Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-09-30
A GIFT BY THE WAY-sIDE,


The old farmhouse clock had Just struck
seven, and over all the hills the purple va
pors of twilight were coming down, waking
spicy odors among the sweet-tern in the pas
lures and the blue wild-grapes ripening in
the woods, while the whip-poor-vill sang sad
ly on the messy rails of the broken-down
fence that skirted the ravine, and the katy
dds chirped shrilly through the mOrnng-glory
leaves above the window!
Seven O'Clock ~ echoed Silns Miller, Just
as though he had not been watching that
slow-creeping minute hand for the last half
hour. He viii soon be here now-my boy
will soon be here y
What strange softening of the rugged
features what an unwonted culver of the
harsh voice there was, when he uttered the
two simple words My boyr' Yes, it was has
boy who was coming back from the smoke of
half score of battle-ieids; no wonder that
the thought sent thrill through his iron ma
ture. HIS soldicr-his hero
Surely | ought to hear the stage-horn,'
he said, feverishly pacing up and down the
narrow path, where the maple leaves lay like
a carpet Of pale gold Listen, Sybil. don't
you hear IL :"
q It's too early yet, father"
The light figure came stealing out to his
side, and both together leaned over the gar
den-gate, gazing into the opal gloom of twi-
light with wistfu searching gaze.
She was not prettier than many another
New England girl, vet there was a delicate
type Of beauty in her face and form that be-
longs as much to the frozen North" az its
pine forests and cliffs Of eternal snow. Pale
brown hair, with aurcate lights crossing its
surface at times, eyes like the blue Iarkspur,
and lips that had stolen the dewv crimson of
che Wild rose; in pearls and blue crepe SybiI
Miller would have been "a beauty" In her
dress OF gray gingham she was some thing
far better and n0blcr.
Suddenly the old man started, and uttered
an indistiuct, glad cry.
Its he, Syhil; don't you see, beyond the
elder bushes I. Child, don't hold me back
let me 10 and meet my boy -
No, father, you are mistaken; it is not
Laurence; Laurence is shorter by half a head,
and that is not his quick, busyant STEP"
You're right, Sybil," said Silas Miller, al
most petulantlv. Why do these yagrant
soldiers 90 wandering by, giving honest folks
such start ;"
4 suppose he did not know We were
watching for Laurence" said Sybil, half snail-
ing in the dusk.
. 1t was only this morning that a begsar
disgracing-I won't say wearing-the United
States uniform, come by, and had the audaci-
" TO ask me for money
Did not you give him something's"
"Gve him something's repeated SilaS,
angrily, I'D have seen him starving first
| have no patience with these StroIlinC beg
gars Here's another specimen of the kind
| suppose. No, my man, YOU needn't trouble
yourself to recite your pitiful story
For the tall figure, with hating step and
coat thicklv powdered with dust, had paused
IN front Of the gate, and Sybil could just dis
Germ dark, piercing eyes, and a forhead curl
ously travarsed by crcsccnt-shaped scar
apparently newly healed
a have nothing for you, said Silas, sharp
". Yes yes, know what YOU would say,
but its no use. II you're deserving, the !
proper authorities Will take of YOU and
If you're not, the county Jail Is the best place
for you. Don't tell me about rant : what
have you done with your bounty money and |
your pay, if you're really what you pretend 1
to he--a soldier 4"
Even through the twilight Sybill could see /
the scarlet flush rising To the SCARED fore /
head
" Sir, you are mistaken. l did not beg,"
" No, you'd prefer to play the bully. I've no |
doubt. But I'm not proper subject for YOU, /
50 be about your business. my man ;"
The soldier turned silently away. with a
step more hating perhaps and a head more
depressed, and passed slowly away into he
gathering dusk.
Father" whispered sybil, reproaebfuIly.
" had you forgotten that our Laurence too is
soldierY"
- No" returned Silas. abruptly. u remem-
bered it. and il convinced me all the more
that man, paid and pensioued like our Lau-
renee has no need TO beg on the public high
WAYS"
:" But, father, he did not beg"
Because would not allow it. child Ipay
taxes for the support of such rs he. and |
swear Will do no more "
He spoke in the sharp. high pitched accents
OF passion, and when he looked round again |
Syhh was gone.
footSore and weary, the travel-worn Pc
aestFian hsi sat himself down on a mossy
boulder by the roadside, when Quick Erht
footstep came up alutle by-path. leading from !
the back door of the fsru-houss rbrourb |
blackberry pastures and rnown folds ga |
slight figure bent above him
= Do not mind nv fathers words :. h. w., |
angry and unreasonable" she said hprri.lu,,
81 have little 10 gi e, but I want YOU Ia al,
IL for the sake Of my soldier brother"
Before he could speak she had unfastened
from her neck blue ribbon with d tiny gold
piece suspended from it, placed it in his hand. /
and was gliding away across the fields like |
some little gray nun in her sober-hued dress !
He rose up, as if to follow AMI overtake her |
but Il was too late, and a. be bent his head !
over the cleaning token something very like /
q tear dropped upon its circlet of tiny stars
And now tell us everything that has hap
when | walked this morning it seemed all a
dream that yea had come back to u. sgain in
very truth"