Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-10-29
WHOLE NO. 24O4.

went up to her and said drearily:
Emily, / am all you have now. He is
gone ~
The girl to whom the i'll news came with
such fell suddenness burst into passion
OF grief; then. trying TO comfort her, her
friend wept also, and the tears were
strange solace. She took Emily home
with her-her sister from henceforth.-
She might go back to school anotheryear,
perhaps-at present they. had need of each
other.
How dreary the months were which fol-
| lowed, Emily was the first to learn res
| ignation for the loss of her dead; who died
so gloriously. Kate was haunted forever,
as he had feared she would be, by the
idea that she had sent him to his
death; and not even the memory of
his own assurances, those generous last
words of his could give her comfort.
The summer came-the summer of 'G2
bringing bird-song and blossom. The
lonely salt-scented sea-breeze rippled the
waves, and shook the pine trees into mel
ody- From afar Miss Barclay seemed to
catch scent and sound. 1t reused her to
wish to tread the seaside rocks, and
press her careless footsteps in the white
sands of the beach They went to pleas
ant, quiet nook, which, as vet, not enough
people had found to spoil. And there the
roses began to come slowly back to Miss
Barclays cheek, and the light in her eyes.
She might grow cheerful again in time
she thought, if only her fancy would
cease to picture one awful scene-a battle
field, where the setting sun searched with
red beams for the slain, and found one
face, face she knew, with clear honest
eyes, and mouth that would never smile
more. Did they wound him-mutilate
him after he was dead She had heard
such things-she wished she could forget
them.
Walking alone one day. she heard on
the path behind her voices-Emily' and
another. She turned suddenly Were
her senses dazed? Did she dream? Do
the dead walk? She saw a face over
which Southern turf must have grown
long ago, unless it bleached white, unbur-
led on the ghastly battle field Sight and
sense failed her, For the first time in
her life she tainted When she recovered
she saw only Emily. The child spoke
1T was my brother. alive, himself. He
vas wounded, not dead. They took him
prisoner, and last week he was exchanged.
When he came to New York he found we
we're here. and followed u.s."
She had poured the words into Kate'S
FAR with might and main. bent on making
ler understand the truth lest she might
aint again. But such swoons do not hap
pen twice in one day. Miss Barclay COM
pretended all now, and was herself again
ready, with courteous greeting, for him
who came down the path-the returned
warrior, with the scar scanning his broad
brow, and showing how near he had come
to the fate she had feared.
lie had furlough to get we'll in, he
said, and then he was going back.
Or course he staid with them there at
Sea View for a while. and of course they
nursed and petted him as a women always
DO their returned braves. 1t was strange
how soon all the sadness went out of Kate's
heart, the melancholy out of her man
ner. One day he said to her:
You are too kind to me"
Il do not feel as if l could be" she ans
Sered, ''when remember what you have
and whosent you forth to fight
he did not speak again for a moment,
md then he asked a strange question:
Miss Barclay, what should you think
of a man, an honest man, who loved
woman dearly, but did not ask her to
marry him because she was rich and he
was poor, and he knew the world would
brand him fortune-hunter"
Miss Barclay blushed, but she answer
ID bravely:
Il should think poorly of mans cour-
ge whom the worlds opinion could sway
n the most sacred matters of his heart
nd his life; and if he believed the lady
Tould ever remember on which side the
Ortune was, | should wonder at him for
linking her worthy of his love"
His eyes-those honest, earnest eyes
'oking at her with something in their
lance which thrilled her heart with a
-range, new, timid JOY. He only said;
Kate. you know love you. When I
ght again who will pray for me at home?
hose soldier shall be ,"
l think her look told him before her
ords did, but he bent tenderly TO hear
ne answer,
Mine"