The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1862-11-12

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Alice leaning against her, waiting for the
return Of her husbands brothers, who
had gone down to tho landing at which
the transport bearing sick and wounded
soldiers was expected to arrive. Nine,
ten, eleven o'clock had come, but they
were still waiting in suspense and anguish.
For moro than half the morning they
had stood at the window, eager TO catch
the first sight Of a messenger, or Of him
in whom their hearts were bound up.
How would he come? What would be
his conditionl Would he come at all 7
The wounded die! How fruitless ques-
tions and paralyzing fears wrought with
them, bringing dismay and terror
Mrs. Dunlap and Alice, who had SEEM
ed to grow to womanhood in few hours,
sat thus alone waiting, hearkening, suf-
fering. Andrew and May, too young to
comprehend the situation, were at play in
the next room, that opened into gar
den, out of which gate led TO the street.
All at once they were still, and then May
exclaimed, in voice of glad surprise:
"Why, papap and Andrew echoed the
word
Papap
II seemed to Mrs. Dunlap that she was
bound to the chair in which she sat. She
made an effort to rise, but could not stir.
A faintness and blindness came over her.
Alice had bounded to her feet, and was
already half way to the door, which she
gained an instant afterwards. STOPPING
to Andrew and May, she saw her father.
One arm was around both, and he was
hugging them to his heart. The other
arm was bandaged, He arose, as she
came forward. How pale and wasted he
was! How bronzed his fine face; how
deep in their orbits and changed in ex-
preston his beautiful cyes
Father! o father" she cried, giving
way wildly to her feelings, and springing
towards him. He had lifted himself from
his STOPPING posture at sight of Alice,
and advanced 10 meet her but in weak
way. She stood still a pace OF Two dis
tant, as if some invisible power had ar
rested her steps; then advanced, and laid
her face gently against him, sobbing, go
father! Dear, dear father"
Mrs. Dunlap heard all this, but still she
had no power to stir. She was in kind
of waking nightmare; and not until her
husband entered, with the children cling
ing TO him, was the spell, or paralysis, re-
moved.
And so he had come home 10 her
come home, with a shattered arm, and
wasted by hardships and sickness not
spoken of in letters; como home n wreck
in comparison with what he was, when,
at the sound of danger, he sprung TO his
country's defence. Yet, as Mrs. Dunlap
stood up and looked into his changed
face, that bore so many lines of suffering
and exhaustion, she said, "Thank God it
is no worse" And again, as she laid
her wet face against his bosom, "Thank
Godp And yet again, with her hot
kisses on his lips, and cheeks, and fore
head, "Thank God! Thank GodT
1t might have been worse. Alas! In
how many thousands of instances has it
not been worse. All, these comings home
Once suggestive of JOY, now of sorrow.
From distant places, after long sojourn,
the beloved turn their faces homeward,
and their welcome is in tears instead of
smiles. They went forth strong-limbed,
and in the full vigor of manhood; they
come back sick, or manned, or dead,
bringing shadow instead of sunshine.
II is an evil tree that gives fruit to the
people like this, and we shall never dwell
in safety while its roots strike into our
soil, and its branches stretch over the
land. Let it be hewn down and cast in
to tho fre.-New York Ledger.