The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-04
After the Battle.

AhecN hnc RAtt1Gs
There was no ierceness in the eyes of those
men now, as they sat face to face on the bank
of the stream the strife and the anger had
all gone now, and they sat still,-dying men,
who for few hours before had been deadly
foes,-sat still and looked at each other At
last one of them spoke: 1--WE haven't either
of us a chance to hold out much longer, |
Judge"
mo" said the other with little mixture
ofsadness and reeklessness. % You did that |
last job of yours well, as Mat bears witness )"
and he pointed to a wound little above his
heart from which the life-blood was slowly
oozing.
Not better than you did yours" answered |
the other, with q grim smile, and he pointed
to wound a little higher up, larger and more
rOgged--a deadly one. And then the two
men gaEed on each other again in the dim
for the moon had come over the hills
now, and stood among her stars like pearl
of great price. And as they looked, softer
feeling stole over the heart of each toward his
fallen foe; feeling of pity for the strong,
manly life laid low, a feeling of regret for that
inexorable necessity of war which made each
man the slayer of the other; and at last one
spoke-" There's some folks in the world
thatll feel worse whehf you've gone out of it ?"
A spasm of pain was on the bronzed,
CHASTITY features. YES" said the man in
thick tones; there's one woman with
little boy and girl, away up among the New
Hampshire mountains, that it'll well-nigh kill
to. hear of this;" and then the man groaned
out in bitter anguish, 80 God have pity on
my wife and children!"
And the other drew closer to him. 9" And
away down among the cotton fields of Georgia,
there's a woman and little girl whose heart
will break, when they hear what this day has
done;" and then the cry wrung itself sharply
cut of his heart, 90 God, have pity upon
them !"
And from that moment the northerner and
southerner ceased to be foes. The thought
Of these distant homes on which the anguish
was so soon to fall drew them close together
in that last hour, and the two men wept like
little children. And at last the northerner
spoke, talking more to himself than anything
else, and he did not know that the other was
listening greedily to every word.
" She used to eome-my little girl-bless
her heart every night to meet me when
came home from the fields; and she would
stand under the great plum-tree, that's just
beyond the back door at home, with the sun
light making yellow crown in her golden
curls, and the laugh dancing in her eyes
when she heard the click of the gate ii SEE
her there ow,--and I'd take her in my arms
and she'd put up her little red lips for kiss
but my little girl will never watch under tn
old plum tree by the well for her father again
] shall never hear the cry Of joy as she catche
glimpse of me at the gate. / shall neve
see her little feet running over the grass t
spring into my arms againi"
And" then said the southerner, "there'
little browned-eyed, browned-haired girl
that used to watch in the cool afternoons 70
her father when he rode in from his visit t
the plantations. can see her sweet littl
face shining out now from the roses tina
covered the pillars, and her shout of joy as
bounded from my horse and chased the littl
flying feet and the loud laugh up and dow
the veranda. But, my darling. your brigl
little face will grow pale with watching anon
the roses for your father and you and he wi
never go laughing and romping up and dow
the old varanda again !"
And the northerner drew near to the sout
erner, and the hot tears stood on his co
cheeks, as he said, Friend, may God ha'
pity on our fatherless children"
Amen p said the southerner, fervently.
And the northerner spoke now, in q husk
whisper, for the eyes of the dying men wei
glazing fast-"We have fought like bra,
men together. We are going before God in
little while. Let us forgive each other"
The southerner tried to speak, butthe SCUM
died away in gurgle from his white lip,
but he took the hand Of his fallen foe, and h
stiaening fingers closed tight over it, and b
last look was smile of forgiveness and peaC
And when the next mornings sun walked
the gray stairs of the dawn, touched wi
pink, it looked down and saw the two fc
lying dead with their hands clasped in ca
other, by the stream which ran close to t
battle field. And the little girl with gold
hair that watched ander the plum-tree amo
the hills Of New Hampshire, and the lit
girl with brown hair that waited by the rOl
among the green plains of Georgia were
iherless.-Home Monthly.