The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-05-20
My Revenge.

me- would be of tltiug interest TO yOu. Suffice
70 that our ieud was not political one. For
ten Years We we're the closest iutimates that tue
same studies. the same tastes and The same
AIMS could make Us. ! was The elder ofthe two
sud the stronger. physically; comparatively
irendless. as the world takes it. aud had no
near relatives. Dung. solitary ard visionsry
as We were, iI Is hard TO make YOU understand
What were 20 each other Up to the period
OF our estiangemcnL working together, eating
together. sleeping together, l can ssiels say that
We bad not JOY griei. not pleasure or
vexatiun that we did not share with an almost
boy ish single hearteGness Bul one day changed
all We arose IA tie morning dear friends and
lav down at night butter foes ] VAS man OF
extremes: | either loved or hated With the
whole strength Of my heart The past was for
go'ten IN the present. The ten years OF kind
ness. o. congeuialigy. OF almost Womanly tender
ness were erased with a sponge We looked
each other in tie face With angry, searching
eyes-sai0 but ieW words lOnr rage vas TOO
deep TO be oemoustrauvel and parted Then in
' solitude dashed my oencaed hand upon
the B Die and vowed psssiOuatey.
" may wait ten Years. Richard Wthersl
NAV ~ait t~enty. thirty, il you ~ill. but sooner
or later / swear | shall have nv revenge
And this was the Nay met
/ wonder f he thought of that day when he
laid his hand on my Bride rein and looked up
al ne Nith his tfeschcrous blue eyes. scarce
/ ly think he dld. OF he cond not have given me
that look II was beautiful As glr, l. deed
The contrast OF his fair. aristocrAuc face, with
rs regular outline and red cnfvug hrs. 10 NV
Own rough dark exterior might have been partly
4 the secret OF INV former attraction 10 him. but
the lovei e-s OF an angei IL e had been BIS would
not have saved him from me then. There was
a pistol his baud but before ke had time TO
discharge IL. / cut al HIM with nav sword and
"a The line swept on ike = gathering wave,
saw him sfagger under the blow, throS up bis
arals, and 20 doxn With the p-ess- Bitterly as
1 hated him, the CHASTITY face haunted me the
/ long day through
/ You al remember how it was At Fredercks.
/ burgh. Ho~ We crossed the river az the wrong
I point, and under that rakiug ere OF the enemy,
weie disastrousls repulsed.
! Il vas sad mistake aud fatal 10 MANY brave
heart. When nigh, tell, | lay upon the field
among the dead aud SOUNDED | was compafa-
tives helpless A ball had shivered the cap OF
NV right knee, and m. shoulder was laid open
with sabre cut The latter bed pruiusely
but by oint Of knoftiug nv handkerchief tightly
about 10, | managed 10 stauuch it in measure.
for my knee | could do nothing Consciousness
dd rof iorsake ne. ard he pain was intense;
]
ne, judged that others had fared worse than 7.
/ Poor i.llows there was manv a mothers dar.
ling suffering there MANY OF my comrades,
lads Of eighteen or twenty. who had never seen
q night from home until they joined the army
spoiled pets of fortu e, manly enough at heart
! but children ~ yeais aud cOnstitut n, who had
been used 10 have every little ache and scratch
/ compassionate with an almost exuavagant syrn-
pathy-there they Law. crippled aud gashed. and
bleeding. crushed and d,ing, hudd'ed together
some where they had fallen, some where they
had weakly crswled upon their hands and knees
and never Womau's touch to bind up their
wounds, or a womau's voice 10 whisper gentle
consolation. II wss pitchy dark and a cold,
miserable was falling upon ~, the very
heavens weeping over our -.ries. Then
/ through the darkness and the ,zliug rain,
through the groans aud prayers "a the fallen
men about me- heard a IA nilisr voice close 10
nv SIDE;
Water water water am dying with
thirsi-ifit be but a noufhful-waterl For
Gods sake give me waterl"
| recoiled IN dismay. It was the voice Of my
enemy, the voice of Richard Withers They
were once very dear 20 me those mellow tones;
once the pleasantest music j cared 70 hear Do
YOU think they 80 sofiened me noWy You are
mistaken. am candid about il My blood
boiled 10 nv veins Vhen | heard him. When /
knew that b. lay 50 close TO me- aud was pow
efess 10 ~ithdraw IRON his deteslcd ueighbor-
hood. There vas water IN by canteen had
iiled il before the last ball came Bysuetching
out my hand could have given hin drink,
0ui / did not raise a fuger. Vengeance was
sweet smiled grimly TO myself, aud sad down
ia my secret heart: Not drop shall cross his
hps, though be perish. shall have my re-
vrnge."
Do yon reeoH With horror. Listen, how mer.
cful God wa To me.
There VA a poor little drummer on the other
side, a merry, manly boy Of t~eve or thirteen
tbe pet ard playtiing of the Regiment. There
va some hing az the German ia him; be had
oeen with Us RON the ff-t, and vas Teck0ued
one Of the best dfummers in the army. But we
would never march 10 The tap OF ChaIl~y' dun
, again he had got ball 10 bis lungs aud The
exposure aud fitgue together wiih the wound
. had made lin light headed Poor little child
/ he crept close 70 NE in the darkness AID LAID
: his cheek upon nv breast Masbe be thought
it Wa his own pillow at home; be be thoi
! 70, poor darling, his mo,her's bosom. God alone
E kuo~s what be thought; but ~ith his hot arm
about ny neck, AID his curly bead pressed Gloss
70 uy ~ickcs heart, even then sAelling With th'
Z bitter hatred of ~ enemy, he began IN his de
. Heaven"
Q ~as rough bearded man. ] had been Al
Z orphan tor T. any long year but not too mani
r. or 100 long 70 forget the simple hearted prsye
Q OF nv chldhood-ihe dim Vision Of that mother
2 face over which The grass nsi grown for tsent'
changing summers. Something tender ssrres
Z sithiu NV harden. heart II vas TOO dark q
Z ace the little face, bat the young lips went o.
u Sfokeniy;
r And fOyoite us oar trssspasset az re forotu
those rho tresspass dgdtnst us-"
Il vent through "a. Ike knise-sharper thai
the sabre cur, keensr than the bs. God Ma
merciiu 70 me-and this young child was ~
3. channel Of BIZ Esrcg.
" ForgiUe trsssDasses "a - forgiU
2 those uho frsssDats ogsiasf AZ
had never uldersroo1 th. words before.
p a. angel bad spoken il coU d scarcely have bsei
n.ore Of a revelation. For the fr.t time m
thought thst ! might be mortsly wounded, tbs
death might be nearer than / dreamed struc
NE with ave ans horror The text o. a lon
forgotten sermon was m nv ears: Il j. a.
pointed for al nea 70 die and after Gesth %
Judgment
J. Worse ard worse What measure Of mere,
O could expect. If the sane vas 70 b. meted 90
that had m-ted unto nv enemy. The tear
- Eclled into NV ewes and trickleo dosn nv cheeks
4 Ire irss that / nsd sned since my oOyhood.
: felt subdued ana strangely moved
! The rain vas falling still; but the little hea'
: upon nv breast sss gone he crept away q
: lentlv in the darkness His unconscious missioi
E.s fulfilled; he would not return At my call