The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-01-27
D FAITHFUL. AND VALIANT FOR
BIDDEFoRD, ME-, FRIDAY MORNING,

sunshine; only flashing In their glory. like
ten thousand pearls. and sometimes dancing
softly. 80 the sick girl might rest; singing
love lullabies under her window, and hush.
ing her TO sleep in their monotonous way.
The scene indoors was peace and gratitude.
Aunt Ruth eat knitting, in the low rocker,
her cap and. snowy muslin kerchief. close
brown sleeves fitting neatly the wrist; the SIM
pie plain short skirt, coming just to the an
klc, looked 80 pure and mothsrly the clean
hearth. the white curtains, tho dear old cat
singing away on the rug. the tea.kettle noisy
in the kitchen; oil made home thrill, and
sensation of love and comfort.
The pale face on the pillow was very still,
perhaps asleep.
"Auns Ruth, have you always been hap.
py?"
looked searchingly into the mild eyes
"Oh please tell me how you found this
joy, you speak Of? Did your hearteyer brelk
like minu2
The reserve was all gone; washed away
BY tears and sobbings; like child she wept
on the bosom Of her good friend.
"There dear. there. thee may cry all thee
likes; tears are good for thee they ease the
the pain sometimes. and take away that great
aching in thy heart, and the big lump in thy
throat; thee will feel quiet soon, then thee
can tell Aunt Ruth thy grief: old hearts
grow strong, and can help to bear the bur-
dens OF young ones like thee. There, dear,
I'll bathe thy sweet face now; how soft and
pretty thy hair Is; let me brush II back.
Now don't thee sec how cool and nice this
water makes thee feel" ....
Thus the kind voice chatted away, making
the caressing touch of her fingers keep time
to the mesmeric words, arranging the pillow.
kisiug the poor girl. with "dear daughter. "
and such q smile. Josephine thought, as II
my own mother had como from Heaven to
day.
"Dear good Aunt Ruth, l ,oiR tell you my
sorrow, nm 90 tired trying to carry the
great load alone; you can help me. you must,
or how can live? You understand from
some things said previously. of my home
and love, how proudly and sel6shly lived !;
how my fathers wealth brought crowds to
pretend friendship, when knew they werc
heartlsss how I was Hattered and courted {;
Oh! tits no matter for that now, only one
thing want to speak of--my sin and its ter
rible reward. At last I found friend who
loved me for tho love gavo. I was wilful,
.ungoverned, impetuous; but for oil the intel.
lect, the purity, the nobleness Of this friend,
returned love. | was not good as he {: but
gave him every drop of intense worship
that filled my life from day to day SO full of
bliss / thoughtful never need another Col;
he Is nv God.
He asked my consent to enter the army {;
he was very earnest. said "his duty must he
done IL he sacrificed ALL" He held me in
his arms and told me of the great need OF the
brave women who gave lovers and hus-
bands. ..
Oh! Aunt Ruth. II had only listened,
and blessed him then, II could have seen
his strength and goodness as ! see 1t now |;
but sent him frOm me in bitterness; said
he did not love me; and-and-
Oh God! he is dead dead! and I loved
him 81 madly, would havo gone to the bot
tom Of the ocean to see him once sent for
him, wrote him; he had gone to the far
west, left no address, and while was strug-
Cling to live and wait, they killed him 4!
Shall I ever know rest again? Merciful
heaven! can be forgiven? My life Is only a
bitter failure. and wish could die nou :"
The keenness was little sharper than
she could bear; the story too deeply cut in
her soul, to repress the groaus and the pain.
Even aunt Ruth's tears Of sympathy failed to
cool her hot cheeks; but she sobbed away
some Of the bitterness. and listened to tho
dear mother as she told her, how beautiful
the world might yet seem and how the dear
friend might still live. twas perhaps mis-.
take. She said, "Why child, don't thee
know how tepderly Jesus loves thee. far more
than thee knows how to love thy friend2 and
thee will trust in Him, and DO one OF Ilis
dear lambs. He will take thee after few
days of trial and work, to the blessed home
above, where thee will see thy dear friend,
face to face through all eternity. and clasp
bis hand and sing together with the angels. "
The sun went down under the water, and
day into the arms Of night. Two women in
little cottage, prayed. One with strong
confidence, as though, like child, she'd
been long used to asking Father. The 9th.
er with strong crying and tears, "Lord If it
be possible" =
CHAPTER vi.
Weeping may endure for the night, but Joy oom.
eth with the morning. .....
The elegant home of Harry Moore, ESQ.,,
N. Y. was again graccd BY his beautiful
daughter. The world had ceased IN wonder;
gossip said ''her lover died. and she lost her
reason" Fashionable people said, "'tis alb
surd to 60, the devotion of Miss Moore to sol.
dier's widows and children. She Is wasting
her beauty and money" &c &c. Josephine
had put away her agony, rolled the stone ov.
or the rent place in the sepulchre, buried her
dead alone and in silence, written on the
grave with her own fingers, "Not dead but
gone BEFORE" wrapped her future life in the
habiliments OF strength and usefulness. stood
up, out Of the storm, ,''clcar as the MONDAY,
strong as an armed man" dressed for
journey, the suffering world, the road-Jesus
the guide-the end heaven and her beloved
dead, 1 1..-rl lt
"Dear me not one hour this day. but
some soldier, or soldiers wife, or s0ldier's
child has asked for Miss Josephine"
Jane grumbled' along to Mis- Jossphins's
room. to say "a tall man In blue coat, wait.
ing 10 SEQ you." -y p. ~.
Josephine went down. The tall man in
tho blue coat came toward her, and IL you
or ! had been there and seen his great, noble
form shake and trsmblo. and seen him take
Josephine in his arms. kiss hcr and cry over
her, and seen them look into each Others fac.
e and say, l"Thank God" over % many
times, you would have just stepped into the
ball and shed AZ many teas a. they. and felt
a terrible choking In your heart, and real
t;no Ait, l. L. .L.A. sk~s.