The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-05-28
zENAs C.REY'S REWARD

sasting bloody liues ef light across the fsl
| len trees, whose mossy trunks were half
hidden in the drifts Of faded. yellow leaves,
and evoking faint, sweet scents, like eri>
ent sandal wood and teak from Thousand
forest censers. hiddsn away who knows
how or where. And through that line of
dull flaming fire, the sky frowped, a leaden
| gray cOncave, freighted, as the weather.
wise could tell you with spow-Hakes suffi
cient to turn that broken fores, into q
fairy grove of pearl and ermire Sc the
daylight was ebbing away from this thanks.
| giving eve
Now | wonder whore am ? said John
| Slddons, p using abruptly in the scarce
visible foot path that wound among the
trees. As completely turned round as
| though | stoed in the desert of Egypt -
] wish had been sen-Ible enough to
keep to the high road; thsss short cuts
generally turn out long ones. However,
| if keep stra; ght ahead ! must inevitably
| emerge from these woods somewhere,
He sat down on mossy stump. lean
! ing his head cars'e-sv on one has while
the other played unc"nscieusly with the
worn brim Of BIS aige soldiers cap, Il slen
der, pleasant tsce1 young man, with gray
blue eyes aud dark hait thrown back iron,
/
touched by tae frev arrows Of many a
southern sun, in lonely swanps, and along
fever reekn. shores Of su!led rivers.
| Houseless-he emelsssr he murmured
! TO himself Il wonder how many others
are saying the same thing this thanks-
giving eve. To think that ! should fight
! through tho campaign uIhurt, and re-
turn with an Memorable discharge in my
. =. 4.
canes VIII ether | am dead or not. while so
many brave fellows were shot down a uay
side with bullets that tore through score
Of heart, at home, carrying sharper pan IS
than death has 10 give, lis queer thing
to have only one relative in the world,
and be q total stranger. If find this Sec
cud cousin OF my father he'll probatly
kick me- out OF doors for Z shittle.s, so.al
ering vacabcBd But hang 1t, man can /
ike alone Ike q tortoise n It's shell !
remember wondering whea q 10y why the
MADEIRA vines over the porch stretched
out their green tendI!is and seemed -
e.ope through the sunshine for somet.ln g
10 cling TO, think / understand 1t now
He rose W and walked on through The
rCs.el leaves that ru-.!ed ankle deep be-
meath hi. tread, still ausins- ns-mu.ing try
In. 70 study out the unkEewn quantities
IN life : great equation, while tho sun
went down behind bank OF iur.d clouds.
aaG the chill night wind began - sigh
sorrOwiullv in the tree top. And sudden
" the sturdy woods tapered oti into a
silver steuIEed tE:cket Of white blrcas-,
and the whlie bIrches fr!nCed lonely
country road with a little rcd house te-
vond whose windows were agiow wi;n fire
! light. aud whose door-yarG was full OF the
peculiar perfume OF white and maroon
elossomea chIyssnthe mnms
Z-ua- Carey was leaning over the gate,
surveying the stormy sunset with cg!tica!
, ewes
i told M.iiudy So ejacuated Zenas
apparently addressing himself TO the
c.ooi,ed apple tree 10y the road. III bet
/ ny best steer, We have 4 coed old fashion
cd fal. OF snow to keep thank sgiyiu with.
I sfncli it in the air thi. RaornIn, but wo-
men don never believe nothin' until II
comes right under their noses. for
This rather obscure sentence was NIP
I ped n the bud by &, ioot.t.p a. III. side
! Z-nas turned abruptly 10 reconnoire the
/ n.y arrival
VIII YOU he kind enough to give nae .
/ glass of water, siE! SAID joins S.ddoLs
! YEARLY.
/ .sartn, sir = said Zsnas. SO you're =
soldier, hey
4 returned soldier said Siddous. drain
iug the cooI element from tn. cocoa uu!
, she'll that slHsys lay close 10 :Ae well curb
. a, the side Of the huGse
'5oin home 10 keep thauksgi :?
/ questioned Xeuns
Home, Sir, have no home
| Sisons had spoken sharply as = tEs
thought soaded him. Zenas put out b.,
1 q,
treating arm
Nv BOY be said, with kindly abrupt.
ness, you rs a soldier, and te tell by youl
Looks sh0ula guess yoa were auout I'll.
age Of him that buried at Gcttysbur,-
tny only SON. love that blue unIiorr
for Davia's sake, and If there's one in th'
world that hasn a ho0e 10 20 10, OF
thauk-givin eve, there corner for him
ty Zenas Carey's fire SIDE. Come In. sir
! You're welcome as flowers "a May
john looked into the wet eyes and work
ing face OF the old farmer al instant, ant
accepted his Invitation without anothe
! word
whata cheerful charge it was; from
the frost. ar and chill twilight Of th'
lonely ,5au :, that bright kitchen viii
is spo...- iesId floor and resinous pin,
logs And when Melinda Carey drew
hump backed rocking chair 10 the heartl
fer him, and spoke "a word or two Of wei
come, John s., dons wondered if the eye
of his mother, who died when he WAS
baby, had not hcamed upon him just SO
j told mother SO, this very morning,
said Zenas with a triumphant flourish O
hand as he stirred up the logs to wav
irg. glorious shee, of flame Says /, Ne
linda, well kill the biggest turkey, ar'
III pick out the yallerest pumpkin on tn
barn ileor And says she what for, Z-nas
when there's only us two TO cat en- ant
SAYS | mother, Davie was here with u
last thankssivin with his new uniform
as brave and handsome rs you'll otter
see--now mother don't cry
Zvnas interrupted himself TO stroke hi
wite's gray hair with a strangely tende
touch and went on:
Says ], he's gone where it is thanks
giyin all the year round now, my poo
boy-my brave boy but, .ays 7, vel
make somebody welcome for Davies sake
spend tomorrow with US and tell nl'
about the battle of Gettysburg, where
Dayie died crying out with his last breath
not to .et the has be captured
Zenas's voice died out into a chok in (
gaspinc sob John Siddons laid his hanc
softly on the rough, toil-hardened hant
of the farmer, while rang of envy sho
through his heart. All it wa. aln.os
worth while being shot down in battls, tc
he miss ed and mourned like dead Davio
| Carey
Oh, Wife walled Zenas, when Johr
Siddons had fallen asleep in the littl.
corner room that bad been the lost roys
its almost like having David back again
| Wife. ] fight great sorrow down every
night, but every morning it rises up agar
more than ever. God help every parent
whose home is made desoiste by the field
Of battleI
Thanksgiving dawned with a white
whirlwind Of driving snow that eddied
among the knarled bows the appi. trees