Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-10-23

river from whose lartnef shOrG comes
back no echo.
AS for him, secretly he expected to die ;
but a great content shone from his eyes.
He rejoiced in her presence like a child
lonely and tired who finds rest in its mo-
theirs bosom. He did not fear what the
morrow would bring-if death, there had
never been moment when be shrank
from it since he offered himself to the
need of his country.
The morning came at length, and with
it the hour chat was to decide bis fate
Firmly he insisted upon sending bis mo-
ther away The moment there was any
fear Of death he told her she should be
called in the meantime he was resolute
to spare her the sight Of his suffering
She resisted for a while, then yielded to
the force of bis will. She never could
have known worse torture, however, than
her waiting. Was it for hours or mo-
ments-she could never tell--that she sat
there with shut eyes and clasped hands
waiting for her summons.
At last the assistant surgeon touched
her arm.
He has borne the operation, Madam,
much better than we feared. We shall
save his leg, though he may always be a
little lame. His arm is of, and accord
ing to present appearances, we think he
will get well. His courage will 60 a
great way-he never groaned through
the whole of it,
She heard the words as one in a dream,
clutching at one thought. Her boy was
alive-likely to live. She tried to stand |
and could not. She began to guess then /
what the extent of the fear had been,
whose reaction was SO powerful and ex-
hausting. Soon she gathered again
strength and composuro with the thought
that he was waiting for her. and then she
went to him.
Then she knelt by his bedside and felt
his left arm, all he had now, touched her
neck. The utmost exertion of her self |
control could not keep back soba and
tears. Manned and halt her brave boy, |
of whose symmetry and strength she had
been so proud.
She little knew what bitter despairing
were struggling just then in his
heart. When it was all over, be had just
begun to realize how strong had been his
unconscious hope to die. It would have
been so much better, he thought, than to
i've this helpless, disfgured hulk, shut
out by fate from manhoods work and
Homan's love. Her passion Of tears did
him good. Remembering how she loved
him, he grew strong to live for her sake. ,
Very gently he touched her hair as he
said;
Mother, you had rather have me as
am, than not to have me at all ?
How that question stilled her rejoicing5
How many mothers had given 10 the good
,ause their all--how many were weeping
1t that hour mad, useless tears, which :
lever thrilled the cold forehead Of dead
ons. She had her boy with her still
he could touch bis lips-look in his eyes |
he could hear her when she spake.- =
!, da. had she to do with sorrow? What {
aa i: to give an arm, and the grace of c
movement she had loved to watch, when |
till she could keep her boy, her brave, :
rue boy? Smiling again through her [
ears she whispered q
Charley, God is good. think how f
esolate l must have been without you,
nd even as it is I am content
Never had Captain Charley been as
rue a hero as when he put aside bis own e
orrow, the downfall of bis hopes, the
round to bis pride, and resolved to strive d
D live not only, but to be contonted with b
fe for her sake. II
In the days that followed she nursed \
i'm back to health again. Never, after 2
nat first hour, did either of them breathe b
single regret. They accepted life with u
not protests; and l think
last Captain Charley grew even to be u
lad that he had been allowed to make "
is sacrifice for his country so costly. Fl
The last week of May she brought him 4
ONE. The apple trees were in flower, =,
Ill of a pink wbiteness Of glorious {.
loom. The fields about their country 81
ouse were green, and again, as when he d
ent away, roses and beliotrope nodded q,
the open windows, and the bird, thrill 81,
ng to old memories of summer isles, o.
lied over them a mutinous jubilee of Ia
yeet sounds, which the wild robins and
ny orioles outside strive longingly to L
nulate. m
And so, amidst birds and flowers and :,
Captain Charley sal down again d
home. 10
MY work is over now he said, CLAN th
ng patiently, not sadly, at the empty r