchen, and his chill
drcn stood just outside the door, where
they could hear every word Mrs Palmer
was slicng some apples into wooden bowl.
She did not look up as her husband enter
ed; all these long weeks she had gone on
with her household duties carefully and
assiduously rs ever, but with face which
grew more pale and patient every day
more like the faces over which the grasses
grow and the winds walk
"Well, Becky" she said, ~ couldn't
make out what had kept you You've been
heap o time huntin' them pears
All the life had gone out of her voice
1t was as full of grief and patience as her
face.
''lts me mother, not Becky; I've just
got home from the mill, and I've hccr'd
good news"
" What kind o news, father ?" with
scarcely faint stir of interest
"Ahem-well, this was fror. IL G army"
the old woman sighed "lhen tn.
Lords given us another victory over our
enemy"
"Wall, not that exactly. Its somcthin'
that consarns us more nearly
thatil give you more joy, mother"
Poor old man! lie was internally CON
graduating himself on the tact aud discre-
ton with which he had approached his
subject; but he could not keep n tone of tri-
umphant gladness out of his voice, and he
was not astute enough for woman's quick
intuitions.
John she said, turning round and
looking him full in the iacc-a look that
fairly staggered him--"havc you heard any
thing about Reuben
"Wall, yes, it did consfro him He
broke down here. "Rcuben, cor:e in and
let your mother see for herself"
"Mother"
She gave one long greedy look as his
shadow fell over the threshold She
comprehended 1t all in that glance, and
stretched out her arms as he rushed for
ward; but they only elutched at the air,
for before she could gather him to her