The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-06-03
JOHN MoRGAN,s SUBSTITUTE
IA A story of the Present J war.

\ JOHN MORGAN'S SUBSTITUTE
"A Story of the Present War
1t had been the day for drafting in littl
town in the hill country of Connecticut.
was nightfaH now, and man walked slowl,
home to his wife who watched for him. H
was a tall, handsome felow-thirty five per
haps vigorous of limb, strong Of muscle, will
kindly yet earnest eyes, we'll cut features, anC
an expression of fearless integrity. Y You woult
have Enown him at once for what he was;
good, uDselfsh, courageous, honest man, wor
thy of winning, capable of holding woman
love. ~ : 20 12i-fn .t7 %
She who listened for his coming heard tho
slow step upon the gravel, and sprang from
the door to meet him. You could see, even
in that dim light, what bright. ehcery, pret-
ty woman she was, with her loving eyes-her
dark, satin smooth hair /; her red, teuder lips
and the fresh roses on her cheeks She went
up to her husband, and put her hands on his
arm lovingly
L know You have bad news for me, John
= Yes. Mary L must CO. was the third
o. d. ed.' ' sas ,2ilH
The wife felt her limbs shake, and she
thought at first that she could not stand All
the force of her ma ure seemed giving way,
but she rallied bravely. For his sake she
would be calm and strong, but she could not
speak just then. She led him into the house,
where the children werc-fve of them the
eldest only ten in July just gone There was
something in their fathers manner which
checked the noisy defaSnstfation which they
were wont to greet him, and they only gave
him few silent kisses as he sat down in the
great chair by the window. He buried his
face in his hands for a while, and then he lii
ted it and looked round on the little group of
his loved ones Three girls and two boys, and
his wife, their mother, looking, in spite of
years of care, as fair, almost as young, as the
day Ire brought her home his new made bride
His chest heaved with long and bitter sigh
Ia sort of sob OF despairj rather4and then
he said, az if he feared even she, his cnly self,
might misunderstood him: -'fi .3 -
God knows, it is not for my own rake, Ma
ry., do not think l am afraid to die. L would
go With more than Willingness joy-it
L had not SO much to leave. If [ fall, what
will become Of you and the children /? can
not bear to think of what you might suffer,
with no one to stand between you and the
cares and sorrows of the world. Mary, this
drafting Unfortunately does not seem just.
Sure the single men ought to go first s17 49,
His wife stole her little hand into his vcrj
gently.
DO not think of ~ she said, with a true
sefforgetfp lness. 1T is not that
We should do well enough You need not
fear that VIC should come to want. But, o,
john" 5I s3i 10 traisll 5
And just there she broke down utterly, and
put with burst of passionate tears t7'3-' Z
NO, / can not bear it! You will die
shall never, never see your face again If |
could know that you would come back, even
we're it MANNED and helpless, 1 wo'd not mur-
mur but to think that you might die there
md Iacould not help you-that your eyes
would seek mine, yeurhands grope for nliRe,
md not be there-O, john, shall go mad
With hopeless horror ~ i'sslss5 ~
1t was his turn to be the comforter now.
He drew her into thu. shelter of his arms; he
rested her poor head On his breast; he whis
oered tenderly -. sr aTa 9P go
rtAll who fight do not die, Mary. God
watches over us there as well as here. Some
gomen'sg husbands M s. go, Ioor child. Some
hing may happen yet that shall not have
aHesknew, however, no solitary chance un-
Ter the wide heavens by which he could es-
ape The words with HIM were but the va
guest utterance of soothing; but she caught
1t them eagerly 93 80 - f5ate a 9.e
tYou could procure substitute, perhaps
S that what you mean p s5i Sstl
i would if [ could, he answered, evasively
membering in his own mind the difficulty
hat richer men than hs had experienced in
them in those quiet, thiny peopled,
agricultural towns. Il am very tired, Mary
ian you give me some tea p s4i -
Ckeercd little by her new hope, and anx.I
Gus above all to cheer him and make him
comfortable, tho wife got up and went into the !
,itchen. The biscuit for supper were already
made, and in few minutes tea was upon the |
able. John Morgan drank cup after cup of
t with an eager, feverish thirst; but eating
With him was mere feint " hen the meal
vas over the children were put to bed, all but.
he two oldest girls. They stole out to the
,pen door, and sat down in the September
moonlight, their arms around each other
ceiling with sort of dumb pain, that shad !
Nv which they could not resist, had fallen
ipcn the household. That mother, mean
imey had lighted her lam - and taken her work
"a chid's frock, which she was finishing-to
he little round table She would not let this
evening seem more unlike other evenings than
he could help 3iss
Soon there came footstcp on the gravel
walk this ii e a quick, firm tread. The
,irls in the door made made fo- the new-cOn :
n to enter, and he came in and stool silently
or moment in the center ofthclittle sitting
'oom.
He was slender, elegantly moulded man
could see at glance that the fibre of his
manhood had never yet been tested by any
.ough struggle with fate. Yet one would not
have doubted his untried courage, It shone
n his steady blue eyes, sad With unspoken |
main it betrayed itself in the curl of his lip,
ths curve of his nostrif They say no soldier
ever fought more bravcly than the gentry. of
white of haRd. naughty of look,
delicate Of feature. Same such blood flowed