Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-07-11

Though
They seemed to bear the burden.
'Tis night again on the wild prairies--
night about the old farmhouse. -. ~ta.bgl
The good mistress is preparing the frugal
evening meal. She is assisted by the bright
>syed Zura, who now spends most of her time
at the little brown cottage. Fitting here
and there, like fairy, she is the very ray of
sunlight in the lonely home. 5..,E0
These two alone are within the cot, but the
good woman's listening attitude and Zura's
frequent visits to the door, tell that the old
farmer is expected home from the post town.
AT last he comes. The glad cry of wei
come dies on Zuras lips-the good wife shud-
ders and her cheek pales. ...
One look on the pale face and stark lines
| of sorrow, frozen in the countenance of the
father, strikes to their hearts terrible chill
"a corpse seems borne in at the door
| No need to consult the bloody list c,ntan-
cd in the paper he brings. His face tells that
| Willic's name is there--there among the
Killed" .'. ..
| Still through her tear blinded eyes the
mother searches out and gazes on the name
his dear name. Zura, with an arm about
the neck of the bereavcd mother, strains her
eyes to gaze on his name through her pour
|
name is all that remains to them of Willie.
| How stiff and positive seem those letters,
telling so unmistakably that he is dead i
KILLED" Not woundcd--not "missing"
no hope--he is "hNlea ~
The paper containing the sad news falls
unEotccd to the hoor-therc is no shrieking
or loud weeping Great glistening tears
trickc through the fingers of the stricken
| mot hor and fuli into tba trn,,,, bo;, ,c v,,..
whose head is pillowed in her lap.
Willie is dcad-there seems nothing to
hope-notbing to live for Willie may have
had faults, not one is remembered tonight
in the little brown cottage.
! The mother remembers him as he leaned
on her knee, and looked With fond truthful
eyes upon her face, as she taught him his
first childish lesson.
The father remembers him rs the brave,
dutiful son who gladly shared his tols-thc
son whose providence and tender regard was
to be his shield and support in his old age
The sweet Zura remembers hir, as he appear
cd to her fond gaze, when she was first as
surcd that his whole noble heart was hers
aonc---as the kind hearted youth who chose
her to I've the sharer Of his joys and sorrows
through life's voyage.
The snowy locks of the Old man drop in
disorder over his wrinklcd brow as he PAGES
the floor. Great sighs struggle up from his
bosom and convulse his frame; tears glitter
on his cheeks and course in their furrows,
but his grief is too deep to find reefin noisy
nttcrancc. AS he turns in his walk, his eyes
seek the trusty old rifle hanging in its wood.
Ell hooks above the kitchen door.
There is fierce blaze in his eye: he smitcs
his clenchcd hands upon his thigh his bo-
som swellsnnd heno longer stoops; his frame
is erect as in his youth, and every muscle as
firm. "
Alas tits but for a moment lie shakes
his head despondently; the fire of his eye is
| gone his tense muscles relax, his head drops
upon his breast, and he resumes his walk-a
stopping old man. rE ""
Peace, peace, old man Those thoughts
are vain Leave the work 'of vengeance to
other hands-to younger, stronger arms!
Suddenly the young girl starts up from
her recumbent position. Back from her
broad snow white brow she losses the strag-
Cling masses of her brown, flowing hair, and
drawing up her slender form in gueenly erect
ness, with eyes scintillating sparks of The ar
dent flame burning within their lucid depths,
| her hand-more perfectly modelled than any
chisclad work ever fashioned by dreamy
Grecian sculptoris slightly advanced, and
the pcnt feelings Of her souls depths break
forth in rapid fiery utterance. mf
Seemingly, her words were not addressed
to the old people, her companions did
with eyes looking slightly upward, she pour.
cd forth the feelings gushing up hot from her
heart as though the whole people of the land
were within hearing of her ringing voice
-" Why is this heartlistone made desolate !?
Why are the hearts of these old pcople--why
is my heart torn with grief--our souls
weighed down with woe? 70 whom do we
owe this sad affiction? To men calling
themselves Americans Ito brothers born
and nurtured under the benifcent govern
ment--shc,tered under the broad, protecting
wing Of our own, the American eagle Broth
crs in whose prosperity we have ever reioiced |!
1 brothers whose woes have ever been our
sorrow-for whose Affections we have ever
/ shed the tear Of sympathy! False brothers
-pcrfidious, plotting brethcren, this is your
work this is your traitorous return for our
| fraternal trust Giving crcdence to your
professions of friendship and affection, we al
lowed you to possess yourselves Of our arms
and arinor. Could we for a moment suspect
our own brethren--brethre with whom we
had so long stood shoulder to shoulder, and
walked arm in arnl-of possessing hearts suf-
ficiently black, souls sufficiently dcinoniac,
to mediate such an infamous, fratricidal act
as plunging oiir own weapons into our de-
/ fencelcss breasts? No we could not believe
our brothers SO base, so bitterly unloving, so
unblushngly infamous, and we were betray-
cd!
But stout hearts have rushed to the res
cue Of our liberties, to the support Of our tot
ering Government. All honor to these brave
men, whose souls rise above the fear Of death,
Some have fallen-what matters it where and
when--the most glorious death that man
dies, is when he dies for his people and his
country. Fame stands near to write their
names in her book.
! "Our Willie fell! il, falling, he became a
hero Would we have him back? MOI But
/ would to God, Icould have fallen by his side !!
Thousands have given fathers; thousands
have given sons; thousands have given hus-
bands and lovers. We gave Willie Nature
demands our tears when the ties Of love and
relationship are broken forever OH earth--
! We weep not at, but rather glory in the man
ner of his death. As many hearts bleed in
peaceful homes as on the field Of deadly bat