Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1865-10-28
Coming Homs.i
r syaAfY TAIss.

~ was u Oit'Oi OUV VI tbOsC tlinot
happily f,eqneat 10 thiso 1stitnie, wben
everything. animate and inanimete, seem.
TO shrink aud cover 10 the in ense cold. :
The very air was full OF icy particles which
one was forced to draw in with every
breath; and when the moon rose, rouod
aud clear and bright and The wnd came
upiwithiit penetrating every crack aand
cr evice, 10 mat er bow minute the psssen
gers by be night express gathered closer
to i be stove, CT ogdipg aud josiliug each
other, as even well 6Ied people will some
times do, 10 their elfjrts 10 keep warm.
All but one man, who sat ID seat By
himself near the door. "A tall man, wrap,
ped in on overcoat Of army blue, the 7viso or
of bis hat drawn low over his eyes.deep, dark
eyes, with a strange expression 10 them
such eyes as a mau might have who had
been fated to stand for time on she Dor
ders of Hell and having seen, must bear
with him through life the memory Of its
horrors. b. ..-ra f4rsf r5aH seIy.l eH
He 50, there quietly eoongh. taking lit
lie bee !. apparently, of what was going on
about him All the evening be had sat so,
seldom moyiog, not speaking. only once,
when be had given up bis comfortable seat
near the ire to poor looking woman with
a child in ber arms, and himself taken this
one ne'fatber back; audthe passengets mott
c,g the liitle act Of poiilencss, 2 and obser
wing bis d. sss as well, decided that he was
"a soldier on bis way home; veuteran,
probably" and then d:opped lin out Of
their thoughts. lIa 'daslif % Se.ht'7Ha 81
.j'Ard while lhe bouas of carly evening
wore aNBy1 the train ihuudered on, over
miles aud miles oflevsl prairie; past fam
houses Deslled down among trees aud
corn cribs: past little groups of dwellings
with their home lights shining cheerily out
The man by the wiudox watched them
they fiutd by. an eager, hungry look
coming into his eyes Was he thinking Of
u house at iLe end of liis jinrney, " here
the lamps were lighed by this time and
three faces, aud sad enough now, would grow
suddenly bright at his coming? do not.
know. .3if' '..' 7+l '+t.' ''.". ''
The condnctorcane in presently, ibrinI
ing little ofabe keen on er air with hhn.
He paused with his hand on The back,of
the seat in which The soldier sat, smiling
down into the gloomy eyes lifted to- hA-
face as be said, cheerfulIy. ... saose ..rc.
We shall be at NJ in eleven minutes.
Your AMIDST home. sir. ~, ..... Il
Yes, thank God! org '"'''1 ',' ~
Home! DID Conductor Hines know all
that word meant 70 the man sitting rthers
SO quietly D. He thougAl he did; though
be could unders,and bis feelings, for he
hi irrs ..lf n. n ad ,hroa ayoars "a ~ saldipr
aud we'll remembered the homesickuess. the
weary waiting, the longing that grew
almost insupportahle sometimes for one
glimpse Of dear faces behind. ..
90 Something OF this he said 10 his earnest
way. still standing there, bis hand on the
back Of the seat. The soldier grasped IL
and the two looking steadily into each
others eyes. og 0hbq ,csi'a.#-af9 y'laq
s. Two faces, so very unlike. Que pleas
ant 10 look upon though fhadowing q lii
tie by the cares and responsibilities OF, mid
die life The o her showing worn aud
White under the lamplighr hairs about the
temple, lines bpon he forehead, deep lines
around the month"; the face Of an old man,
ard yet, be was bot thirty. r His very
voice had Il curious, uanai u:al tone 10 il as
he said, sill looking al 4 he kindly eyes
LIS three yeats siucesl saw my family,
Two Snee, | heard from them. have been
u prisoner eighteen months at Saplsbnry;
What story was, outlined IN those few
words. Ouly ou,lned2the details will
never be knoSn Till the great day OF Re
membrapce, when the secrets Of oil prison
houses SHALL be reveAled, and the black re-
cmd Of SJushern craeli y be shown mp 10
The gaze oof angels and men. Zig bteen
monlhs! They had done the work Of
eighteen years. oa The 1onse powerful ftame
of this man whose whole n heart seemed
centered nov on lbc, one topght Of getting
home. .4,-s..,
Home ! Who can tell how blessed memo
fries Of I, had steadied the soldierss
brain and kept him from MADNESS during
those days and weeks, and months OF lip
gering torment, when hope mud courage
and manly forl,nde alike gave Way, before
the harrors of the situation, and brave
men who had looked death in the face many
time without blanrhipg, ,shrauk nov when
It came u the form Of Sou stdrcat:iOa'-
But they lived through tome ofthem--
;aa Mark Ryder smong the rest. ,'aa
He stood now on the platform Of the ca
as inc traiu stopped alongside io%roofed
dihgy little building, dign6ed by the nam
of a istation51T The ID station mas or stoo'
there, his lamp in his hand. and beside hin
man and boy waiting 70 get on the train
TIE man on lbe platform did not glance
once at them, nor The group Of dozer
houses on q hillside 10 the ltft, though b.
had many friends there whsu he went away
He was looking off across the fields Y
where. q mile away. q single light Ei0Wed
! steady rs star. a .-....,,.-.ar!,
| Cbristie's up yet Likely enough She.
thinking Of me this minute, voice aud ha1c
bot h atrembis with excitement p as b
turned up the collar Of bis otereoas, fO
Eprotection .sgainst The wind tiias CANE cam'
,[sysepiDg, bitterly cold across Tbs PR 2
OF open ,oopptry. l5l ng'ss.s -; ,,9qK,,
81 A triudly hand was leidl on bis sboaIde
as hent tur ned away and . friendly syoc'
said G ood night, comradeE Godog yo'
4 a happy homeeonipg::ba Then The hand wa
4 gone from his shoulder, The train. dasheC
I on and the soldier struck ont cheerful!
aero the fields, steering straight for III
4 light which still gloSed steadily in the dis
4 ltsnes. The air was nslill biting cold. bu
4 -. rofnA Ia nu ak0nlA ha ~ n a