The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1863-10-20
Aacr.i,cBauic.

There was NO fiCrccgc Id tho eyes
of those mea now. as they .al face on
ihe bank 81 ne stream tie strife aud
DIE anger haI alb gone now, aod they
Sat siil. dying mca. who lor a few
hours before bad been deadly locs,--
lt >till and looked nj each other. Al
last one Of them spoke We haven't
ther Of us a chance 10 bold out much
'ouger, ! Judge.
NO said the other with a little
mixture Of sadness and rcckles -ncs.-
'lou did ilat last lob o. yours well,
as hat bears witness !; and he point
cd to q woand little above his heart,
from which tie liic-b.ood was slowly
Ioozing.
Nos better than you did yours an-
swerej the other, with grim smile,
and lepo ted to wounda little high
el up, iareerund more ragged--a dead
one. And lheu the two men gaz-
ed on each other again in the dim light;
/ for tie mool nd come oye~ tie hills
now, and stood amor Q her stars like a
lpearl Of great price Aad as they
locked, a softer feeling stol over the
heart Of each toward his fallen foe 4
/ feeling OF PITY for the strong, manly
life laid low, a feeling Of regret for
th I inexorable necessity Of war which
made each man the slayer Of tie 9th
err; anl at last one spoke There's
some folks in the world thatll feel
worse when you've gone out Of itp
a spasm OF pain was on the brouz
/ ed, ehasily features. Yes, said the
man il thick tones there's one wo-
man with liille boy and girl, away
up among the New Hampshire noun
lains, that it'll well-nigh kill her to
hear Of this aud then the man groan-
ed Out in bitter anguish, 20 God, have
pity on my wife and clildreur
And the other drew closer to him.
And away down among the cotton
fells Of Georgia there's a woman and
little Girl W 'ose hearts will break,
when they hear what this day has
done, and then the cry wrung itself
sharply Out Of his heart, % Sod, have
pity upon them 7
And from that moment the north
ernpr and southcrHer ceasedto be foes.
Tie thought Of those distant homes
on which tie anguish was 50 soon 10
fall drew them close together in that
last hour and the two men wept like
little children. And 1t last the north
erner spoke, talking more to himself
than anything else, and lie did not
know tIlat the other was listening
grccdily to every word.
'Shc used 10 con my little girl
bless her heart every night lomeet
me when came home from the ssld7 /;
and Sic vould stand under the great
plum-tree, that's jDsl beyond The back
door ~ home, Will the sunlight maxi
ing a yellow crown in her golden curls,
and the laugh danci z in her eyes,
whnn She heard the click Of the gate /;
II see ler there now and I'd take
her IN my arms, and she'd put up her
little red lips for kiss; but my little
airl will never watch under the old
plum tree by the well for her father
Je in. ! shall never herr the cry Of
Joy rs she catches a glimpse Of me at
the gate. shall never see her little
feet running over the grass to spring
into my arms again J
And. thon said the southerner,
there's little brown-cyed black-hair-
ed girl, chat used to watch in the cool
afternoons for her father when be
rode in from lis visit TO the planta-
tions. can src ler sweet little face
4 shining out now from the roses that
covered the pillars, and her shout q
Joy as bounded from my horse ana
chased the little flying feet and the
loud laugh up and down the yeranda
But, my darling, your bright little face
viii grow pale with watching among
the roses for your father; and 20,
and he will nevcr 90 laughing am
romping up and downthe old yeran
da again!
And the norfherncr drew near L
Tie sontherner, and the hot fears siooc
on bis cold checks, as he said, Friend
, may Cod have pity Oh our fathcrlesI
children
! Amen said the southerner, ferv
emily.
And the northerner spoke now, il
a huskey whisper, for the eyes Of th'
. dying men were glazing FAST
, aWc have fought Ike brave men 70
gether. We are going before God i
little while. LEI us forgive eacl
other
The souiherncr tried 70 speak bu
The sound died AWAY ii : euraIe ffoH
; his white lips; bot he took the hau'
! Of hi- fallrn foa, and Iii, ii.lening ling
en- closed tight over II and lis las
] took was a smile Of forgiveness au'
peace. And when the next morning
sun walked up the gray stairs Of th
dawn. touched Will pink, il looke'
down aud saw tie two foes lying dea,
I With iheir hands elasped III each otI.er
BIZ lhc stream which ron close 70 tAl
battlefield. And ;he little eiG viii
, golden hair lhat watched under ih'
plumIrec among ihe hills Of Neo
i Hampshire, and die little qir viii
bright brown hair that waited by ta