The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-12-28

she had done right, could not ease her
longing and heartache. a.ss
You know how it iswhen q friend dies,
and you believe they have gone home to
a happiness beside which. the brightest
hours of earth fade into nothing. III
you could, you would not take the respon-
sibility cf calling them back to the sphere
of doubt and waiting and yet Is
oThe least touch Of their handsin the morn
ing you keep day and night
Their last step on the stairs still throbs thro'
you, If ever so light: sFzst
Their least gift, which they left to your child
hooe in long ago years.
Is now turned from toy toa relic, and gazed
at through tears"
And 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
asfime passed on she grew more aceus-
toned to her loneliness, and his letters
began to give her comfort. He was in
ON engagement now and then, and came
through safely. She began to hope she
should see him again. 49,
Before 1902 past over, she heard of his
promotion-Captain Charley now. She
had grown strong enough to feel glad and
proud when she heard of it. She wrote
him cheerful letter of praise and con-
graduation, which he put nexYhis heart
and wore more proudly than his new hon
ors. He had never known-would he
ever knov?--a dearer love /; his mother
was still f him the first among women.
One day, early in March. he wrote her
how beautiful the spring was; how the
wild bright blossoms were opening soft
eyes to a softer sky, and the birds were
singing a song of peace when for man
there was no peace.
While she was reading his letter other
tidlngs came: long dispatch from one
who knew and loved her boy; the story
of an action, such as in these days of bat
tie we scarcely think of, whereonly few
companions are engaged, but in WHICH
Cherley bad fallen, SEVERELY wounded
fallen ,iag she would Be proud to hear,
bravc'y cheering on his men,. He vas
wounded in tie arm and leg. but was
safely in the hospital, and they hoped
would do we'll as
1t is strange how much streugthsis in
the weakest and most loving type of wo-
man in rhe hours that try mems sonls.--
l do not think good DIR. Holmes, used to
the horrors of the dissecting room, made
ready: one whit more :coolly to start on his
"search for the Captain" than on hers
for Captain Charley. 1 think she forgot
nothing which he could need, and / do
not believe tear fell till all her prepara-
tions were over, and she sat in the cars
L. LaA ff 20
did fall then, silent but bitter, behind
her thick veil There would be.no stain
of them when he saw the face which
must be cheerful for his sake.
How the time went shs never knew till
she stood beside his bed-saw him white
and weak. with the impress of terrible
pain on his face-but saw saw him alive in
tbs world.
"How you must have hurried, mother,
to get here so soon. I did not expect
you yet, but I am glad you are here
They will cut my arm off to-morrow.-
They can't save it. Sometimes such an
operation proves fatal. / don't think it
will in my case. keep up good heart;
but if l should die, should like to touch
your hand end sec your face the last
thing ip this world. First and last there's
nothing like mother"
All that night she sat by him.. If she
was tired with her journey she ! did not
know it. She only knew that tonight he
was'with ber--to-morrow might be flow
ing between them the waters of that riv-
er from whose farther shore comes back
no echo.
As for him, scarcely he expected to die:
but great content shone from his eyes
He rejoiced in her presence, like child
lonely and tired, who finds rest in its
mothers bosom. He did not fear what
The morrow would bring--if death, ,sthere
had never been a moment when he shrank
from it since he offered his life to the
need of his country.
The morning came at length, and with
it the hour which was to conclude, his
fate Firmly he insisted upon sending
his mother awav. The poment there
was anyfsar of death he told her she
should be called /; in the meantime he
was resolute to spare her the sight of his
suffering She resisted for while, then
yielded to the force of his will.
She never could have known worse tor.
ture, however. than her waiting.a Was it
for hours or moments--she. could never
telI-that she sst there with eyes shut
and hands clasPed, waiting for her sum.
mons? At last the assistant surgeon
touched her arm "He has borne the op-
Grafton, madam, mtch better than we
feared. We shall sGye his leg, though
be may always bs'a little lame. His
armi is of, and, aecoFaing to present ap-
pearances, we think no will get WE'LL
discourage will 40 q great way--he new
er gtoaned through the whole of it''
She heard the words as one in dream,
clutchins at one Thought. Her boy was
alive--likely to live. She tried to stand
and could not. Size began 10 guess then
what the extent OF the fear had been
whose reaction was go powerful and ex-
hausting. Soon she gathered again
strength and composnre with the thought
that he was waiting for her, and then she