Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1863-01-14

harmed Often Miss Barclay fecaiied
their first lnterview--saw again, as for
the first time, his tall, athletic figure
the resoluto, masterfuI face--the clear,
honest eyes; perhaps she liked Emily all
the better that those same honest grey
eyes shoue from under her thoughtful
Torch cad. E
All this time, while danger seemed
not to touch Richard Keene, she had a
presentiment thar his hour of doom was
coming. She never spoke of this to
Emily, and the child. lulled to sense
Of security by his past immunity from
harm, was growing to think of him cheer
fullv. His letters came often, written in
GOOD spirits, addressed always to his sis
ter, but never without some cordial, rev.
erent, Almost tender mention of her
who sent him forth to fight the great
fight in her stead. Still the subtle sense
which foretells coming danger haunted
Miss Barclay like phantom. She could
not lull it.
A day came at last when she opened
the paper feeling what its contents were
before she saw them. She read there
that Richard Kcene was dead. The Fed
erals had been repuIsed, leaving their
dead, of whom he was one, for the enc
my to bury.
She read to the tidings calmly. She
knew he died as he would have wished,
for she remembered his parting words.
Her soldier was gone--her stake in the
war. Her hope Of success seemed to
have died with him. She did not feel
like weeping. She scarcely knew that
she felt at all only the cold, dull ache
that made her clasp her hand tight to
her heart reminded her She said to
herself, still calmly:
81 must 60 to Emily and tell her
that sent her brother to his death"
She put on her things and wondered
vaguely that she did not weep rs she
saw her own still face in the glass.
Emily came to her in the same room,
the front parIor at schaol where they had
met frst-came in Joyful with welcome
but started back appalled, by the white,
still face which she met.
Miss Barclay went up TO her and said !;
emily, | am all you have now; he Is
gone
The girl to whom the i'll news came
with such suddenness burst into passion
Of or eff; then trying to comfort her, her
friend wept also, and the tears were 3
strange solaee. She took Emily home
with her--her sister from hencetorth.--
She might so back SO school again an
other year perhaps; at present they had
need of each other.
How dreary tho months were which
followed! Emily was the first to learn
resignation for the loss of her dead bro
Their who died so gloriousIy. Kate was
haunted forever as she bad feared she
would be, by the idea that she had sent
him to his death; and not even the mem
DRY his own assurances, those generous
last words Of his, conId give her com
fo"t.
The summer came--the summer of
1862-bringng bird songs and bios
SONS. The sea breeze rippled the waves
and shook the pines. From afar Miss
Barclay seemed to catch scent and sound.
1t reused her to wish to tread the sea
rocks and press her careless footsteps in
the white sands of the beach. They went
to pleasant, quiet nook, which as yet
not enough people had found to SPOIL
And there the roses began to cone slow
" back to Miss Barclays cheek, and the
light to her eyes. She might grow
cheerful in time. she thought, if only her
fancy would cease to paint one awful
scene,---a battle field, where the setting
sun searched with red beams for the
slain, and found one face, face she
knew, with clear honest ewes and mouth
that would never smile again. Did they
wound him--mutilate him after he was
dead. She bad heard of snch things
she wished she could forget them
Walking alone one day, she heard be-
hind her, voices-Emily's and another
She turned suddenly. Were her senses
dazzled? Did she drean2 Do the dead
walk She saw face over which South
ern turf must have grown long ago, I'M
less it beached white, unburicd, on the
ghastly battle field. Her sight and sen
ses failed her. and for the first time in
her life she tainted. When she recover
ed she saw only Emily. The child spoke
carly:
cit was my brother, alive, himself
He was wounded, not dead. They took
him prisoner, and last week he was ex-
changed. When he came to New York
he found we were here and followed u.s."
She had poured the words into Hates
ear with might and main, bent on max
ing her understand the truth, lest she
might faint again. utsuch swoons do
not happen twice in one day Miss Bar.
clay comprehended all now, and was
herself again; ready with courteous greet
ing for him who came down the path
the returned warrior with the scar seam
ing his brow and showing how near he
had come to the fate she had feared.
lie had Through to get well in, he
said and then he was going back.
OF course he staid with them there Mt
Sea View for a while, and of course thew
nursed and petted him as woman always
do their returned braves. 1t was strange
how soon all the sadness went out of
kate's heart, the melancholy out of her
manner. One day he said to her:
an on are too kind to me /" 81