The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-06-24
One OF Many.


mere shock sad the bsyOnets glittered in the An
gust sunshine, Blue were the skies overhsAs,
and siorg the vsysise the feds we're green. snt
lie scelt 0i hcwers IN the air. tOr mo
meat Margsry pany looked cat from her via
cos, then che dreE down the cartsin, and held
her hands over her ears. frying TO shat out sight
and sound
Are tsey tressiBg On the grou' or on ny
hesrI - che cried, With passioaats despair IN
her tones He Is marching S~Ay, sud ne will
ueyer march back again. Pity ne. Heaven
an ssing nv last sight 81 him"
Up again vent the cartsln, out the last man
hsd gone ~ The martha Euso hoaied back,
softeued by distance TO pity ana tender pain. IN
stead OF triumph. MSrgeiy ras iAdeed alone
She had uSd q lonely life. Not that she had
been poor. or III treated, o. in snywiss persccu
ted. Bat she had neither father nor mother,
brothers nor sisters She had 4 fortune OF heT
own; yer, comfortable one thew called IL in
that little cOuRtry town; ana the uncle and aunt
4ith whom she lived we're kind 10 Der. and sci
dom crossed her wishes But a vcE have ever
lived lust such life YOU knoS ~hst loneliness
means One would rather have even harsh
blame from those whose love i their authority
than the cool kindness OF people too indifferent
% censure. Nargery had not been morbid or
sentimental in girlhood When her heart sched
tor lore. for mother kisses aud fsthsrly praises
she scarcely understood what sha wanted her
self, and Gully BETRAYED the secret pain oy her
after tee lessness Of danger No boy in Nsst
vile rode such gay horses or climbed svca high
trees, because not BOY there but knew some
heart would ache if i'll befel hin Want of love
made Margery reckless
But when she was sixteen love came. lt was
The old. sweet story. She grew in Elk months
.-fh -
cent, and most graceful wsmsnhood. All the
tenderness. OF her hslure, which had waited 80
many years for its object. overlooked at last
| longing. dreaming heart. passionate. earnest
soul were satisfied And for once she built n.
altar 10 a false idol. Her nature was 20 pure
/ il tested those she met like a tOuchStone. Il
had no affinity with evil, and her choice fel
worthily. Nelson Harding deserved all-love
confidence. tender girlish trust. | think. too
bis devotion was not less intense than her Owl
not less utterly absorbing. He. too. was an
orphan. and the new tie Was hls all.
They had been engaged six months when th'
war broke out. They were not 10 marry fol
TAO or three years; but they met daily. aud L
waiting was not wearisOme when the wal
began Margery had been half afraid Nelson
would think that his duty called him; but h
told her be would wait until there was more
need OF him-so many were ready 10 60 then
so she had year and over to be happy in
Then came the call for the three hundred thou
sand, aud two OF three nights afterward NelsOl
Harding, with the words She dreaded
ought TO 20, Margery. Shall lf'
Go home. now. Nelson, and come and AL
uae agein fn-fnorrOw.'
She dared not answer him then for she wa
torn between the fear Of losing him and ID,
Tear of dong wrong. She ielt that she mus
4 fr...1. -
see the truth clearly.
When be Was gone she went up stairs 10 to-
10 le room where. for 30 may years the soil
lary child had cried out Of her hearts else
| nuttered loneliness TO the " solitary Cod
| What was required Of her nowg When Htavel
cave her no father or mother. only Nelson. va
il not meant that she should keep the giit,-
Could il be that already the Giver was asking
for il back agaln: And yet. were not the che
sen people Of all ages taught to offer Of the
best 10 lay their best fruits upon the ALTAR
ought she not to think it Heaven bounty tina
gave her opportunity to make sacrifice =,
costly!
All the night she sat there before her win
dow or knelt beside her bed. until the dali,
miracle OF dawning repeated itself-repeate'
It's tender pink fushes above the hills, its trem
ulous mists, its airs Of balm. is brOadenin,
glory of sunrise Soon he would come. SOOl
he must tell him what to chOOse-life and low
Tor him, or-the right With that word he
soul grew strong. She would be the CONSIDER
not the temptress
When her lover looked into her eyes h
knew her thought Still he asked the question
What am | 10 do. MargeryN
What God and your own soul tell You"
And you, child"
81 am TO wait and bear; or, perhaps, /, too
.A-1I ffr.l l.
So Nelson Harding had marched away in th'
August sunshine. and Nargery Dane was L
commence her waiting
Honor to the brave who fight and conquer
or Eight and fall But is theirs the hardes
fates Do not those suffer more who canuo
lose in action their fear and anguish ?-wh,
must count slow hours. shudder at tidings o
onward movements, live on fragments of news
paperss Az. and is il not true that every bul
let shoots double and the shot which flies fur
thest makes the sorest wound
But Margerys waiting did not last long
So soon. that il scarcely seemed as If the regi
ment could have reached its destination. ID,
news OF Antietam came. The Sixteenth wer,
engaged in IT, and she read among The wounded
the name Of Lieutenant Nelson Harding. She
was q slight, delicStely organized little thing
/ Her tall strong lover, had been wont to cal
her his child; but the child did not shrek o.
faint. She did not even cry. some spirit other
than her own seemed to have taken possession
OF her-a cool. brave spirit, strong TO do aud u
dare. She went 10 the room where her uncle
and aunt were sitting together. They started
1len they saw the white, firm face, whence all
the pink pretiness was gone as utterly as If il
had been touched by death.
Il am going 70 Washington, uncle Lieut..
Harding il wounded. BE will be in the hospi-
tai The next train leaves in an hour
" Bat child you must not 20 alonel" said
NJ Dane, With startled face and wondering
eyes. " Do you want mes'
" As you please II might be a help. If you
could get away in time. There is only an
hour
She shut the door. Her uncle aud amt ex-
changed glances.
She will 60" said Mrs.. Dane; ~ know
her" That settled it. Mrs. Danes judgments
were always final
When the long journey was over. and Mr.
Dane and his niece stood on the threshold Of
the Baltimore hospital 10 which they had been
sent from Washington. they met there a Con
neclicut surgeon whom they knew. Nr. Dane
inquired Of bin for Lieutenant Harding.
There is no hope for him, poor fellow -
was the answer, and then Surgeon Hunt net
Margery's eyes. and reDsn tered that she was
Nelson Harding's promised wife. b. uurnur-
Ell a sincere but bali indstnct apology. which
her clear tones cut short:
Thanh vou-dn nrt blame -onra.1r