The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-07-30

oie IVY out he IL carry them warm
and close in his heart wherever he is,
and we will pray God morning and
night to take good care of papa, and
bring him back to us safely at last.
"But what makes you cry, mamma ?'
for the tears had eozed out of the young
mothers eyes, and lay like pearls on
her fair cheeks as she talked.
She wiped them away softly, and
made her lips smile for the sake of her
child. cit makes mamma sad some.
times when she thinks of papa SO far
of-so long away. But well comfort
each other together, won't we, my
boy ?" and she hugged him tight, and
kissed his face all over with warm
mother kisses. Aud the boy laughed
and clutched at the red vases of honey
suckles then, forgettul of his momen-
tary vague sense of loss and pain, he
darted off, mounted his horse again,
and was soon absorbed in what he re-
garded as great equestrian achieve
ment.
And the mother turned her face to
the window, and bent over her sewing,
and the tears fell slowly on her hands,
and the sunshine lay great golden
laugh all about her.
And that same sunshine lay a great
golden laugh all over the middle of the
last September. In the orchards. the
fruits had at last yielded to the stead
fast wooing of the sun, and scarlet
heats were on the apples, and the plums
burned into royal purple, and the peach
es had the red wine of their bushes
under transparent skins. The frost had
not lifted up its white hands among the
trees yet, and they stood up every
where in the still, deep green of the
summer, and waited patiently.
And in those still, brooding days that
we all remember-those days which
seemed, in their calm and peace, to
utter in every shining hour, which went
over US, that old, eternal psalm of
praise to God, and good will to man-
in those days, rushing right through
their golden hearts, from that spot to
which the whole nation had lifted up
its eyes, came tidings of the battle of
Antietam. We remember of the sick
horror which filed all our hearts as we
read of the brave men who had gone
down by thousands on that great bat
tie field, and the soft autumn grass
which waited for the latter rains, was
dreanched instead with precious heart
boed that poured out for God, and for
liberty.
81 can't hold out any longer; its no
use-let me lie down and de-" said
the wounded officer to the faithful pri-
vate who had rescued him from under
the trampling feet of men and horses
when he fell, and half led, half carried
him off little way from the place
where the fight ragged hottest, in the
late afternoon.
"Don't give up yet, Cap'n," answered
the rough, hearty voice of the soldier.
you've got faint with the loss of blood.
I'll try to get you some water"
But as the man laid the officer down
on the soft grass under the old oak tree,
his heart misgave him. The sharp set
Ting of the features, the ashy look
which had come over the officers face,
and the slow crimson tide from the
wound little way from heart, told the
truth only too well. The young captain
was dying!
"Give me your hand, Tom," he
gasped. "Don't GO for the water-it's
too late! The works done for me.
You'll tell my boys how l died, and
that sent them last cheer and bless
ing"
The private's rough face worked for
moment, but it was not the time to
yield to soft emotion now. He stroked
the brown hair tenderly from the cold
forehead.
"Anything more l can do for you
Cap'n?" he asked, in a husky voice.
The officer opened his glaring eyes !;
look of pain, agony, struggled into
them.
"There's Mary" he said "it'll break
her heart; and the little boy at home
papa's boy-that shall never trot on
my knee again. That's hardest of all,
Tom % and then the dying man groaned
out, ooh, God have pity upon them
my wife and child p
He turned his gaze once more to-
ward the face which bent in mute sor-
row oyer him. "You," be said, 'you