Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-11-14
VOL Xiv.
rom Harper's Weekly
N IS 81 N G..

fully, while look Of meaning passed betwee
her and my uncle. They thought L was out
| my mind, but they we're mistaken knew {
well as they did that the noise which was yea
ing upon my every nerve was only the revel
| beration Of the crowd of carriages and omn
buses on Broadway. Still 1 could only hea
! the roll of drums. had heard it, day an
! night, for FIVE weeks.
1t was a drum this time, after all, an
muffled; they were approaching the house.
My aunt started up with gesture Of dismay
to try and close out the sound. Nearer an
nearer came the heavy tramp Of men, and nol
the sad dirge walled out by Iow-tOned instru
ments the Dead March that marks militar
funeral. Strange 10 say, it was wonderful
soothing and restful as it rose and died ava,
upon my ears. strained so long to a steady
moBotonous roll When they had all gon
by, was weeping, for the first time in man,
days. 1t was like dew to my dry eye-balls-
an unspeakably blessed physical relief to I'll,
aching heart.
Those funeral honors were in my mind ap
portioned To him. felt ne longer the bitter
est, most maddening fear Of all-that his deaI
tOt III HeAo XII uhChllhCuS iOA tAAC va OiANS -
prey to tear and mangle. A ghastly. black
ened face no longer glared upon me when
closed my eyes but low, quiet grave, wher'
comrades had said prayer as it was hallowed
and where dust should quietly mingle will
dust. The grass should spring upon it sOmC
day wild flowers look up with dewy eyes tc
heaven and there peacefully, as in my arms
he should slunrber until VIC should be reunited
beyond all death and change.
Again that sad and touching straip Hoatet
back to my darkened room on its errand o
mercy-fainter ard fainter now as the foot
steps receded-"Adestes FidcIce." our old
Sunday evening hymn! For weeks my mind
had gone in the same dull. maddening round
bu; now saw my old home as vividly as if
were in reality the little fair-haired child nest
ling in my dear fathers arms, while my mother
touched the key, and their voices rose up
ward in a solemn and tender uniSon-an en-
blym of their united goody lives!
y feeling of pity for myself came over mt
TO think lad cOne to this that bright, cry
er, hopeful child | wondered If they did not
pity me, removed as they were from the sor-
rows of earth if they did not long TO pluck
me out of the dark waters that were surging
over my soul. Who knows but it was their
spirits minisfciiEg unto me for from that
moment the stupor Of despair left me! l on
" wonder had not died at first. Ii happened
thus: l came down so cheerful and buoyant
that morning, singing to my bird as arranged
the flowers that our city garden afforded, for
it was my day for Il letter from him. and all
this long year he had never failed me, Twice
a week his daily Journal, in which every ACT
and thought Of his life was chronicled for my
eyes, came. There nigh; he delays after it
left his hand, but none through him.
| did not think TO unfold TIE morning paper.
not knowing that movement Of his corps was
expected; hut my uncle lad known it for
several days, and had been dreading disaster,
~s ! aferward found, from the carefully word
I'd telegraphs of the War Department. Iiu,
WAS young, ana over-confi,lpnt of our cause.
and hn,l paid no heed to the Ominous mutter-
ings of the coming storm. The sun fell ON my
daily nath-whnt we're the clouds TO me ?
There was a white, fixed look in my unccs
face; that was my first warning. dropped
the bood-red fnschias and fragrant hclioropes
which [ held, aud sprahg to his side.
What is it?-what is il ?"
My voice sounded changed and husky to
myself. The scared look passed from my un
cles kind eyes, and one Of love and pity enter
ed them.
"ue may only he a prisoner after all do
not worry before we hear"
But could detect the deceit, as a child does
the bitter drug hidden in the conserve.
You mean that he is dead ; and you are
lying to me!'
1t did not matter that Missing stood
above the column in which his name was en-.
rolled. They torneuted me with watching,
and writing for information, and all manner of
hopeless devises for many a day. They were
sure that when the list Of the prisoners should
be received from Richmond he would be re-
ported among them, but gave up from the
first; and when that came with no news of him
it was almost a relief, for they let me alone
with my trouble.
You take up the papers day after day, and
read those dreadful lists without a thought
Those names are no more to you than the
columns of a directory. YOu have kind
heart, and you sigh. and say, Poor fellows y
as you lay them down. How little do you
understand of the sickening anxiety, the ap-
palling shock, which those very columns carry
TO a thousand households! How eager eyes
dilate with horror and unbelief as fearing, and
hoping, and praying, they come upOn the name
they seek for staring them in the face with
such persistent reality-starting them into
blindness.
So ] read it. leaning over my uncle's shoul-
der, and following his finger with a dizzy
brain:
Missing-ARTuUR L. GRANT.
The first on tie list, followed by the name
of u company and regiment that had marched
proudest of all through our streets thirteen