Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-07-28
ONE OF MANY.


| Oh how the music. the wild war.music
rose and swelled as the company marched
! down the street Of the little country town
How the banners shook and the bayonets
glittered in the. August sunshinel Blue
| were the skies overhead, and along tie
wayside the fields were green, and the
scent Of flowers was in the air.
For moment Margery Dane looked out
from her window then she drew down the
curtain, and held her hands over her ears,
trying to shut out sight and sound.
Are they treading on the ground or on
my hearth she cried, with passionate de-
spair 10 her tones. He is marching away
ard be will never march back again. Pity
me Heaven; l am losing my last sight OF
him. @ p
Up again went the curtain, but the last
man bad gone by. The martial music
fOated back, softened by distance to pity
and tender pain, instead Of triumph. Mar
gerry was indeed alone.
She bad had a lonely life.- Not that she
bad been poor and ill-treated, or in anywise
| prosecuted. But she had neither father
nor mother, brothers or sisters. She had a
fortune of her OVID very comfortable one
they called it 10 that little town; and the
uncle and aunt with whom she lived were
kind TO her and seldom crossed her wishes.
But if you have ever lived just such life,
you know what lcnlness means. Doe
would rather have even harsh blame from
those whose love is their authority than the
! cool kindness of people too indifferent to
censure. Margery bad not been morbid or
sentimental IN girlhood, or even in child
hood. When her heart ached for love. for
mOther-kisses and fatherly praises, she
scarcely understood what she wanted her.
self, and only betrayed the secret pain nv
utter recklessness of danger. No bow in
Westville rode such gay horses, or cliued
such high trees, because not boy there
but knew some heart would ache If i'll be.
| fell him. Want of love made Maryery reck.
less ...--r- ers.
But when she was sixteen love came. II
was the old, sweet story. She grew in six
months from romping, reckless girlhood to
! gentle, reticent, and most graceful woman.
hood. All the tenderness Of her nature:
which had waited so many years for its
object, cvertowed at last-lOnginC, dream
ing heart, passionate, earnest soul were
satlshed. And for once che built no altar
to false idol. Her nature was SC pure it
| tested those she met like q tombstone. Il
had no affinity With evil. and her choice
fell not unworthy. Nelson Harding de-
served all-love, confidence, tender sirllsh
trust. thing, too, his devotion was not
less than her Own-not less utterly absorb
ing. He, too, was an orphan, and the new
tie Yves his all.
They had been engaged six months when
the war broke out. They were not to mar
~ for two or three years; but thew met
0 Ga and SO waiting was not wearisome.
mhen the war began, Margery had been
AFRAID Nelson would think his duty called
him; but he told her that he would wait
Until there was more need VI him-so ma
ny were ready to go then, So be had a
year to be happy in.
linen came the call for three hundred
s ~ ,and two or three nights afterward
Nelson Harding came, with the words she
dreaded, 10 '"0
i ought to 60 Margery. Shall I?'
20 nome, now, Nelson, and come and
ask me again Tomorrow
She dared not answer him then, for she
was torn between the fear of losing him
and the fear Of doing wrong. She felt that
she must be left alone in the universe with
God in older to see the truth clearly.
When he was gone she went IN stairs TO
VeArG
the solitary child had cried out Of her
hearts else muttered loneliness TO the soil.
tary God. When heaven gave her no
father or mother, only Nelson. was it It
meant that she should keep the Gift ?
Gould 1t be that the Glver was asking for
it back again? And yet were not the
chosen people in all ages taught to offer of
their best-to lay their FIRST fruits upon
q oil IL
heavens bounty that gave her opportunity
to make sacrifice so costly.
All the night she sat there before her
window, or knelt beside her bed, until the
daily miracle Of dawning repeated itself-
| repeated its tender pink fushes above the
hills, Its tremulous mists, its airs af balm,
its broadening glory Of sunrise Soon he
would come. Soon she must tell him what
to choose,-lite and love for her and him,
or-the right. With that word her soul
grew strong; she would be the consider, no t
the temptress.
When her lover looked into her eyes. he
knew her thought. Still he asked the
question.
What am to do, Margeryr
What God and your own soul tell
you.'
Auu yOub CuIlu
i am to wait and bear; or perhaps too,
shall fed my work.
So Nelson Harding had marched away
in the August sunshide, and Margery was
to commence beI waiting.
Honor to the brave who fight and con-
| quer, or fight or fall But is theirs the
hardest fate d. not those suffer more who
cannot lose in action their fear and anguish
who must count slow hours, shudie at
tidings of onward movements, live on frag-
ments Of newspapers? -Ay; and is it not
true that every bullet shoots double, and
the shot which flies furthest makes the sor.
est wound
But Margery's waiting did not last long.
So soon, that it scarcely seemed as if the
regiment could have reached its destinH.
ton, the news Of ADtietam came. The
sixteenth were engaged in it, and she read
among the wounded the name of Lieut..
Harding. She was slight, delicately-or-
ganized little thing. Her tall, strong Iov-
er had been wont to call her his child but
the child did not shrek or faint. She did
not even cry. Some spirit other than her
own seemed to nave taken possession of
6er-s cool, brave spirit, strong 10 dare!
She went to the room where her uncle and
aunt were sitting together They started
when they saw the Wbite,' firm face,
whence all the pink ard prettiness was
gone as utterly as if it haG been touched BY
death. =
amzgoing to Washington, uncle Lieut..
harding IS wounded. He will be 10
the hospital The next train leaves in on
hour :
But, child, you must not 20 alone = said
mr.. Dane, with startled face and wonder
ing eyes. DO yea want mef'
: AS you please. 1t might be q help, If
yon could get away in time. There is on
ly an Eour. tes 'ss--r-T~ - =. :,
She shut the door. Her uncle and aunt
exchanged glances.
'She will CO. Mrs. Dana said u know