Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1863-10-17

prayer in the very attitude, and then,' l
think, Heaven eosssertcjAer ~. l.
&c TO her soul, atssass csme 6 great peace.
Shs seemed to draw near the eternal. NE,
and to breathe its mir, Of secure rest. She
felt clone. a. she had never before felt
since the sum mer day be died. to Char.
ley father She knew; that shs had done
what be would have counseled and she
strengthened herself with his approval, as
she. had dore So many times during their
short life together So she grew strong,
having tasted the air Of heaven, to le. in
again the JOY aud light of earth. 49,.
But the hardest trial came afterward.-
For the extreme moments of life there is
vouchsafed TO our need heavenly mama;
it is our daily bread that We have toll and
pray for. AS the slow days went on, and
she could not hear her boys gay voice
making the great house CHEEKY, could
catch no echo Of laughter, no CLEAN Of
sunshine from his face, all her faith 10
heaven. all her belief that she had done
right could not ease her longing and
henrtache.
You know how it is when a friend dies
and you believe they have gone home to =
happiness beside which the brightest
hours Of earth fade into nothing. If you
could you would not take tn. responsible
ty of calling them hack to the sphere Of
doubt aud waiting; and yet ~ . ..a..
The least touch Of their hands in the morning you
Keep day and night;
Their least s'e on stairs still 'hrobs through you
Thei. least gift, which they left to your childhood
in long ago years,
IL now turned from u toy to = relic, and gazed at
through tears.
Aud If Charley Wayne had been dead his
mother would hardly have felt her solitude
deeper than she felt it for the first few
weeks after he went away. But as time
passed on she grew more accustomed to
her loneliness, and his letters began to
give her comfort. He was in an engage
ment now aud then, and came through
safely. She began to hope she should see
him again.
Before 1862 was over she heard of his
had grown strong enough
to feel glad and proud when she heard Of
it. She wrote him cheerful letter Of
praise and generalization, which he put
next his heart and wore more proudly
than his new honors. lie had never known
would he ever know "a dea,er love-
Mis- mother was still for him FIRST among
women.
One day, early in March, he wrote her
how beautiful the Virginia spring was;
how the wild, bright blossoms were ope-
ming soIt eyes to a softer sky. and the
birds were singing a song Of peace, peace,
when Tor man there was no peace.
While she was reading his letter other
things came; long dispatch from one
who knew and loved her boy-the story
Of an action, such as in these days Of
great battles we scarcely think Of, where
only a few companies were engaged, but
in which Charley had fallen severely
wounded-talIen ss she would be proud to
hear, while braveiy cheering On his men.
He was wounded in arm aud leg, but was
safely 10 the hospital, and, they hoped,
would do well.
/. How the time went she never knew till
she stood beside his bed-saw him white
and weak, with the impress OF terrible
psin on bis tace-but saw him alive, in
this world
'''How you must have hurried, mother,
to get here SO soon. ! did no, efipect you
yet, but am glad you are here. They
will cut my arm of TO. morrow. They can't
save it. Sometimes such IN operation
proves fatal. / don't think it will in my
case. | keep up good heart; hut it l
should Gle, ! should like to touch your
hand and see your face :he last thing in
kolS WoIlu. IlfSL 4u0 lASL l0efe n0lulnp
like mother. ...... -. ...*-....s .....+
~ All that night she sat by him. II she
was tired her journey she did not know it.
She only knew that 10 night be was with
ber--to morrow might BE- lowing between
them the waters Of that river from whose
farther shore Gomez back no echo. ~.
The morning came 1t length, and with
it the hour which was to dicide his fate
Firmly he insisted upon sending bis moth
er away. The moment there Was any
fears Of death he told her she should be
called; in the meantime he was resolute
TO spare her the sigh. Of his sufering.-
She resisted for while, then yielded to
the force Of his will. She never could
have known worse torture, however, than
her waiting. Was it for hours or mo-.
m-nts-she could never ielI--that she sat
there with shut eyes and clasped hands
waiting for her so,umoas.