The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-12-28
CAPTAIN CHARLEY.
ssTo' think hoF in Jour sleeping town
Such happy mothers be,
Who keep their many sons at homo,
Wh;ie I-had buf thee N p. Q j v

ssTo think how in your sleeping town
Such happy mothers be,
Who keep their many. sons ct homo,
while I-had but thee.
There was sunshine in the. room, and
the breath.of flowers. A golden-throated
bird trilIed notes of gushing. musical Joy
to the roses and heliotfopes in the window
below him. It did not sound like the
song of Gagged bird. Perhaps the sweet
odor stealing up TO him from the blossoms,
the snnshins On his golden wings, .stirred
some slumbering bird memory Of his, and
made him think that he was at home
again in the summer isle around which
the summer sea breaks murmurously, and
where the roses bloom all the year. The
furniture was light and graceful. The
carpet was gay. Nothing was sad there
but the two taces-mother and son.
They had been talking long and earn
estly. Then for while they Lad sat in
silence, which the son, Charley Wayne,
was the first to break.
"If you were poor, mother, and really
needed me, would stay at home mother
without saying word"
my heart is poor-my heart needs
you. You are my all. For the rest, IF
it will keep you, I will sell all 1 have and
give to the poor, and you shall stay and
work for me-"
Charley looked mp at her with eyes
whose meaning always stirred her soul,
for they were the eyes of her you'h's1oye.
Over such eyes grew the roses and violets
of that same June of 1902.
What would father have said, moth
er?' ''
The question found its mark. She
well knew whence came her sons quick
courage, his eyes Of earnest meaning, his
heart true as steel, warm as summer. If
"father" was living he would not have
been the last to follow the bugle-call =
Yet she did not want to utter her own
sentence of doom. ~
She did not speak for little while
She seemed tc see again the face of her
lost love-to hear his voice, which had,
through the years of their life together,
been guide at once and comfort She al
most seemed to hear in the still summer
air the downward sFoop of wings, and to
feel upon her brow touch of peace and
healing. She looked up again at Char
ley. How strong he was s.-handsome,
noble, brave; just the stuff of which
hcrses are made. Had she ary right to
deprive the good cause of the blows that
stout right arm could strike ? After all,
what were peace and security which only
the sacrifice of the right could pSrchase?
If this life were all-but when the words
spoken here must echo through the ever
lasting spaces, when the deeds done here
make nr mar the life that never ends,
could even love and loneliness make her
80 weak us to purchase the present with
tke future? She looked at Charley still,
but she could not SEE him for the tears
gathering in her soft, motherly blue eyes
"Father would sag CO." she whispered,
"and must say wiist father would. must
I not? l must proge myself worthy to
have been his wife. But he is dead, and
if I should lose you also, oh whom have
l lehY
"God.r'
Did, ,GbXrley speak, or was it the voice
of strung angel, calling dow from the
e:ernh heights?
Mrs.' Wayne bowed her head reyerent.
ly siI.5nced by that word, by the thought
of the love beyond hope or longing which
mig eht 5be hers if she would She dared
not again call herself alone in the uni.
verse. She only put out her hand silent.
y, and Charley tookit.
"Neyer fear, mother. All who fight
Go not fall. shail come back to you,
and you shall sit, when you are old. un-
der my vine and fig tree, and, tell your
grandchildren stories of how their father
helped TO save the country"
"Heaven grant it p' she whispered, try
ing to be brave, and smile, as he left her
TO tell the boys of the Twerty-first that
be was ready to accept the Lieutenant's
commission that had been offered him.
It was proud day. when be marched
away with his men. Even his mother,
as she watched him from the window,
and. met the fearless eyes which softeued
into glance of love as they saw her face,
felt thrill of exultation, pride in her
brave fon, which for a while kept her
tears back. But the tears came when
she heard no longer the martial music
that cheered him on-when the MONDAY
silence fell around her, and the MONDAY
tight, gay, glaring, pitilees, looked in up.
on her woe. She shut her window blinds
and drew down her curtains for the
bright day :seemed mocking her. Mute
with sorrow, she sunk upon her KEGS, as
if there were prayer in the very attitude,
end then, 1 think, Heaven comforted her.
To her soul, at last. came great peace.
She seemed to draw near eternal life, and
breathe its air of secure rest She felt
close, rs she had never felt before since
the summer day he died, to Charley 8
father. She knew that she had done
what he would have counselled and she
strengthened herself with this approval,
as she had done so many times during
their SHORT fse together. So she grew
strong, having tasted the air of heaven,
to let in again the joy snd light of earth.
But the hardest trial came afterward.
For the extreme moments of life there is
voucbsafed to our need heavenly mama;
it is our daily bread that we have to toll
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