The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-12-01
band had come in from his study, and was pac-
L - IL. ..,urn i., his raafIasa Xxnv

,lse can dat" '.u,s..7
eve do no. want them to have gloom!
lay of it, Mary" ,...
"a ran not. can not help 1t. John, yoI
knov." .a = ,Na, W. ...- r
lie camo up and laycd his hand upon m!
bowed head ~ cd. ..fi 10, .l.'-'-.
al know, Mary, I know. am stronger t.
bear 10 than Won. ] will try and be clicerfu
for both of us; 1t will soon be over" '..'.
That was just like him; all my burdens
were his own oil my pain doubly his. ] might
have known how it would be. Was this cor
row making me forgetful Of my husband
Could | be thai?
oh, John. I am so selfish but you
know loved him so-ifI could be brighter,
John :" ., ...
al understand 1t all. Why, Mary"
| lie took me in his arms Us broke into sob
hing he took me In his arms like child, and
citing there bdside the fre we talked lonp
time. I can not tell you what we said. This
our child whom the Lord had taken. was dear
20 him as to me for him as Tor me the path we
trod was very dark. But when at last he lei'
me we understood one another, Us in every
trouble we always had understood. We could
bear any thing together.
heard hn take his hat, 60 out OF the hall
door, and close 1t behind him. ] went to the
window which the frost was painting thicker
and thicker with its cold clear pictures, and
through II saw solitary figure passing over
the moonlit snow and into the shadow OF the
church. 1t was as supposed.
AS I went back to the FIRE some sleighing
party in the street shot by, singing merry
Thanksgiving song. l expect only those who
mourn to understand how listened to 10: II
was little thing to hurt me; but 1t did.
Thanksgiving! could have laughed at the
word. Should give thanks? For this DESC
lated fire-sidc for that vacant chair and silent
voice, for the vanished smile and touch and
household blessing, for those few dimmed let.
ters, and the heartache OF that lock of cling
Ing hair, and the grave beneath the carly SHOWS
should give thanks for these?
So many memories crowded into the word (;
80 many pictures came and went, as sat there
alone in the fire.light. The boy sitting just
here at nv fect-he was tho oRly one then
cracking his nuts, and stealing the raisins from
nv pocket after dinner, looking up into my
eve, with the pretty mischief bright in bis, 81
great and dark und full no one ever had eyes
like Willie's. lie was such pretty baby, and
so dear; you see, no taught me the word mo-
thcr It was his little upturncd face, and the
touch of his tiny fingers, In which tirst read
tho beauty Of its holiness. How could help
il that he was what he was to me? What
should do with oil this love that had grown
into my heart for one.and-twenty years? ID
Another picture. How the years went and
came Ilo was the only one no longer; but In
tho group Of happy faces his always stood
a Il ha hn ottl llaI tha
ones at their quarres or when the plays grew
rough; it was he who made the beautiful
Thanksgiving.da so bright to them; 1t was
be watched my stops about tho room and drew
my chair up to the fre, and followed me with
his little smils-such q beautiful smilo II al.
ways was! Why. somehow all the festival
days are lighted with it far down the faint and
fading years. I sea It. When the school boy
affecting all the little importances OF the Buco-
lies and the first Xenophon lesson, was not
shamed to come out in the kitchen and help
me stone tho raisins. see itat the merry din
ner.table, and the twinkle in his eye, and the
laugh, and the Jest, his face oil aglow with de-
light. I think it was beautiful face.
I SEQ the smile again older and more man.
", but with the same childs tenderness in IT,;
even the mu.tache Of tho young collegian could
not hide IL. How we laughed at him about that
mustacbe lie knew how proud WIS of him
all the while; how could help il? Those
college vacations are so many sunny days, they
were 90 brief and bright. ! remember how'we
watched for him at the door: how tho old coach
came numbering up-it passed the house just
now as write. suppose always hear IL. |
suppose never hear 1t without quckening In
my pulse. suppose never shall. see him
bounding up the steps. feel his arms about
me. see the children pulling ut his sleeve.
see his face-why will God give us such faces
to be our own, our very own. ind snatch them
away into darkness Yet would not now; |
would not even then, that night, with the
murmuring words upon my lips, lose the
sweet memory for ten thousand times its
pain. ".,. .a
Once more SEQ the smile; but IL is the
smile Of martyr. lie knew, when he came to
me. with all the hero In his eyes, fred with his
pure bright dreams Of sacrifice, loving his coun.
try MS only her young men can-when he came
as if he were again child, and asked his mo-
theirs blcssing-he knew To what he was 20.
ing. 81, think, did Yeti did not say him
nay. did not hold him hack with my weak
tears and pleadings. THANK God for that. I
thanked him on that dssolate Thank sgiving .evo.
And when 20 down the sloping yeaisto IN
my old ago without my boy, shall thank him
still. am very sure Of that. .r .|.
But you do not care to hear the rest of my
story. II is yours, perhaps. as well as mine |;
and of its sacredncss, you and know we'll.
was not there to see him die. | can never
20 back and be there to help him die. There
was one woman-you have heard OF hsr. per.
haps-shc found him stranger, cared for by
strange hands; and when they bore him to his
quick.madc grave upon the battlefield she
stopped to touch his face with revercnt lips and
said, " Lot me kiss him for his mother" God
bless her for that God bless her wherever sho
may bo! And may she never lay her iirst.born
away under the frozen ground, where no can
never call to her, or take her in his arms, or
kiss her with his warm young lips!
But We have brought him home since that,
and in the shadow Of tho old familiar church
he is at rest. As sat before tho 6re, through
all NV bitter musing that night, ! remembered
the solitary figure pacing round and round the
moonlit graye--hs father loved him 80. 90
not say that even his mother, loved HIN more
Did I ask for strength to 1.-Two through thiS
day which was coming-to live itquietiy. health
fully. thankfully, remembering that m'ne was
not thorn. wreath, since "no mortal gr,et de-
serves that crown?' do not know. DO wS
never pray for that which VIZ pih NOT hare!
Our Father, who Is very patient with us, alone
knows. r .,i Er'r '''.
And then these facts OF sorrow are so sharp.
II was one thing to give him up-a grand, he
roic thing; it was another to find him gone
Ito feel the door.lstch stir and e,Ink,