Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-08-10
MY REVENGE.

We met in the beginning of the action, |
and my enemy, Richard Withers-he on
foot, mounted. 1t matters not why | ha-
ted him with the iercest wrath OF my ma
ture ''The heart knoweth It's own bitter
ness; )" and the details, while most painful
to me- would be of trifing interest to you.
Suffice it that our teud was not a political
one. For ten years we were the closest IN
Inmates the same studies, the same tastes
and the same aims could make us. l was
the elder of the two, and stronger physical
ly; comparatively friendless as the world
takes it, and had no relatives. Young, sol
itary and visionary as we were, 1t Is hard TO
make you understand what We were to each
other. Up to the period of our estrange-
ment, working together, eating together,
sleeping together, / can safely say that we
had not Il grief, not a pleasure or ayacatlon
that we did not share with almost bOyish
singleheartedness. But one single day
changed all. We rose in the morning dear
friends, and lay down that night bitter foes.
] was man Of extremes | either loved or
hated with the strength Of my heart. The
past was forgotten in the present. The ten
years of kindness, of congeniality, of al
most womanly kindness, were erased as with
sponge.
We looked each other in the face with an
f.
tour rage was too deep to be deInonstrative)
and parted Then in my solitude | dashed
my clenched hand upon the Bible and VOW
ed passionately: l may wait ten years,
Richard Withers | may wait twenty, thir-
ty, if you will, but sooner or later ] shall
have revenge!
And this was the way we met
wonder if he thought of that day when
ne laid his hand upon my bride rein and
looked up at me with his treacherous blue
eyes. / scarcely think he did, or he could
not have given me that look. He was beau
tiful as girl indeed, the contrast of his
fair, aristocratic face with the regular out
line and red curving lips, to my own rough
dark exterior, might have been partly the
secret of my former attraction to him. But
the lOveliness of an angel if it had been his
would not have saved him from me then.
There was pistol in his hand but before
he had time to discharge it, | cut at him
with my sword, and as the line swept on like
gathering wave, | saw him stagger under
the blow, throw up his arms and go down
with the press. Bitterly as L hated him,
the ghastly face haunted me the long day
through.
You all remember how it was at Freder-
icksburg. How we crossed the river at the
wrong point; and under the raking fire of
the enemy, were so disastrously repulsed.
1t was sad mistake, and fatal to many a
brave heart. When night fell, [ lay upon
the field among dead and wounded. | was
comparatively helpless. A ball had shiyer-
ed the cap of my right knee, and my shout
der was laid open with sabre cut The
latter bed profusely, but by dint of knot
ting my handkerchief tightly around it, |
MANAGED to staunch it in measure. For
my knee / could do nothing. Consciousness
did not forsake ME, and the pain was in
tense but from the means and walls OF men
about me Judged that others had Jared
worse than /. Poor fellows there was ma
ny a mothers darling suffering there, Ma
ny of my comrades, lads OF eighteen or
twenty, who had never seen night from
home until they joined the army, spoiled
pets Of fortune, manly enough at heart, but
children in years and constitution, who had
been used to have every little ache and
scratch commissioned with an almost ex-
travagant sympathy-there crushed and dy-
Ing, huddled together-some where. they
had weakly crawled upon their hands and
knees-and never woman's voice to whls-
per gentle consolation. 1t was pitchy dark,
and cold miserable rain was falling upon
US, the very Heavens weeping over our
miseries. Then through the darkness and
drizzling rain, through the groans and pray
ers of the fallen men about me, L heard
familiar voice close to my SIDE
Water! water waterl am dying with
thirst-if it be but swallow-water! For
1od sake give me some water
recoiled with disnay. It was the voice
Of my enemy I; the voice of Richard With
ers. They were once very dear to me, those
mellow tones once the pleasantest music [
cared TO hear. Do YOU think they so soft