Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-07-14
MistcllaMtnuS.
One Of Many.
A TRUE STORY OF THE WAR.

| am sitting by my open window and
looking out upon the orchard, where the
trees stand laden with apple blossoms,
whose delicate perfume floats in this
twilight air. just as it did four years ago
tonight.
There is nothing changed about this
old place as look upon its picture now.
There stands the stonc-curbcd well, over
which the long sweep hangs, with its
dangling bucket, moss-covcred, and drip
ping monotonousl sly, just as ever. There
is Carlos kennel, and Carlo himself is
lying there, with his nose upon his oas-
stretched paws, and his eyes closed lazi.
ly; precisely thus he lay as looked
out this window four years ago this hour.
can hear Kate and Bcss and Dick and
Duke, stamping with their iron hQats in
their stalls III the old rel barn; and
over the top of that same tree that bears
the golden.sweets. peeps the wooden
weather cock on the roof of the hay she'd.
The doves have been flying in and out Of
their cots over the wide door for the past
hour; and the swallows, not yet gone TO
sleep, arc Squeakins and chattcrng in
the caves overhead There dangles the
swing under the oak. lonlcr comes
Philip whistling up the road. lie had
changed no more in these four years than
if he were an image, instead of being as
he is, midde-agcd serving man. Every
thing my eyes rests upon is just the
same-just the same. wish it were
not. How can the world 60 on SO un-
changed?
1t seems as if | had been dreaming,
here by the window in the sun of the
warm May afternoon, and had just
awakened in the twilight. Was it my
wedding night four years ago ?
Yes. There, on the bed within this
room, my boy is sleeping. Here on my
finger is my wedding ring, and | kiss it,
aud it is as as cold to my lips as his
forehead was. Here are my widows
mourning garments. | am twenty-five.
| was eighteen when Frank drew me TO
his heart, here in this very room. lie
called me his darling, his browa eyed
bride. Oh, how | loved him! You
ladies' who live in cities, and whose lives
arc crowded with events, who have loved
and unloved one man after another, whose
hearts were older at eighteen than mine
is this day. even after all its deep JOY and
sorrow, you eaa not know how | loved
my husband.
He was the only man ever loved, re.
mcmber--thc only one. My father was
so stern with me that never dared to
love. My mother died when | was little,
and my father kept me always under his
eye, permitting me no such pleasures as
those that country girls generally have,
and books were my best companions
There were picnic parties in the woods
in summer, and ausking-bees in autumn,
and other merry-makings OF which l
sometimes heard, but which | never saw.
Almost my only knowledge Of life out
side my own home was gathered from the
glimpses got OF the neighboring people
on Sundays, at the little church where
all the farmers on Morcton Heights met
to worship, and still do. 1t was there |
uTSt saw TTahh-WneH WIS Httic
curley-headcd girl, and he was a blue.
eyed boy, five years my senior. There !
saw all | ever saw of him, till | was six
teen, and he was home from the college
vacation. met him then, one afternoon,
as I was coming from ncighbor's house
and he walked along by my side. | loved
him from that hour with my whole soul i;
and during the two years following l
learned to find my sweetest happiness in
his smile, the thrilling touch of his hand,
the soft words of love he spoke to me
and at last to sink in the tremor of un-
utterable happiness upon his breast when
he asked me to be his wife.
Can you wonder, then, that the wed
ding night or which he made me bis, was
dazzling in its brilliancy to my eyesf /
was almost intoxicated with the novelty
and Joy OF that scene. The great rooms
of Squire Moreton's house were like those
of palace compared to the humber
home where l had been reared, and there
we were married, for Frank wished it So
The crowding guests, the cleaning lights,
the marriage ceremony, the congratula-
tiQns, tie whispered joy Of my husband