Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-07-18

Mary's dearest friends. 1t was not at all
strange that had lost sight of Austin
Rea, nor that Mary had never seen Jane
Norwood since her marriage Such
things happen every day. New scenes,
new associates, new duties and new trials,
new hopes, new disappointments-all
these, if they do not destroy the memory
of old friends, are still sad hindrances to
its refreshment, unless their presence is
about us. And so it happened with us.
Now, saw my old friend and Mary saw
hers, revived in the person of this youth,
to whom my heart had warmed from the
beginning, with strange and unacounta-
bic ardor.
He soon attained perfect ease in cou-
yersng with us about his family, and
told us in manly and unembarrassed
way, that his parents and sisters were not
the only ones he should leave mourning
for his absence. There was a certain
Agnes Dale--a fair, dove eyed, gentle girl,
who would weep if the soldier did not
return Yet found that this gentle be.
ing had never uttered single word to
keep him at home. Bravely she had bid
den him go if his country needed him,
and there was no mark of disease that
would prevent him. A heroic girl he
said she truly was-keeping her tears
hidden from him, and working for him
with her own dear hands, until his moth.
er and sisters had taken the opposing
side and begged him to stay.
He would not trust to the worthy doc
tor who logged around his five miles cir
cult, with his harmless medicines in his
saddle. bags, and who possessed very little
knowledge of that wonderful structure
the human frame-although unrivalled in
treatment of fevers and coughs. So he
had made a feint of calling upon an old
uncle near the city, and had posted up to
Boston to take advice" stumbling by
the merest chance upon me.
/ took him home the next morn
ing Just to see Austin Rea once more
and Mary accompanied me. 1t was
hurried call, but full of old re-
memberances. | convinced the anxious
parents that all was right with young
Austin, and interceded with them for 6
cheerful consent. The pretty Agnes DALI
was staying there, and | made her &C
quaintance, too, promising the yonng sol
der that | would be her friend during
his absence.
After he was actually gone, wen
down again, taking her back with me fol
visit which was often repeated. We
became so much attached to this beautiful
girl, that we were never happier thar
when her mild, peaceful face was lighting
up our parlor. Having scarcely any rel
atves, she was delighted to be with those
who supplied the place, as we were earn
estfy desired to do to her To us she
could talk freely of the absent soldier,
and, still better, she could more easily
obtain news of the army and its progress
Still, the time wore on heavily; and of.
ten the pale check and sunkon eyes Of
Agnes attested to a wakeful night or 6
night of painful dreaming.
Austin was with the troops at New Or
leans, under General jackson. He hac
been promoted, and now Ensign Ref
bore the colors of his country-proudly
no doubt, as he should have done. His
TALL finely formed figure must have beel
nobly CONSPICUOUS as standard bearer.
The eigth of January, 1915, had pass
ed; and soon after, we learned disastrous
news of our absent soldier. | call him ours
for so dearly had Agnes Dale wound her
: self about our hearts, and so pleasant
were our re,nembrances Of the brief time
, in which we had known her lover, thai
it really seemed as if they both belonged
to us. We had adopted them both as
| heart children-second only to those hui
man blossoms that clustered, by right 90
birth, around our freside.
| read the news before | went home
and carried the paper that contained i
, directly to Agnes. She looked up eager
= ly. .a ....I
"Oh, that is so good of you," she ex-
| claimed, before she had read it. ~ hope
5 you have good news" .fr..t
Y pointed to the paragraph which de-
e tailed the events Of the battle and gave
S the names of the wounded at the hospital
Among them was the name OF Ensign
| Rea; and tribute was paid to the galan
manner in which he defended the flag h'
S bore. even after he was struck down
a clasping it to his breast, while it was
, bathed in his blood.
: Agnes read it without a tear. "Brave
heart and true?" was all she could trust
herself to say. .-.-
Q We waited, of course, with tho great
Y est anxiety, until we heard that the
5 wounded were to be sent home. Al
! Austin's death had not been reported, We
hoped great deal and tried to imagine
9 that he was not seriously hurt. This
: hope, however, was dispeled by letter
= written for him by some more fortunate
Y comrade, and forwarded to my care.
This was all he wrote:
, "My Darling Agnes:--I am lying, bad
$ ly wounded in the hospital so badly
: that fear you will be horribly shocked
: should live to reach home once more
n Prepare yourself for the worst. | am al
$ object painful to behold, yet the love o
j. life is not dead within me, nor will it be
unless you turn from me in disgust can
J. not dwell on this. .... ......
e AUSTEN"
It She sat as if transfxed, for lon,
n time. At length she said:
W doctor, do you think that Austin be
h lieves that this circumstance can weigI
q, oo atom, ouo;not INV trua love fo- him .