The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-06-24

mail came in Just before noon. The
steamer was TO leave early the next
morning with the return mail. At
night ] sat until two hours past twelve
writing letters for home dear ones, and
then started for the post-ofiice to de-
post them. Crossing the plaza, / at
first missed the sentinel whence /
looked for challenge. Another
glance showed him Just withdrawn in
the deep shade of the corner building,
and his voice rung out in the Silly
night, "Who comes there ?" Giving
the countersign, recognized him as "a
man of my regiment, and stopped for
chat. He replied presently, but in a
somewhat subdued tone of voice, as |
made remark or two on the prospect
of our receiving orders for a move
northward, and then he said sadly
Chaplain, had bad news to-day from
home" "What was that ?" inquired
with interest. "My wife is dead" he
said with choking voice. Poor fellow
no wonder he had stood back in the
shadow on his lonely post, instead Of
pacing his usual beat that night
Deeply did / symphathize with him, as
he told his story of how he was mar
ried less than year ago, and then had
left for the war, while his loving, lone
ly, weary-hearted wife had pined away
and died. But what consolation
could | give him in that hour of bitter
ness, except to point him to the God
and Shepherd, whose rod and whose
staff prove comfort and stay in
even the gloomy and valley of death
shade. ooh" he SAID, promptly and
with heartiness, Il do go to him. l
have been in that habit ever since /
was a mere child"-and then he told
me of his delight in prayer God pity
that bereaved soldier The longed
for mail had brought sad tidings for
him from the home of his yearning
heart, yet he was grateful for the let
ter, and its words of sympathizing af-
lection had evidently touched and soft
ened him, for he added, as if in remem-
brance of those who had written to
him, and as if he were not yet entirely
alone in the world -"Well, anyhow,
I've got a good father and a good
mother. And tell You, chaplain,
they are a great blessing to man. ;"
Do you think l disputed him ?
just note a contrast with this.
While last at the North, I met a sol
der of another regiment. He was
from the department of the Gulf. In
the course of conversation, he said
with such bitter earnestness as quite
surprised me, after bis quiet and care
loss talk until then Chaplain, | have
been out now more than two years,
and I've never, had but two letters from
home 1 tell you that's rough. >"
well, it is rough" said "Have
you any family to write to you 2" /
have got father and mother, and
two sisters, and three brothers, and
they've never written me but twice.
And tell you it's rough, Chaplain. /
say, Chaplain, we have hard enough
time at the easiest but when we don't
hear from home, it's rough. When
the mail used to come in, I'd ask for
my letters, and there wouldn't be any.
We'll, I'd say, 4 don't care l can
wait. I'll have some next time But
the next time it would be the same
way, and so all the while / tell you,
Chaplain, it was rough" And so it
was. That mans temper was being
soured. His heart was being harden
ed. Home neglect, not army life, was
making a coarse man ofhim day by day
The mail which brought to that other
soldier the news of the dying-out of
the central light of his remembered
and longed for home, left him not in
such utter darkness as enshrouded the
soul of the poor fellow with father and
mother, two sisters and three brothers,
who had but two letters in two full
weary years.
Friends of the soldier write to the
soldier, write often, write in loving
sympathy, write encouragingly. And
rest assured in SO doing, you are pro-
noting his happiness and his welfare
as you could not by any other human
agency. The home mail is a great
evangelizer in the army of our Union.
-Ne,o York Observer.