The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-06-18
not ready, in this hour, to do his ut


most"
Katie listened and her soul Was fred.
She drank in fully of her fathers spirit.
That evening, as she sat knitting alone
in the parlor, she heard the bell ring,
and knew by the sound whose hand
had pulled the wire. Her fingers grew
unsteady, ard she began to drop stitch
es. So she let the stocking upon which
she was at work, fall into her lap. She
sat very still, now, her heart beating
strongly. The heavy tread of George
Mason was in the hall. Then the door
opened and the young man entered.
She did not rise.. In fact, SO strong
was her inward disturbance that she
felt the necessity for remaining as ex-
ternally quiet as possible, in order to
keep from betraying her actual state of
mind
Good evening"" said Mason, almost
gaily, as he stepped into the room.
Then pausing suddenly, and lifting
both hands in meek surprise, he ex-
claimed:
"Blue yarn and soldiers stockings!"
ooh, Katie Maxwell !"
Katie did not move nor answer. Her
heart was futteripg when he came in,
but in an instant it regained and even
beat. There was more i'm his tones
even than in his words. The clear
strong eyes were on his face.
Ha ha 7" he langined, gaily, now
advancing until he had come within a
few feet of the maiden. Then she rose
and moved back pace or two, with a
strange, cold dignity of mapner tha,
surprised her visitor.
"What good actress you wosld
makep he said, still speaking lightly,
for he did not think her in earnest, ga
Goddess of liberty - Here is my cane:
raise yonr stocking, and the representa-
ton will be perfected"
81 am not acting" George.
She spoke with AN air ot' severity that
sobered him.
"You are not ?'
"No; / cautioned you this morning
about trifling with things which should
he held out of the region of trifiing,"
she answered steadily. "If you are
not sufficiently inspired with love of
country to lift an arm in her defense,
| pray You will not hinder, with light
words even the feeble service that a
weak woman's hands may render. /
am not a man, and cannot, therefore,
fight for liberty and good government,
but what | am able To do | am doing
from state of mind that is hurt by
levity. am in earnest {; if you a,e
not, 1t is time you looked down into
your heart and made some effort to
understand its springs of action. You
are Of mans estate, you are in good
health, you are not trammelled by any
legal or social hindrances. Why, then,
are you not in the Geld, George Mason !?
| have asked myself a hundred times
since this morning this question, aud
can reach Do satisfactory answer"
Katie Maxwell stood before the
young man like one inspired, her face
in glow, her lips firmly set but arched,
her eyes flashing, her slender form
drawn up to its full height, almost i'm
periously.
=" In the field - he said, in astonisI-
ment, aud not without confusion of
manner.
" Yes, in the field! In arms for
your country p
He shrugged his shoulders with an
affected Indifference that was mingled
with something of contempt, saying
blindly-for he did not give himself
space to reflect
I" I've no particular fancy for salt
pork, hard tack, and minnie bullets"
f" Nor. | for cowaIds !'' exclaimed
Katie. borne away by her feelings /; and
she pointed siernly at the door.
The young man went out. As he
shut the door she sunk into the chair
from which she had arisen, weak and
qnivering. The blue yarn stocking did
uot grow under her hand that night :;
but her fingers moved with unwearied
diligence through all the next dag, and
a soldiere sock, thick and soft and
warm, was laid beside her fathers plate
when he came home To the evening
meal. Very sweet to her were the al'-
proving sentences that fell from his
lips, and they had balm in them for the
pain which had wrought at her heart
for many hours.
Only day or two The pain lasted.