The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-08-18

the latter part of this days travel,
Ellen had passed several of the en-
campments which lined the road, but
had escaped notice by making a
detour through the woods. A mile
or two East of Fairmont, however,
coming near one, she went up to the
first low shed; for the men had
thrown up temporary huts, part wood,
part mud.
"It was a woman who was there"
she said, in apology; "and 1 was not
very strong. l had eaten nothing
but berries since the morning be-
fore"
The woman was sutler. She lis
tened to Ellen's explanations, inco-
herent enough probably, and then,
bursting into loud laugh, called to
some of the soldiers lounging near
by.
"Here's a likely tale" she said
II half suspect this is the rebel spy
that's been hanging round these two
weeks, and kept Allen lodging you.
See to her, boys, while weigh out
this sugar"
The regiment was made up of the
offals of a large city; the men, both
brutal and idle, eager for excitement;
this sutler, the only woman in camp.
The evening was coming on. Ellen
was alone in the half-drunken, shout
ing crowd.
Not alone. He was near who was
real and actual to her always. When
/ think OF Christ as the ALL Wise and
ALL Merciful in this our present day,
I like to remember Him as going
step by step with this half-crazed
child in her long and solitary jour-
ney. When hear how her danger
was warded back, how every rough
face turned at last toward her with q
strange kindness and tenderness, /
see again the Hand that wrote upon
the dust of the Temple, and clearer
than in the storm or battle which I
know He guides 1 see again the face
of Him who took little children ih
His arms and blessed them.
When the sutler went down to the
end of the field she found Big Jake,
the bully of the regiment, holding the
girl by the shoulder, her clothes cov-
cred with mud with which the men
had pelted her. She had given one
or two low cries of terror, and stood
shivering weakly, her eye alone
steady, holding the man at bay, as
she might brute. Sine held out her
hands when she saw the woman. 81
am no spy" she cried, shrilly.
"We'll soon test that" growled the
camp follower.
"Here you Jake, unhand that girl
Yonder's Captain C looking
this way If she turns out as I say,
it'll be lucky stroke of work for
you an me-"
Jake flung her back with a curse,
and the woman led her to n She'd
She searched Ellen. saw the girl
when she told it, turn ashy white
with terrible shame and anger. She
was one of the womanliest women i
ever knew.
81 would have killed her then"
she said gravely.
"When she could not find that |
was spy, she fastened me in an open
pen outside her shed. l tore Off the
clothes she had touched, they seemed
so vile to me. I was so ashamed that
l held my hands to my throat so that
I could die, but she came and fas-
tened them with a cord. She kept
me there all the evening, and the men
looked over the pen and laughed al
Mother Murray's prisoner After
a while l did not heed them. The
moon came up, and l cried then
thinking mother or Joe could know
what had come to me. Then made
up my mind what to do. prayed
to the Lord Jesus; but l thought,
through all, what ] would do. She
brought me some food, but would
not touch 1t, though was sick with
hunger. When the drum had beat
and the camp was all quiet, there was
a sentry came walking up and down
before the pen. He had kind, good
face: he whistled to keep himself
awake. Afterwards he stopped it,
and, leaning over the log-fence, said
: Forgive me. / didn't think of your
being a prisoner, or would not have
: whistled.' 1t was so sudden, his
, kind way OF speaking, that / began
to cry, sitting back in the corner
He babe me never heed, for that
would be free in the morning.
you're no spy he said,--'only Cap
Roberts heard Mother Murray's sto
: ry, and put me here till he could SCI
for himself in the morning" TheT
t he asked me questions, and somehow
: it did me good to tell all about Joe
and how 1 had not found him. HI
. stood there when l had done, think
, ing, and whistling again, soft to him
. self. Just you wait, Ellen, he says
t l know what you want And will
: that he takes out little Testament
r and, sitting down, he read to me-
! Then he asked me what verses liked
D and talked of the chapters, till l be
: gan to forget all that had happened
!, Then he put the book in his pocket
g and talked Of other things, and mad
Y me laugh once or twice, and at last b
y took a card out Of his pocket, ant
: thought for a good while. Then h
: wrote name on II, Mrs Jane Bur
e roughs, Xenia, Ohio, and gave 1t T.
e me. That is my mother he said
N