Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-01-01

Heavy clouds weighed down the night
sky, and their darkness fell through the
swayIng trees upon his bowed head.
At length be had gone. May mechani.
| cally drew her shawl about her shivering
form; she was very cold, yet the night
was warm
She knew little of romances, and did
not care that she was playing a part in
Life's drama, that Charlotte Bronte might
have woven into the pain heated glow of
her passionate tales.
May only knew that she loved this man,
and he had gone from her, she felt, to die.
She walked up to the house with a low
vail On her lips; the dreary night and the
coming storm closed around her
The mantle of midnight fell upon the
rebel camps. The glinmering tent lights
falling On stacked arms and idle groups of
soldiers, had disappeared, and left only
the white outlines of the ghostly camp,
looming up into the night. The regular
trainP-tramp of the distant sentinels,
broke monotonously upon the alr-other
sound there was none. and the thousands
whom morrow's drum would call into
the glare and din of battle, the thousands
who were sleeping this their last sleep, the
thousands of anxious home-longing hearts
were set at rest. Strange-that the soul
On the eve OF an untried eternity can be
left unconscious of the terrible change
awaiting it. Why do those goddess men
dream SO Of their goddess lives, thinking,
caring for no other? and yet this strug-
CLING starlight as it falls through the mist
will be the last that shall smile upon them.
Is there no voice--no sign to tell them
that the death they have looked on from
afar, is upon their trick?
A man sitting alone at the door of his
tent, as be watched his sleeping comrades,
dlmiy wondering thus, sparing time from
his own torbodings of horror Hastings
knew that some grand movement was in
preparation, but that was ALL Ifhe could
Lave foreseen the terror which shortly
! alter tell upon the sorrowing North, if
he could have known of the days of car
mage and defeat. when a second Manassas
crushed into everlasting silence the battle
cries OF thousands of the soldiers to whom
his heart reached blindly through the dis
trnce-if he he known all this, a heavier
weight would have rested upon his heart.
But he knew enough TO feel that his hour
had come. 10 go into the coming conflict
and refuse 10 obey the orders of the Con-
tederate captain would be certain death
escape was the only chance In the day
light this was impossible, for he was new
er allowed to leave the immediate vicinity
OF the camp; lie was never trusted on
picket duty, but was watched carefully
and constantly, for his oppressors knew
that no uniform, though it bore the marks
of the Confederacy, and was marched un
der Southern colors, could stop the beating
Of the loyal heart beneath, until death
shoald still it, and the cause of freedom
count another martyr. The sentinels
passed to and fro ceaselessly, and their
tread Knocked the man as be stood ont
alone and tearfully in the darkness. The
stars had pity upon him, and hid their
bright faces under fast rising clouds of
dense mist, and wrapped in It's folds he
made his way along the silent camp
Down by the nearest boundary of the
lines he knew a swamp-a dark, for
bidding place it was, with deep pools of
sluggish water, and black, yielding turf.
His keen eye had marked all this, when
he had been sent once with a squad of
men to get water at a spring near by
This was a point seldom guarded. the
swamp was held as impossible. Perhaps
1t was-to Northerners; but he had been
a farmers boy among just such, all his
life, and found his way many times
through their dangers, when he went to
cut wood in the great forests The cling
ing mist gathered close around him as he
reached the spot; he saw co sentinel, he
heard no sound. A brightness was in his
eye !; his color came and went feverishly.
He could see the brave boys who followed
Mcclellan, could see himself among them.
with his face turned toward the traitors.
and this same musket in his hand-how
it grew hot in his grasp at this thought;
! be felt already free-ha voice from the
| night" haltW The man was for an
instant paral yzed; the fear of death griped
him with iron hold-he listened for the
click of the gun-should he go on-on to
Freedom and the Flag? but-May, no,
she would rather he would die nobl y-it
was dark, the shot might miss. All this
dashed through his mind with the rapidity
with which men will think, when "life
struck sharp on death makes awful lights
ming" He darted with great leaps
through the mist, ne reached the edge of
the morass-there was a f4sh-a sharp
cry, and the sentinel turned away with an
oath as Hastings fell.
The night wore away; it must have
been hours before be died, and lie Law alone
In the damp grass which was bathed with
his blood. Awaking from bis stupor, he
would vaguely picture the sunbrght curls
OF May; his heart was too full to feel the |
warmth of the soft hair which lsy next to
It; then he thought of his mother and
home. He heard the far-off chime of Sab
bath bells; he said again his prayers at his
mothers knee he was going fast-alone,
all alone in this dampness. He wished |
May were there to lead him into the un-
known heaven she loved so-poor little |
May He fumbled weakly for his Bible,
and felt the tiny flag; be was glad he had
never killed a Federal. He prayed dimly
that the country's cause would CONQUER
he died for it, and so-for God.
A low wind sighed through the dark
sWamps, aud kissed the pale forehead, |
which Mays lips should never touch. and |
sobblng rain bathed the manly face on
which Mays tears should never fall.
The setting sun fingers with a half sad |
ness around the spot where Nav stands |
alone. Her blue ewes have caught deep
shadows from their unanswered question:
ings, and her cheeks are blanched with
tears To every mornings flush, and
every evenings Stiffness; she sues despair
ingly for knowledge; but the deaf blue |
sky will not tell her neutrality-suspicious..
No word comes to let her know that be |
lives and breatEes the sparkling autumn |