Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-04-19
VOLUME 26.
A Touching Incident.

leaned against the little gate, and looked
back at the bright wood fire, glowing 1t
the hearth of the little, homely cabin, the
white bed, the bahy's clean cradle. She
thought with pride Of the picely.cooked
supper, ready to place upon the table
She laughed as she pressed her baby (the
baby he had never seem to her ezpectans
bosom. How often he said she would
never do to be poor mans wife her
hands were too small she was too tiny to
do all her work in the lonely country.
All day she had worked chcerfully, ioy-
fully, to m Ike everything clean, neat ana
tasteful; talking baby-talk and looking at
the clock, Now all was ready. She would
soon hear the roar and whistle of the loco.
motive sound over the trees She listened
there it was--like huge giants sigh.
William always walked from the station
in half hour. 81 shall not 60 to meet
him, for my boy would take cold in tho
night air. She turned, went into her
| cabin, moved about with beating heart.
laid the little sleeper into his cradle, look,
ed, and thought how kind and good of the
Colonel it was to give William furlougb
when he told him he had never seea his
boy--thc dear, bluo-eycd boy. eyes, dar-
ling, you shall soon smile in your fathers
face Leaving the cradle, she walked
again to the gate; listening intently, she
heard no footstep5-.only the wind signing
among the tree tops, and her own hoars
tn OBJ. She gazcd into the distant night:
saw nothing but the darkencd woods and
the old pine that stood like sentry
at tho end Of the lane. tsBut
he does not come. If he doss not come in
twenty minutes more. will know that he
is coming on the midnight train" TWEEN.
'ty-thirty-minutes--yos, an hour--no
whistle, no foot steps. She returned to
her cabin, weary, dcsolate, to wait, watch
and listen for the next train; to reason
with her fears; to weave conjectures WHY
he did not, come. He had been behind
| time, she thought, and missed the train
yes, that was the reason. Oh, how long
and soundly baby slept, how slow the
cleck was; Che lamp light W as never 80
dim; she could not see to read. Mary
tried to sing her voice sounded SO strange
it made her cry. She readjusted dishes;
placed tho lamp in the window and door,
so that light might fash out that he could
see it away of. With parehed lips and
throbbing pulses, now standing in ths
door, now listening at the gate, looking
at the solemn, chapgaIcss stars fall--for il
was dark but starry. Autumnal winds
moanod and made mysterious whispers
among crisp leaves, and sighed away il
melancholy sobbings. Mid.
night came--throught deep night the
roaring locomotive swept its sound oveF
hills and woods, and died among distant
hills. Gladness- joyful expectation had
full sway; joyfully she seized the sweet
sleeper, forgetiul of tho night air, and
rushed to the gate, then to the old fra
tree mo whistle, no footsteps.
Chilled, weak, numb with disappont.
'ment, filled with vague apprehension.
dread Of she knew not what, Mary clasp.
cd her body tighter and slept--7the uneasy
hall. sleep Of the anxious. III her dreams.
long lines of blue coats and cleaning bay
onetts, marshes, hills and flooded rivers
moved past. 1t was still grey aud dark
when she left her cabin, tho food cooked
bus untasted which she had intended for
William. 81 cannot wait; | will 70 to
the station and meet the early train"-
The mist rolled up, unheeded by Mary
The roso flushed the east unseen. Tue
fairy webs, woven from eafto leaf, drops
her diamonds without her notice. The
gorgeous sun rode gallautly forth in the
sky, but Mary saw not. No gleesome ba.
by tall; no snatch Of song or hymn be-
guiled the way. Silently, like one in C
dream, Mary reached the station long be.
fore the proper time, Bright daylight,
the voices and laughter at the hotel CONS
forted her.
81 was foolish to be So frightened. He
could not come before. shall look cut
for blue coat She looked back at the
woods she had walked through; she smiled
at her self; remembered how each shaded
nook made her think of the battle fields,
whore forgotten dead might lie, with tho
dead leaves falling upon their upturnsd
faces; faces that have been pressed in low
ing embrace just where her boys lay, and
kissed as often as in loving joy.
But here is the train Yesi there are
the blue coats. Blinded with tears Mary
ran out Yes there are soldiers but
not William. THERE'S hustle, eager
talk and newspaper reading. Mary hears
there has been Observation-Disclosures.
chery-Col, IS Regiment, Company