The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-07-21
AFTER THE BATTLE.
BY VIRGINIA +. TOWNSEND.

had walked slow and calm through the
long hours of that terrible day, had gone
down in a column of fire beyond the
western hills. aud now the stars were
con ing out swiftly ike golden petals
scattering all over an azure sky.
And the stars looked down on the bat
lle-field, as they had come out and look.
ed down for scores Of years on the fail
young land which had risen in hel
strength and beauty, until amid all the
nations, there was none To compare with
heron the great cities that were hung
like jewels upon her green bosom-on
the broad harvest fields that waved theil
tresses for joy through the golden sum
mers-on the houses where the dwelIers
thereof sat peaceful and happy under
ther own vines and tig trees-on all this
had the stars which come up night by
night 10 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
that most terrible sight which the sun OF
stars ever beheld 1.-The sight Of battle
field. The conflict had ragged hot aud
terrible that day
The hearts Of the distant mountains
had shujdered with the thunder of can
non, and all The earth had drank in blood
as in autumn she drinks in the equinoc
tial rains: but at last the days awfu'
work was done, and the night winds had
lifted the gay banners of smoke from
the battle field.
The air was full of the neat and smell
Of powder; the d ad lay thick together.
with stark, ghsslly faces, on the cramp
ed grass !; and the wounded lay thicker,
filling the air with moans-riderless hor
ses rushed terrified over the field and
The dying daylight and the solemn stars
watched over all. A little way from the
battle field ian a small stream making a
blue field in the dark grass, and two
wounded men had clawled TO lis banks
to slake their thirst.
Aud when the two men crawling
along its banks looked up and met each
others faces, they knew they were enc.
mics, and they knew, too. TIL an hour
ago each had aimed his rifle at the other
and that aim had made the ghaslly
wound little from The heart, which had
drank the lie blood of each, and each
had glared desperately on his adversary
a moment before he fell.
But there was no tierceness in the ewes
of those men now. ms they sat face tc
face on the bank of that stream the
strife and the anger had all gone now
and they sat still, dying men. who few
short hours before had been deadly foes
sat still and looked at each other. A
last one Of them spoke
Vra haven't either chance TO hold
h -" Judge"
NO" said The other, wl,n '"'N'"''
Of sadness and reoslessness. :" You did
that Job OF yours well. as that bears wit
ness" and he pointed TO a wound a liltle
above his heart. from which the life
blood was slowly ooziug.
No better than you did yours" an
swered the other. with grim smile. anc
| he pointed TO another liule highe
up. larger and more ragged-a deadlie
one.
And then the two men gazed on eacl
other again in the dim light, for tn
moon had come over the hills, now. an
stood among her stars like pearl Q
great price. And as they looked soft
er feeling came over the heart of eao
toward his fallen foe feeling of pit,
for the strong, manly laid low, feelin
OF regre, for that inexorable necessity {
war which made each man the slayer {
the other ; and at last one spoke
There's some folks in the world thu
will feel worse. ! suppose, because you'y
gone out Of II 81