The Indianapolis daily herald. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1865-1868, 1865-12-07

He ,-as with me, thank God. and Vas han
nv. talked. | laughed. eilatted with the |
shiltlr,n: their merrimeni increased with mine:
nv husbands pale face lighted up: f.9t NV I
own eyes sparkling. And al the while. where +
fhey saw only that eElPty chair. saw the !
Beautiful still face and happy smile | saw
him pleased with the old familiar customs. /
saw bin mindful II the eiiidren's tests saw /
his eyes, full OF their own h0me-lOve. turn
from one 20 another. and back again 20 me-
saw and was content. All that dav he was
beside me. He followed ~ into the sitting
room and took his seat 10y the COW fire. He
listened 20 his fathers stories and watched
the children az their games and Joined Us when
We gathered around the piano for our twilight
song. | heard his voice: the children asked
what made me sing 30 clearly
just asthe shales begin 70 fall heavily he
drew me toward him by the frost-bound win
dow. / know he stopped and kissed me-
know he took me in his arms. and said. n be
had said befop
Ibid you think / should not be with YOU.
mother
And then missed him. called 10 him, but
h. did not answer. | stretched out my arms
after him, but he did not come back o. me. The
room grew dark; my head swan; tOttered
over % my husband
Oh, John, I have lost him! Oh. John.
john
Mary-why, MARY. what j. The matter.'
and he caught me in his arms.
frost-bound window; the children were not be-
side me. The sfiting-r0Om fire had died down
into the ashes; the door Of the hall was open,
and my husband had on his Overcoat. lie was
holding me tightly in his arms.
How you SILVER, Mary Why, my dar-
ling. what has happened?'
"JChn, where-when did YOU find me?'
:" have inst come in. heard y0a cry; you
called my name. | think
Il know, l know. l thought john.
john
And then | told him all my dream. When
had finished he Was still for long time.
then
MARY, perhaps the boy has been 10 YOU"
At fhis. moment the clock on the mantle
struck twelve. We listened TO its strokes till
" IL is our Thanksgiving Anorning, said my
nuspand, solemnly, Let Us give thanks TO
God"
SO we kneIt down and prayed together.
Mhen the morning really, came. with its
/ fresh, frolicking winds land sunlight. and blue
skies; with its merry faces and CAV voices. and
Tue happy children rapping at my door, I
thought Of what he said: :. PERHAPS the bow
has been to YOU "Sometimes / think he
must have been, so real and sweet is. even now,
the memory OF his coming All that day he
stood beside me- all that day saw his peace
] iul lace. and felt the blessing Of his smile and
heard has low, sweet voice. What for months
had lookedupon aud feared with the bitter
ness OF great dread, the face and smile, and
voice made almost painless.
The children's merry greetings did not hurt
me- my myers did not tremblc when LEY
twined the fresh green leaves about the walls
Into the very making Of my pudding threw
my hedrti and the day became once more a
festival; just as truly a festival, think, as il
was when Willie blessed it and made it bright,
because knew he wished TO have il so.
The older children went with Us 10 church
that morning. Harry and susy, finding the
| turkeys rather an impeachment to religious edi-
ncation, Kept guard nj home. Susy's little
whisper at starting did me good, | think.
Snother picture. How the years went and
camel lie was the only one no longer; but in
the group of happy faces his AWAY stood alone
to me. 1t was he who stiied tho little ones at
their quarrels or when the plays grew rough;
twas he who made the beautiful ThankSgiv-
ing days 50 bright 10 them: il was he who
watched my steps about the room and drew
my chair up TO the fire, and followed me with
his little smile-such a beautiful smile it al
/ ways was! Why, somehow. all the festival
days are lighted with il far down the faint and
fading years. i see it, When the scho0l-b0y,
affecting all the little importances Of the Buco-
lics and the first Aenophon lesson, was not
/ ashamed TO come out in the kitchen and helm
me stone the raisins. | see il at the merry dim
ner table, and the twinkle of his eve. and the
laugh, and the jest, his face ali aglow with de-
light | think il was a beautiful face.
