The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-10
IN HOSPITAL.
From Harpers Weekly, April t.


eyes, there's no use denying that we
had rather stormy time of it,"
And Captain Ferdinand Lawrence strok-
ed his moustache, and complacently hand
led the scabboard of his sword, as he
spoke, with the air of a hero who has no
objection to being properly appreciated.
Grace Bryan had listened to the whole
of his circumstantial description with blue,
dilated eyes fixed on his, curved his lips,
half apart, and a cheek where the color
varied, as you have seen sun and shadow
chase one another over slopes of blossom
ing grass. No wonder that the doughty
Captain felt inwardly elated at the success
of his eloquence. Had he at last struck
the respective keynote to this pale young
beauty's nature? Was his long servitude
of love at last to meet its exceeding great
reward?
Oh, Captain Lawrence, Captain Law
renee! could you but have seen into the
hidden mysteries of Grace Bryans thoughts
what crash there would be among the
dazzling colonnades and airy pediments of
your grand Ctoteu en- Espagne! But
love is blind, and so, unfortunately, is self
esteem.
"Captain Lawrence" said Grace, with
her little hands nervously interlocked, and
her serious eyes never moving from his
face, "was there not a private in your COM
pany called John Harral?"
Captain Lawrence gave quick, invol-
untary start, but recovered himself imme-
diately, though with heightened color on
his dark cheek:
Harral-Harral; yes, 1 believe there
was.''
''And can you tell me what has become
of him %
"Upon my word," said the Captain,
with little uneasy laugh that was decid-
eddy at variance with the keen glance
shooting from underneath his bent brows
-" Private Harral is lucky fellow to
have inspired such an Interest,""
'Can you tell me what has become of
him?" repeated Grace, as calmly as if she
had not heard the covert sheer.
"One don't keep run of these privates, "
said Lawrence, carelessly; but if Miss
Grace really cares to know, why, Of course,
my poor services are at her disposal"
He drew out little memorandum book,
neatly bound in black morocco, and leis-
urely turned over the leaves.
"Let me see-Gates- Hall-Hanna-
oh, here it is! Harral, marked
missing Just the sort of fellow to take
particularly good care of his bones and
sinews-deserted, dare say. Oh, they
sOiN do it, Miss Grace. Hold on, though,
here's another, entry. Harral- killed in
the action-buried on the left side of creek
-hum-m-m. Anything else cen do
for you, Miss Grace?"
But Grace did not answer; she did not
even ask to see the treacherous minutes %
which might have revealed their own in
consistency. She sat like one stunned,
with hands still folded, and eyes mechani-
cally fastened on the winter sunshine
that quivered along the opposite wall,
while the blood slowly receded from her
cheek, and the color from her lip.
"Gracious Heavens, she has tainted 3"
calculated the Captain, springing from his
seat. "Hollo here, somebody! Bring
camphor, cologne, anything! Confound
Private Harral!"
Are there any wounds so bitter that
Time, whose gentle finger draws the man
tie OF velvet grass over new-made graves,
and puts the chiaro-oscuro of many sun
rises and sunsets between us and our
griefs, cannot heal them? Yes, there are
some that bleed on silently, and mine life
and heart away with their unseen gush-
and such an one was hidden under Grace
Bryan's sad smile and heavy eyes, always
luminous with the melancholy shine of un-
shed tears.
81 assure you, Miss Grace, consider it
very Quixotic piece of business" said
Captain Lawrence, in accents of grave dis
pleasure. "Youll do nobody any good.
and only upset your own nerves. It's ali
nonsense, this idea of ladies visiting hospi-
tals-what can a woman who has been