The Portland daily press., 1862-09-19
Wounded.

voice. "If that were allr'
"The return was given as completely said,
referring again to the newspaper held in INV
hand. "One hundred and iorty-one killed. and
six hundred and forty-three wounded"
"a fearful list; but it is not all,s my wife
answered. Her tones were even sadder than
at FIRST "A great many more were wounded
"a great many more"
But this is an official return signed by the
commanding general"
"And so far, doubtless, correct. But from
every battle field go swift-winged messengers
that kill or wound at thousand miles, instead
of a thousand PAGES, bullets invisible TO mortal
eyes, that pierce loving hearts. OF the dead
and wounded from these we have no report
They are casualties not spoken of by our COM
mandng general"
had not thought OF this; or, at least. not
with any realizing sense OF what it involved
My wife resumed:
"Let us take the matter home. We have a
son in the army. The ball that strikes him
strikes us. Ii, in the list of killed and wound
ed, we had found his name would there have
been no bayonet point or shattering bullet in
our flesh? shiver at the thought. All, these
invisible messengers of pain and death wound
often deeper than iron and lead.r
As she thus spoke my eyes were resting ON
the official list, and saw the name of a friend.
An ejaculation OF surprise dropped from nv
"What?" My startled wife grew slightly
pale.
"Harley is wounded!'
30, dearw The pallor increased. and she
laid her hand over her heart-a sign that she
felt there.
.Badly?" She tried to steady her voice
"a ball through the chest. Not set down as
dangerous, however,
aPoor Anna! What sad tidinrs for ber,
NV wife arose. 81 must 60 to her Immediate
iy.s
"Do so,. answered.
Soon afterware we went out topether. 7 In
INV office. and she to visit the wife If our
wounded friend
1t is strange how little those who are not
brought into the actual presence of death and
disaster on the battlefield realize their apnal-
ling nature We read of the killed and wound
ed, and sum up the figures coldIy. almost. as if
the statistics were simply commercial We
were crates and bales do not except my
self. Sometimes feel as though all sensibiii.
ty. all sympathy for human suffering. had died
out of my heart. 1t is, perhaps as we'll five
perceived TO the full extent the terrible reality
of things, we would be in half paralyzed states.
instead of continuing our useful employments.
nv which the public good Is served We cam
not help the suffering nor heal the wounded.
by our mental pain. But let us see to it that
through lack Of pain we fail not In minstra-
tion to the extent of our ability.
When met my wife at dinner time her face
was paler than when parted with her in the
morning. | saw that she had been suffering
while /. intent for hours upon nv work. had
half-forgotten my wounded friends Harley and
his wife: one pierced by visible and the 9TH
er by an invisible bullet.
"Did you see Anna?" l asked
"Yes.n
"How is she?"
"Calm, but hurt very deeply She only had
the news this morning"
"Is she going to hm?"
"There has not been time to decide which is
best Her husbands brother is here, and will
get as much information by telegraph to-day
as it is possible to receive. Tonight or to-
morrow he will start for the battlefield. Anna
may go with him.
"She appeared to be hurt very deeply, you
say?,
s.Yes," replied my wife; @and was in most
intense pain Every line of her face exhibited
suffering. One hand was pressed all the while
tightly over her heart"
sWhat did you say?'
3Not much. She seemed looking into the
distance, and trying to make out things seen
but imperfectly II he were to die. / think IL
would kill her,
"Two deaths by the same buIlet /. 7 said my
Thought RECURRING to our mornina oonyorsa-
ton.
In the evening | called with nv wife IN see
Mrs. Harley. A telegram had been received
stating that her husbands wound tbongb 60,
we're. was not considered dangerous. The hall