see the smile again--older and more man
tenderness
even the mustache Of the Young colegian could
not hideit. How we laughed at him about that
mustachel He knew how proud / was of him
all the while; how could l help itl Those
college vacations are so many sunny DAYS. they
were so brief and bright remember how we
watched fer him at the door; how the old coach
came numbering up-it past the house lust
now a. write. | suppose always hear IT, /
suppose never hear il without quickening of
my pulse suppose never shall. see him
bounding up the steps. feel his arm about
me. see the children pulling ut MS sleeve
see his face-why Will God give us such faces
TO be our own, our very own. and snatch them
away into darknessy Yet | would not now
would not even then. that night. with the muir
nlurlhs words upon my lips, lose the sweet
memory for ten thousand times its pain.
once more see the smile: but il j. the smile
oil martyr. lie knew. when he came 10 me-
with all the hero in his eyes. fred with his
pure br1ght dreams Of sacrifice. loving his
country rs only her young men can--whcn he
came, aS II he were again child. and asked
his mothers blcssing--he knew 10 what he was
going. "a, think. did l.. Yet did not sav
him nay. did not hold him back with nv
weak tears and peadings. | thank God for
that. | thanked Him on that desolate Thanks
giving-eve, And when l go down the sloping
Years 10 meet my old age without my boy,
shall thank Him still. | am very sure of that
But YOU do not care TO hear the rest of nv
story. ii Is yours, perhaps. as well mine;
Il
was not there 10 see him die. / can never
go back and be there TO help him die. There
was one woman-you have heard of her per-
haps-she found him a stranger, cared for by
strange hands, and when they bore him to his
quick-made grave upon the battlefield She
stopped to touch his face with reverent lips and
said, Let Inc kiss him for his mother" God
bless her Tor that. God bless her wherever she
may be. and may she never lay her first-born
away under the frozen ground, where he can
call To has. t..l~.. /. l.. n
Kiss her with his warm young lips,
Bat we have brought him home since that
and in the shadow Of the old familiar church
ne Is al rest As sat before the fire through
all my bitter musing that night, remembered
the solitary figure pacing round and round Tho
moonlit grave-his father loved him so.
do not say that even /, his mother, loved him
more
Did | ask for strength TO live through this
day which was coming-to live ii quietly.
healthiully, Thankfully. remembering that mine
was not thorn-wreath, since . no mortal grief
deserves that CROWN" / do not know Do we
never pray for that which we scW not hdre2
Our Father, who is very patient with us, alone
knows.
And then these facts Of sorrow are so sharp.
1t was one thing TO give him up-a grand he
role thing; it was another 10 lind him gone
To feel the door-latch stir and clink,
And know It's no more he-nor sink"
Do You know this "surprise when one sits quite
alOneT But, with my prayers or without them,
the morning came. IL came as other Thanks
giving mornings had come-with fresh, frolick-
ing winds. and sunlight, and blue skies; with
merry voices, with eloudless faces, and happy
hearts.
The children woke me with the old rap on
my door-Susy and Harry and BERTHE and MAY
hiding shyly in the entry. lest papa should /
have peep at her night-cap. half doubling.
indeed, whether she was not getting To be too !
much of woman to take part in the children's !
Spert. How merry Willie always was at il.
his little rap always the loudest, and his little
laugh the clearest Of all. | could not forget il,
and turned away to hide the quick. hot tears.
Mamma. don't talk" cried BERTHE. through
the keyhoie- 20 i guess she hasn't woke up--
Mamma
Come away" said MAY, In whisper
g mother feels badly 10 have Thanksgiving
come you know. Perhaps she isn't weIl-let's
20 and dress"
And before | found my voice the little bare
feet had battered away over the entry and IL
was too late 10 call them back.
remember inst how yellow aud nurky the
sunshine lay on the floors that morning. and
how thought the wind walled about the cor