Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-03-30
A SOLDIERS LETTER
PICKED Up on TIE FIELD OF GETTYSBURG

trees. where the flame light dances on my
own heaTth-stone, and my fair boy babies
fold their small hands softly and bow their
bright heads reverently, while they syl-
liable the low prayers that ask of God 5
protection for their soldier-fsther. Ellen,
you must teach them TO pray thus
I How long, our Father, must the noblest
life in Columbia's gush on the blackened
hand of traitors?
How long must the crimson altar of pat
riotism reek with the warm blood of the
brave. ere the stain is washed from the
Nations escuteheon. and the boasts oi
American freedom is unsilenced by the
clank of chains?
How long must the discordant isrgon
of contending and sefish parties deafen
the ear of an offended God to the prayer
that bursts in waves of burning agony
from the lacerated bosonas trodden down
in the dust of our battle-feldss
How long must the lambs bleed ere
the shepherd wakens? God of mercy, sup
port the right
Send this prayer from their lips, Ellen;
perhaps their pure breath may bear it
higher than mine can. I think sometimes
the whisper of childhood has strength
the loud voice Of manhood never owns.
The strong right arm of the nation is
out stretched; but is its heart warm, is
its head steady? Are the chords of Its
brain strung TO one tension-do the puls-
es of its life beat the same time? Does the
head think while the hand struggles
Does the heart ache when the arm bleeds!
Is the soul of the nation awake?
Ahl Ellen, there is an eloquence that
speaks above the clamor of fsctious
tongues An eloquence 10 which the soul
less utterance of party feeling is like the
trembling of the forest leaves when the
thunders are awake 1t is the eloquence
of pain, of suffering, sacrifice DEATH
Who dares TO picture eloquence, whilelts
living soul breathes in the ranks where
/ freemen's hearts weep blood for brethren
| in chains? There is no division of feeling
in the life that leaps upon the sword
There Is no mean partiZanship where un-
selfish heroism pours eloquence on the
whetted knife of disunion till Columbia's
broad bosom is one indignant flush.
am sad TO night my Ellen. There is
q voice on my heart that sounds like the
patter of my children's feet in their home
! play haunts. There Is picture on my
soul like the smile of Holy Writ, that
makes my wife's face beautiful. And, all
day, one word-a word whose music il
tone from Heaven-ha5 been written on
! the blue skies, woven in the green
sHard, spoken 10 the wave by the
breeze, and painted upon il by the
sunhnght-that word is Home" You
see, there is q traitor drop on my
heart that makes me shrink sometimes
when duty calls, and always whispers
ELLEN" You must not tell my brown
eyed Eddie this. His lofty scorn of trsIt-
ors would be apt to challenge it.
Ellen There is spell in that name
which takes NE back TO the ''long ago"
days, when the noisy, impetuous school
boy elected himself the proeuctor and
knight Grant of little pale. timed
voiced girl, challenged every other boy
ish form that flung shadow on. her path,
and wandered out, in the old woods of Al
ton, TO gather bIight-colored buds and
sun-painted leaves 10 wreathe among ber
pale gold hair.
Later came en- hour when the the world
was poetry, and the refrain of its minstel-
So was "EllenH A time whsn / thought
q glove her hand had worn, Aower her
foot had touched. q prouder trophy
than ever followed IN the wake of Alex
ander's chariot wheels. / have not coz
ouered this sbsurdity yet; Ellen. There
is tress of braided gold very near your
picture in my heart-the sun picture that
your smile painted there-a package oc
letters and a bunch of Withered roses,
among the incongruous contents OF my
haversack, that would no. be cheaply sold.
Do you remember once when we were
children you were i'll, and my passionate,
SnhhIy1er ma IN
see youf Do you remember how wildly
called upon you liver how dreary told
you the great wide world would be with
out you? how incoherently l tried to tell
you what l afterwards learned 10 express
better) that if you died should be slone
On earth ?
Alone thou vast not there!
And though breathing world were near.
Without thee, earth were bare"
And my boyish heart spoke It's deep an.
guish in the whisper. II shall have no
one to love me if you go TO heaven "-l
You said then, Ellen, in your pretty child
ish way, Il don't believe | shall die, Viii
ly f; but if do, shall love you just as
we'll in Heaven as do here; and you will
come there too some time. and then We
shall be so happy I" Oh how my wild
boy heart drank up the angel faith mir
rored in the depth of those great earnest
eyes and dropped in word, ike pearls of
purity, from those pain>whiteDed lips
It seemed to me then, that the little pale
hand that trembled for moment in my
own, had strength enough to draw me up
to the far shining Heaven, Ny heart
was soothed and comforted; and do you
know, Ellen, even now,
srTLo,,-l 7 -, e-.,, IIo.u.,
Than when was a boy"
those simple words have often spoken
peace TO the tempest of agony in my
breast, awakened by the thought that
perhaps we should meet again on earth.
There, do not weep or tremble, wife; 1t
may be so, and would not have you un-
prepared. soldier dares death every
hour, you know, my Ellen and and if
my country requires my life as an obla-
tion upon the altar of its veal, desire to
leave with you the assurance that IN the
far country, where the clashing of arms
is never heard. your soldier husband loves
and waits for You. Il would be but q.
parting-a bitter one. indeed-but yet a
parting; few heart beats and we should
meet again.
Only common soldier, yet wife but
tnat slgQlUeS ltLle. a true Lid4i ah+ q
patriot carries prouder badge of distinc-
ton in his bosom than scrap OF. tinselry
ever conveyed. A soldier may mark his
path in the strife without the glitter OF
an epaulette or the motion of plume
Many of oar brave men have better Ger
tifcates of worthy deeds engraved IN
their grinning flesh by the The point OF
the eneny's bayonet, than their country 5
gratitude can ever bestow.
! had more to say, but my light Is flick
ering low, and the shadows creep upon
my page so fast, have only time to add
a prayer to God, that He will bless and
guard my baby boys and Ellen.
Good night. Some time We shall meet
again
That was all D L -
Parental Several years ago a hus-
band and wife quarreled and separated: Z
In order that his son, then an infant OF
three months old, might be recognized
H-gl T. = Of