The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-08-17

down the praveIled walk wbistling John
Brown as unceremoniouslv as if the
late quarrel was the most Indifferent thin Q
in the world to him and still farther to
prove it, went straight to a recruiting
office and enlisted.
II all the girls had been as silly as
Nellie, and their lovers as jealous as
Ward, the word draft would never have
needed definition in this country.
r
Two great armies meeting in deadly
conflict was new and grand sight to
Ward Milton and standing in the midst
of the coutending forces he forgot his
own danger in the scene of the awful
excitement which surrounded him, the
incessant roar of artillery, the sharp rat
tie of musketry, the cry of the wounded,
the groans Of the dying, and ever and
anon the inspiring strains of martial
music from the band in the rear, the
thick clouds of battle smoke lit up by
the quick flashes of the terrible weapons
of death-filing every sense of sight
and sound, to the total exclusion of every
thought of personal danger.
But the knowledge of came too soon,
for sharp, singing pain in his head
recalled it suddenly to memory, and,
raising his hand, he found the life tide
trickling slowly down, while. faint and
gdly, he tell among his slain comrades.
Gradually the roar Of the battle ceased.
! and all grew dark and still around him :;
I a cold numbness was stealing over his
limbs. reaching his BODY and piercing
his heart with its icy chill.
I Through his half henumbed brain
crept the terrible conviction that he was
dying alone upon that terrible battle
field, rouSing him to a consciousness
which brought the keenest anguish. as
with a mighty effort he endeavored to
shake off the deathlike paralysis which
had settled upon him-as if 10y his will
he would hold at bay mans last enemy.
/ But all in vain; the heavy weight only
settled with more terrible force on his
heart, while body and limbs seemed cased
in iron. With Il groan of despair he
Yielded at last to the fate that seemed in
evitable suddenly a soft hand was
laid on his forehead. and a voice low and
sweet murmurcd in his ear
Ward. dear Ward =
1t was Nellie's voice. Was he dead
AMI Just walked up in heaven to find Mel
lie waiting for him ? For an instant he
thought SO, but that touch had broken
/ the chain which bound him, and raising
/ himself he looked anxiously aronnd.
/ Neither blissful paradise with white
! robed angels nor CORY battle field with
| its CHASTITY burden was revealed to his
wondering gaze, but simply patch of
green sward beneath him, and the
branches of n gnarled apple tree over
his head while Just beyond the long rows
Of tents CLEANED white and clear in the
scorchng rays of n July sun, and the
/ merry laugh and low hum OF conversa-
/ ton reached his ears from the soldiers
gathered there, bringing to his recollec
tiou where he was.
This was the camp in his native town,
where he had been but few days, and
here beneath the shade OF an old apple
tree he had laii down to rest when tired
and heated short time previously, while
the mosquito, humming so angrily about
his head in token of his dispieasure at
the interruption of luxuriant repast, was
/ the cause in his half unconscious state,
of the terrible roar of battle, his sharp
\ sting the rebel bullet, and the life tide
ebbing from his mortal wound simply
the Precipitation oozing copiously from
his heated brow.
"Confound it - he muttered, throwing
himself back on the ground, .'only a
dream after all" And really feeling
half vexed that it was not reality, for he
would have been willing to have received
ut least one rebel bullet to have heard
Nellie speak his name in such endearing
accents.
A slirht rnstling behind him brought
him suddenly to his feet. One part of
the dream. at least. was true, for Nellie
Barrows was standing close beside him
Ward, forgive me-" and MY darling
L. IL,
and Nellie's head was pillowed very ten
Gerly on Wards blouse, and his nous
tache was in suspiciously CLOSE proNimi
ty to her face.
What an astonishing change a suit ot
Union blue and few days absence eft
fects in silly lovers 1t was decidedly
fortunate for Ward that none of his com
rades caught glimpse of that very in
teresting interview. or he might have
had it reversed with variations far more
amusing to others than to himself. Such
little things are done occasionally TO re
lieve the monotony of camp life.
See. dear Ward" Nellie said at tht
close of the interview, holding up he
hand. on which shone the discarded en-
gagement ring, II found it and put it OF
again Shall l wear it?
always until before the altar | re
place it with another
Happy Ward he was all right now
The crushing of the rebellion was
mere tribe. not to be compared in an,
manner with this reconciliation.
And Ward Milton went to war afte
all Of course he did you don't sup
, pose l would have him sneak out of Iii
place now because he had enlisted in
fit of jealousy? Not bit Of it. II
followed his regiment through its thre
years of campaigning, and returned q
its close. rough and sunburnt of course
but brave and strong. and ten time
more a man than before that foolish lov
quarrel sent him to the performance G
duty from which selishness was with
holding him.
And Nellie? Well, if any girl havin
any love for = man could not be cured c
flirting by his absence for three wear