The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-11-20
Se1eqt sTals+.
AFTER THE BATTLE.

had walked slow and calm through the long
hours of that terrible day, had gone down
in column of fire behindthe western hills
and now the stars were coming out, swiftly,
like golden petals scattered all over an azure
sky. ef'..'a .1.,., ,.,,.,, l..l .,5s,,.
And the stars looked down on the battle
field as they have come out and looked for
scores Of years on the fair young land which
had arisen in her strength and beauty, un-
til amid all the nations there was none to
compare with heron the great cities that
were hung like Jewels On her green bosom
on the broad harvest fields that wave their
tresses of joy through her golden summers
on the houses where the dwellcrs there
of sat peaceful and happy under their own
fg tree-on all this had the starswhich came
up at night by the watch towers OF the sky
looked, until at last there came a change
and now where the harvest had waved their
locks in the summer winds, was thatlnost
terrible sight which the sun ever beheld-
the conflict had ragged hot and terrible that
day. 'oisl.a oo''..o. =
The hearts of the distant mountains had
shuddered with the thunder OF cannon, and
the earth had DRINK in blood as in autumn
she drinks the equinoctial rain; but at last
the days awful work was done, and the night
winds lifted the gray banners of smoke from
the battlefield. g ..s.s
The airwas full of heat aud smell of pow
der; the dead lay thick together, with stark,
ghastly faces on the trampled grass; the
wounded lay thick, also, filling the air with
their moans- -ridcrless horses rushed terri
fed over the field; and the dying daylight
and the solemn stars watched over all.
A little way from the battlefield ran a
small stream, making blue fold in the dark
grass, and two wounded men had crawled
to its banks TO slake their thirst. ! ,,g,
And when the two men crawled along
the banks, looked up and met each others
face, they knew they were enemies, and they
knew, too, that a few hours ago each had
aimed his rifle at the other, and that aim
had made the ghastly wound, alittle way
from the heart, which had drunk the life
blood of each. and each gared desperately
at his adversary a moment before he fell.
But there was no tierceness 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 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 chance TO hold out
much longer, | Judge" ye,sy9
''No," said the other with little mixture
of sadness and reeklessness. "You die
that last job of yours very well, as that bears
witness;' and he pointed to awound alt
tie above his heart, from which the life blooc
was slowly oozins. ,a,rg
''No better than you did yours" replied
the other, with grim smile; and he point
ed to wound little higher up-larger
more ragged deadly one. ss
And the two men gazed at each other a
gain in the dim light, for the moon had com'
over the hills now, and stood among th'
stars like pearl of great price. And a
they looked softer feeling stole over th'
heart of each toward his fallen foe; feel
ing of pity for the strong, manly life lal'
low; feeling of regret tor that inexorab
necessity of the war which made each MAJ
the slayer of the other; and at last ont
of them spoke: aN ..e
"There's some folks in the world thai
: will feel worse, l suppose, because you'v
gone out OF it " 1ooaaF ei.2.h
Aspasm of pain was onthc brcnzcd ghast
!, ly features. ys,o.et ru.A
eyes," said the man, in thick tones
ssthere's one woman, with little boy ant
. girl away up among the New Hampshir
mountains, it'll well-nigh kill to hear OF this
. And then he groaned out, in bitter anguish
l ''Oh God, have pity on my wife and chil
dren!" .aa e'1"}f ~
And the other drew closer to him. '.''
"Away among the cotton fields OF Geor
gia there's woman and a little girl who's
. heart will break when they hear what thl
! day has done" And then a cry wrung it
r self out of his heart: "Oh God, have PIT.
l upon them." poiyq ,osnaro q. ~. -"
f., And from that moment the Northerne
and the Southerner ceased to be foes. fh
:. thought of those distant homes on whic
a the anguish was soon to fall, drew then
!. close together in that last hour, and the tw
: wept like children. ..', /. sn ia. ..9
And at last the Northerner spoke tallIn
: more to himself than anything else, and n
f did not know the other was listening greed
!, lily to every word: J., M ~.
p s.She used to comc--my little girl bes
s her heart every night to meet me whe
[ came home from the fields; and she wonl
J stand under the great plum tree, that'sJti
. beyond the back door at home, with Il
y - la..l.l, La, N lie