Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-10-17
MIS- CELLAN Y.
From lIarpo'. Weekly.
DEvEREUX DARE, PRIVATE

Mrs. Ashleigh Dars always looked At her
handsome. manly con. with q maternal
pride which was altogether excusable. They
were fine couple. for any one. seeing, the
widow and her con. Mrs. Dare's lor,y
years had not met her like enemies. The
dark brillianec Of her eyes WAS undimmed.
Scarcely u thread OF silver hccked the raven
blacknes. OF her hair. Her complexion kept
bright siili it, clear. dark iini.; and even
her figure had no, los, 1t. old. stately grace.
She was 6, 60 he the mother Of hero n. .he
had been to be Colonel Darc's wiie-COlonel
Dare, whose back no ioeman ever saw.
Her son was after her own heart. llc
had her dark eyes and hair, her sparkling
expression. and Ilosneno, hAu,eur; all in-
ten.i6ed in him. however, by the long dur.
Ing, persistent nature oi hs father, which
h, had inherited along with certain re-o-
iute contour OF mouth. which Wa. the only
external 'sn Of his paternity. For all the
re-, he was. ou,wardly, a Dcvereux.
They had been discussing. these two, an
enero''in; question. l,was just after thA,
dreadful day at Bull Run. when the cOun.
try needed - bitterly all her children, aud
every loyal hear, was throbbins to one an.
guish Of cndsa,or. Regiments were seins
rapilly flIri up. and young Dare. just
homo. in the Spring OF 1901, from h. three
years vi foreign travel. was only waiting his
mothers consent TO enlist. lie looked a,
her now with persuasive eyes.
|, should not 10 you. mamma. tho
daughter Of heroic race. the widow oi u
man who go, hi. dca,hblow ia the front OF
the fray, who would hold back your .On,
when the land OF hi. father, needs him.
II i, not. Ds,SreuI. am willing you
should enlist, II you will only nsc the inlu.
ence OF your family to procure ypu 'uI;a.
DE commis.iCn."
may no, DO worthy OF one. have
no, Ye, proved M G,ne,- to rule.
Your Ginoss |, in your blood"
F." Well then. S,riou.ly, | DO no, want a
commission. because feel sure tha, I can
DO more good by going asa private. AL
eaun1; be oliccrs. and more mcn than YOU
think are hollins back bccau.c 'hcy cannot.
They say /. !, the lower orders who .er'c
in the rank.. we wall no, 6sh, unls-' our
comrades can bs gentlemen. Every one !.
waiting f1r somo other. Do YOU think
ihcrc arc no, men in Bos,on who will fol.
low the il,g more readily II they mach in
company with my ia,her- SOM
Your father would no, have done--did
no, do-Sha, you Wish TO DO.
Because he w.. needed otherwise
IL kneli down beside her. just then. tia,
handsome, gillan, fellow. whom all the
women found - fascinating. lie rested hi.
head on her knec-i, was an old. hoyIsb
trek he hhd-and l1akci with those great.
persusdn:, dark eyes OF b =, up into her
face. H.. voice Va, fall oi csrnestbe.s-
hi, tones grew solemn in has appeal.
Mother. | must X. can only 20 as
private. ior my conviction ,ha, !, j. my du.
~ Is unal,erablc. lfisa ,acr,Gce, 1t i.
one ,ha, mus, be made. Willyou no, make
1t with me- II you kcp, tho back ! should
hardly BE- willing to Accep. life upon such
terms. I, would only be a long misery,
with the eho., Of this uniul6Iled duty
stalking beside mr forever. Bs brave. mo-
,hcr, brave aud kind. II ! should fall IN bat.
tie, and Ito beside some southern stream
with my lie blood ebbing away, let me no,
have 20 think. when your voice and your
snile come back to haun, me, that went
away without your blessing
Tho heart, tie quick. impul.ive. wOman's
heart. through which the eager French
blood ,hrobbei. va, s1fiened. Tear. fell
from the proud eyes. ani gli',ened mo.
ment IN the short eurls Of the head upon
her silksn lap. Then she pu, her hand on
those thick curls with a e.rcssIng touch.
and said to him:
You have conquered. will not keep
you back from the duty your eye. SEQ 50
clearly. You may be right. At any rate.
IL you 80, you shall 20 with my blessing.
and remember tha, one a, home prsys for
you every hour
Tears, not hers, wet the hand her son
drew 10 his mouth. S,ronge., heart. in the
Tray are tent,re., oitcn,imes a, the hearth.
stone.
That was one struggle and one victory.
The soldier had yet aro,her conflict to dare
"a harder one pos.,bly-in the boudoir Of
Clara Gage.
lie went there that night after his enlist.
ment had been registered. She was his be-
,rothed vile. and he loved her Us brave
man can love true woman. II may be he
feared her little. also. II he did. forgive
hln, for there wa. nothing else ou, Of hca.
ven that he did fear. In her case il was on.
ly because she was 80 precious 20 him tha,
no calamity, cave loss Of honor, could have
been reekOned by the samo measure as loss
Of her. Somehow he shrank from telling
her hi, plan, and meeting the look he Ian.
eied her eyes would wear when she heard il;
and 90 he had pnfolded il TO her in note
which che had received that morning. lie
hoped that she would have reconeiled her.
self to his views before he saw her.
! think be could have done q good many
things with lees futteripg Of the heart than
be felt when be Vailed inin fha liiils nInre.