Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-01-13
AFTER THE BATTLE.
BY VIRGINIA +. TOWNSEND.

1t was over at last The sun, which had
walked slow and calm through the long
hours ofthat terrible day, had gone down
in a column of fire beyond the western
hills, and now the stars were coming out
swiftly, like golden petals scattered all
over an azure sky. a .r r.. rs.a...
And the stars Looked down on the battle-
field, as they had came out and ,oked
down for scores OF years on the fairrvnupp
land until amid allIae nations there was
none to compare with heron the great
cities that were hung like jewels ON her
green bosOm-nn the broad harvest ,fielis
that waved their tresses for i,.y through
her golden snmmer--on the house where
thesd ellers thereof sat peacefuland hap
Ply anrier their own vine and fig tree--on
all this had the stare which came I'D nj chit
by night locked, until at8last there came a
change aud now, where.the harvest had
waved their lecks in the summer wind
was the most terrible sight which the sun
aud the stars ever beheld-the siybt Of n
battlefield TIE conflict had ragged hot
and terrible that day.
The hearts of the distant mountains had
shUddered with the thunder of cannon. en5
the earth had drank in blood as in autumn
she drinks in the cquinoctial rains bnt at
last the days awful work WAS dene. and
the night winds lifted the gay banners %
smoke from the battlefield -...r..
The air was full Of heat and smell of
powder the dead lay thick together, with
stark, CHASTITY faces, on the trampIod grass,
the wounded lay thicker, filing the al.
with m'rans--ri3erless horses rushed ter
rifed over the Geld ;and the daylight. aud
the snlemn stars watched over all A lit
tie way from the battle field ran small
stream, makinga blue fold in the dark
grass, and two wounde men had craWled
TO it's banks to slaks their thirst.
| Aud when the two men crawling alone
the banks looked up aud met each o.hers's
faces, they knew they were enemies.zard
they knew, too, that few hours ago each
| had aimed his rifle at the other. and that
aim had made the ghBssly wound a little
way lrnn the heart which had drunk the
blood ofeach. and each gIared dosper-
ately on his adversary moment before he
fell. So. ......s -
| But there was no ferceness in the ewes
OF those men DOW, as they sat face to face
on the bank ct the stream the strife and
the anger bad ell gone now, anG thew sat
SUI aging men, who few hours before
T, haG been deadly foes sat still! aud looked ut
each other. At last one of them spoke:
I'VE haven't either of us a change TO
hold out much longer, Judge"
I No" SAID the other, with little mix
ture OF sadness and recklessness. ''Y u
did that last job Of yours we'll, as that bears
witness" and be pointed to a wound a lit
tie above his heart, from which the lie
blood was slowly. o0zing. ,. .F .r......
! SHOT better than you did yours" replied
the other, with grim smile, and he point
ed to another little higher up, larger and
more ragged-a deadly one.
And then the two men gazed on each
otner agar" n the dim light, fc. ina moon
..-u come over re Mills now, and stood
ag"re ,uc stars like pearl of great price.
| And as they looked a softer feeling stole
over the heart of each toward his failed
foe affecting Of pity for the stang. manly
life laid low, o feeling of regret for that
insxorable necessity of war which made
each man the slayer of the other; and at
last one spoke 81. .a- z.l aa4.- a.r &c
THERE'S some folks in the world that
will feel worse, I'spose, because you've
gone out of itJ?" aaj.s. SO , -,
! A spasm. of pain was on the brOnsed,
| CHASTITY features. .al ss,-ss- .aaurs
"Yes," said the man, in thick tones,
theirs one woman, With little boy and
girl, away up among the New Hampshire
mountains, that it will we'll nigh kill to
| hear Of this" and then the man groaned
in bitter anguish. sob, have pity on my
wifeaand children r. COS eas - is7
And the other drew closer to him.
"And away down among the cotton
field of Georgia there 's.a woman and lit
! tie girl whose hearts will break when they
bear what this day has DONE" and the cry
Erung itself sharply out of his heart, ''0h,
rGqd, haze pity upon them - 81
Isg And from that moment thes Northerner
aud Southerner ceased to be fees. The
thought Of those distant homes on whom
the anguish was soon to fall, drew them
] close together in that last hour, and the
1.-two Wept like children. And at last the
| Northerner spoke, talking more to himself
!, than anything else, and he did not know
7thattb other was listening .greedily to
every WOgd: -.s..'..szEle % .--s
'Sbe used to come-my little girl-bleps
her heartl 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 hpme, with
! the sunlight making yellow crown in
her golden curls, and the laugh dancing in
| her eyes, when she heard thu click Of the
| gate. j see her there now, and I'd take
herrin my arms, aud she'd pat up her
| little red lips for kiss; but my little girl
will never watch under the old plum tree
by the we'll for her father again. l shall
/ nauer hear the cru of 10Y "a aha catckes a