The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1863-10-27

Maud Hilton sat by the window that alter
noon, bowed and motipnless, With . lslte
crushed in her white hand, and lock of pas
siopats yearnipg on her ivbier face; a. tber'
for houra, vhb 4 strange dseam-ligbt isb be-
mouruful eyes, conscious Of no,bihg external
set there, statute.like, frozen, apathelic, sppa
reutly, while dire conflict ragged withp her
At last, there stole over her face palor O
terrible anguish, her head dropped slowly, un
Ill her forehead pressed the sharp edge Of tho
marble table; the battle was at height ION th,
one side, love, forgiveness, happiness; on the
other, pride, doubt, aud parental reproaches
For few moments the heart beats ia th'
girls bosom convulsed her whole slight form
then there camo from somo unsounded deptt
Of her being Crate, agonizng sob, and then
she lay there 90 still, so nearly bfeatbless, that
she seemed as one dead. But the battle wai
over and pride had won the victory you could
see that W en- she lifted be- he d once moe fol
the, very movement was queen like. With de.
liberate, icy calmness she rose, crossed the
room, brought back little ebony writing desk
and set down before il; then she smoothed oui
the crumplsd letter, and read it over carefully,
slowly, critically; then sho wrote:
r. "Rlck, You 80 not love me to day more
than yon did = year ago. when you decided
that we were not fitted TO be life companions.
lave prayed God to enable ms to crush aud
conquer my love for you. aud believe he has
done il. ! cannot SEQ you, and the ring you
,ook ffon my finger then must not be placed
thereon again. am glad that you are going 10
fight it is nobe---itis hoporable--snd l can
ask our Father. with sincere heart, to watch
over and protect you, shall think of you, for
l shall always try TO be real friend to you.
MAUD"
There was no trembling in the hand that
wrote-no shadow Of rcentlpg 10 that calm.
pale fsce, rs the perfumed note was inclosed
and superscribed-only once, as the tiny seal
was descending, a single tear dropped from
tie long, curved Iashes, and became part
the sould-of that plain initial. M" All!
Captain Rick, when, with nervous fingers you
tear open this IetteI to morrow, b. tender with
that seal; don't bruise it; don't break it-for
tue heart of the only woman you ever loved,
ever will love, is imprisoned 10 it.
Poor Cnptain Rick the night honrs are
fee.ipg away, the soft haze and purpling shad
ows OF yesterday are gone; there are black
shreds of clouds painting the sky with long
inky streaks, aud the sad autumn wind walls
desolately; there is storm in the air, and storm
in that soldiers heart. as he PAGES with ick
strides up and down the narrow limits Of MS
tent. No battle here, no opposing forces,
only fierce, hot, hing storm and the prond,
strong man bends before /, like broken re, d
Here is bullet dour for ycu, Old fellow,
his L eutenaut said, ''laden with all the spicy
ordors Of 'Araby the Best.' Love and war al
ways You're a lucky dog" And then lett him
with light laugh. Rex .prsrg up from bis
couch lounge, threw his neerschaum across the
tent, aud seized the little de icate note Aith
flush Of inpatient joy on bis manly face. Her
writing! her seal! He pressed it to his lips,
opend. aad read. Do you think men have no
feeling, TO hea'l2 You should have seen this
proud young officer, then; you should have
seen bis checks pale, bis lips quiver, his hand
drop nerveess to his side; you should have
seen those appealing eyes 'assd to heaven
while the broken VOICE cried piteously: "God
be merciful TO mel"
Then the storm burst upon him, and the
gray Of the eally morning wa, filing his tent
with It's m 'l~ncboly light, when lie wrapped
his cl ak around hln, aud sauk Yearly upon
his narrow couch.
He had slnned. and this was hi. punish
ment! and ye,, when one year before he had
said to Maud Hilton that troy two were un.
fitted for live companions, b, hs been hon,
est he had believed that be was doing a sad
duty to her aaI to 'hiln.-f. For months. a
nature naturally noble aud true bad resisted
the stirring appeals that came with every
breath for more men to fight 10 canse than
which 'heie could not be a nobler or better.
He sbrsnk om the trials and bardsII,ps Of n
solieI's life. fIom the horror and uncertainty
Of battle, as every nau. born aud rea,ed 10
luxuri,us peace, must shrink. But, at last :,
the tue nobihty of his soul had risen above
all this, and hc'enrolled himself as one Of his
country's offenders.
Ii was the last evening he was 10 spend at
home. before he led the compn y he had re.
cruited to the camp; everything settled,
no business sffars troubled bi,D; il be Was
killed why, that would b. all would il
not 7 He sat betor. the fire dreaming idly sud
deply there came liiie gust of wind; the
gas. light fickered; he started, aud rose to shut
the creaking door. Then be saw glitteripg on
his finger plain gold band, and sitting down
again, he drew il of slowly, anI read the grav
en- life history inside; Rick to Maud.''
Ab! was everything settled was there moth
ing more TO be done trfore be went away from
these familiar scenes. perhaps--nsver to come
back again Agan be relapsed into his thought
ful mood, but IL was no id.e dreaming now
he reviewed the past year, he remembered that
he had been gay and happy, (D that he had
been fiattered and petted by many fair women /;
aud yet, through il all, a pale quiet face,
with glossy dark hair waving back from the
white forehead, had haunted hiu,-througb it
all he bal known that only one woman 10
the wide world could gil the vacant place 10
his heart. and that one he had cast off! Now
he was certain tnat he still loved that pale.
browed girl, that he bad always loved her.
and with him to decide was to act. "Yes, Il
shall be done," be said aloud, and then he
wrote, telling her al--how he had been mis-
taken, rash, wropg-how be- stiIl loved her,
tegging berto see him, and let him plead
his own cause, begging her to wear again the
risg that had no right on hi, finger. When
he had finished, lie was proudly happy, for he
felt sure Of success, and was conscious that be
bad done his duty. How that letter was re.
ceived, how i, Was answered, ws have seen.
One day there was sharp, e rcs battls.
Tbe-----sisssachuset,s rel iment was in il, and
came ont decimatcd; Company A, was q mere