The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-11-07
THE RECONCILIATION
WHAT I OWE THE WAR

We were standing .hero, Faith and l,
by the railroad, with some two or three
bundled other women, young and old; al
crowd of noisy children, and here aud
there an old man or half grown lad, all
assembled to wait the passing Of the train
tha. was bearing the -- regiment on
its way to Washington.
ID, There was company from our village
among them. though they had started to.
day from the State capitol, and many a
mother, wife and sister in the crowd was
waiting for q last look from the eyes tha,
should meet hers again NO mors--"it
might be for years, ii might be forover"
10 that they were for the most part quiet
and subdued, though burning with sort
Of inward fever Of imp.tience for the meet
Ing, that must be, after all. SO sadly brief,
90 terribly unsa,isfying.
Faith was excited. Her cheeks glow
cd, her eyes shous like stars; and as she
stood there, her brown curls swsying in
the breeze, I could not but think il
great pity ths. she had no young lover
1mong the approaching volunteers, who
would carry away in his heart this Iadi-
ant picture Of girlish grace and beauty -
But she had not-only some old acqnain.
F, ,ances and childhood friends; so that there
was but dash Of regret to temper her
exultat;ou in there bravery and in the
cause they were going so nobly to up
hold.
AZ for me, was very, very sad. Ny
heart achsd terribly, becauss-strangess
oflall reasons--I had no one to grieve for
sNo," | though bitterly. "thete is not
one 10 all these thousands that are march.
log steadfa.tly day by day to meet death. /.
If need be, 10 whom l could say, "God
bless and keep you and bring you safe
home again?" no, one to whom this part
ing will be the wrepching asunder OF heart
strings for my sake"
And then came back To me, or rather
grew more vivid in my remembrance
for it's image lay always, night and day
ia the shAdowy recesses Of my hears-she
love that. two years gone by had made one
snmmer Of my life lone, brigh. dream o.
psrfeot content, without a single shadow
Of slloy, until, all 10 a moment arose the
terrible storm that was 10 make such utte
shipwrsck with my happiness.
How had it come abouR could hard
" tell, even now; it oil seemed like somt
horrible nightmare dream. from vhici
there could be now full aud free awaken
ing. had never doubted bim--not TO
Amomentl No one who looked int
Oloudsley Carroli's honest hazel eyes eve
did or could possibly mistrust him. AM
Jet l had listened 10 slanders and iou
misrepresen from those l knew hat
cd him with all tho petty spite Of tLel
low, venomous natures. and feeling al
The while, in my inmost soul, that he wa
innocent and true AZ Heaven. In my mis-
cradle. pride had lot him 90 without
single word or line Of explanation. singl
offar to clear myself from the stigma tha
nv aWn conduc. had 6xsd upon me-
Gckla. isslseheArted coqust:e!
Wen. 4, Nss all over now; and 90
knew tbat With what measure ! meelec
Il had been measured to me again. ha
thsrs besn IN his haart tins most iDsasl'
bic desire for revenge. il hAd been mol
,ban sa,ifsd eopla be have kDOwn:my gu
tefings in the weary year that followed
but there had not that knew. Bite
anger there might have been o. 6rst-
sorrow a. deep aud IlastiRg As his lOV
had been pure and true; but never, nsy'
pncs cruel or wicked thought in that min
that had once seemed to me, in my foolis
self oonceit, almost quixOtic in its bigt
toned chiyalry. 4,
Oh, it had borne falsehopd upon I
face. the lie they had told me-that !
had courted me for my wealth, that |
had boasted Of having trapped the heI
'ssi Ihad fly in Rs ] had known