The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-06-03

man John Morgan was. He was no stranger
/, at the little cottage and even in this sorrow
: full hour there was no danger of his being un-
welcome He W s5the first to speak. II -
7 1T is hard on you,. Morgan, this draft My
father was saying tonight that he did not
know how he should contrive to spare rou
4 SO well you are doing nov, too already COM
fort and competence to you and yours, and
better things in prospectsdsr5f 20 aeifoe.5 5
:. 'It's needless salking.q- / think I, /, was not
born under a lucky, star. You were. Mr..
Thornycroft's son to begin with, young, rich,
Z without tie to fetter you; aud of course the
draft spared YOU a;r,1as RI in2fsiss;oa rie-e 4
4 'WithOuta tie? Do you call that happi-
ness 2
i John Morgan's eyes fell benesth that sad,
STEADY gazeio reproach. .egH He remembered tha
i one who had died in March on whose grave
4 the lonesome spring rain had went tears which
4 sprang up aga n in roses and violets-the gen.
tie girl whom Ash TbornycToft had loved SO
! long and we'll.
Forgive me-, said Mr.. Morgan, in low
/ penitent tone. 8 E2s
T. 7 he other went on;
! Il think you forget yourself little when
ou repine at this stroke Fas if it were the
worst thing tat could have happened
! Would you give up your wife or one of your
children even, to escape from the perlls of
war? IAH ~ - o1iGh 12t9'H4.@ q
sDid you think I.was coward p and the
honest soul looked Indignantly out of Johns
! eyes. s'If were TO fall, what you'll they do
| / have struggled to shield them, SO far as |
could from want, or priVaton Hoy are
| they fitted to tire d the worlds rough path
alone? - Rs 5d5 a4 T9v6 1s3i2 83a
No, did not take you for cowarlla II
| had, should not have thought your life
worth saving. / think know how 1 should
fcelin your place. 1t is place in which I
shall never stand. am going to enlist, John
1t is my duty for have nothi to keep me
at hone. 1 am ready to give all that have
to my country. IF fall, I shall only go the
to hinder my spairing you to your happy fire.
s:ds? came to propose myself as your sub
sti;u.c.' % 4.3i
1T is not-are you sure it is-to spare me
Would you go in any case p John Morgan
asked with a little doubt in his voice.
'Donot fear thatI en- going for yeur
sake. 1 made. up my amind as soon as the call
came for volunteers only waited for this |
very thing-the chance, il should not be |
drafted myself, of saving some man who was,
to the woman who loved him. 1 am glad it is
you, John, my good old friend, to whom L
can render this servce.'alt5s .ti-se5
a JOHN Morgan was man of few words-orI
feelings which lay SO deep that they seldom
rose to the surface, but there was something 7
which Ash Thornycrefs needed no language I
to interpret in the lookTof his eyes, and the
grasp of his hand, as he Euricd out of the /
room.
Thornyc oft was one of those men. with T
vein of tenderness in the midst Of their
strength which always allies them more nearly /
10 women than. to men. Left alone with Mrs.
Morgan, he said what he, never would have
said to her husband. 1t was when she thank cd |
him, with earnest words, and sobs and fears
yet more eloquent. g25 ti'Ll 9ai 9t5.
There was one. Mrs. Morgan, who loved me
as we'll as you love John. You do rot need /
to thank me- All that | ever cou do for
any other woman, l would do. for her sake.
You have seen her you know how fair and
sweet she was; but l Think no one save me
knows all her purity, her saint like goodness.
have had only one hope since she died
that L might be fit TO go to her. IF [ die in
this good cause, think of me as happy with an1
happiness. And will be but
opening the golden gates the sooner. / shall i
not see you again, SO l will bid you good by
now
Her tears fyll upoa his hand-hcr lips
touched it. She whispered brokenly her bles-
sing-the blessing OF one who owed to Linn
more tnan life and so armed for his work, as
1t were by those holy tears and prayers, he
went away.
8 The girls at the door saw his face in the
moonlight. while raident and tender They +
ran into their mother, asking their childish
questions. i
what made Mr.. Thornnycroft look SO !?
What was he here for p i3i
Father is not going away Mr. Thorny- Z
croft is going in his stead. We shall keep
father at home r.If-s,
And then, woman like, she fell to hugging
them and CRYING over them and just then
John came back, and took the three altogether
into his strong arms. Hgfias1 Ga - t1afs7
It was eHe Of TIE supreme moments Of life
which, whether Of joy or grief, picture them
selves clearly to our mind and need no descrip
tion. 80 sif 7 49sss597 ~ -
Ash Thornyeroft walked away with firm
tread. He turned aside when he came to the b
church, with the old burying ground in the
rear, full of grass grown mounds. He went
in there, and knelt beside grave on whose
head stone and clearly in the bright moon
light. ss,szsS - ss
'Oh, my darling, my darling 2 he cried, with
his lips pressed to the sod. 2f 'f9fa
: If she could hear. that still heart beneath
would have thfobbed again 10 the accents of
such love- Many night had he talked to her
there, as nou, with strange sense of nearness
Ia full belief in the communion of their
SOULS el5a afd
You are not here, know, and yet I know
you hear me I am going away to- morrow,
Gods soldier and yours Give your blessing,
Constance, and pray for ME, you who have al !
ready seen the Fathers face, that l may do
my work withou. faltering, and the end may
soon come. GglII a a
it was but a dEeam of his over wrought fan
cy but he seemed to see cloud draw near,
from which face l1oked-a white sweet face,
and With waiting yet glorifed with immortal
hopo. And he seemed to hear voice which
said s- ilgf5g
Go forth py beloved, and do your work
Soon will the struggle be over, and the reward /
is long aud sure. a7s3 I
For an Instant he seemed to see the smile