The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-07-20
gnttresting STORY.
ALIcE's RosE-T EE
BY EMMA GARRISON JONES.

| afternoon fell in fickering waves OF gold
over the mossy roof aud hung chin
news of on old farm-hou standing IN
a green hollow, in the midst OF the
pleasant hill-country which stretches
! ksouthward FROM the red battle ground
of Manassas. In the neighboring wood,
the turtle cooed her plaintive love-lay,
the partridge whistled, and the robin
twittered to her young; and from the
surrounding meadows came the dreamy
4 garale Of the brook, and the musical
ftfnkfe or bells from the cattle cropping
the early clover. that sprang up, green
I and tender. in the warm shadow Of the
I hills. - ,--N 49,
The orchard, round about the old
house, was one mass of fragrant. milky
bloom and the lilac bushes tossed their
purple plumes through the low windows,
the aoft Winds scattering the leaves over
1 the sanded floor, until the great, hos
pitable room, with its ever open doors,
and yawning fire place. gave forth odors
sweeter than ever filed the wales of
.Araby the Blest."
On the low window overlooking
the garden, a young girl sat on this same
4 May afternoon, her little slippered feet
hanging almost low enough to touch the
star like dandelions on the grass plot
''--
back in wavy disorder, her cheeks flush
| ed, and her tender, blue eyes brimfnl of
tears, as they looked, with serious,
questioning gaze, toward the evening
| sun, Just slipping out of sight behind the
1 swaying summit of the distant pine
grove.
ssWhy, Alice,n cried manly voice,
4 '.hows this? Come, come, l thought
! you meant to bs SO brave? p
$50 I-did.ny her voice faltering pain
! fully; ..but it is SO hard--so hard.
] Archer, to-to-'' And she dropped
her pretty head on his arm, and gave
way to good cry.
| He stroked back the soft mass of
! cleaning hair tenderly, and said,
II know it is hard, Alice-harder for
me than You child-though you mayn't
! think so-but it can't be helped; must
go And the sooner the better To
night, ,.1r- M
ITO -night?"
"Yes-to night You don't blame me
for what I'm doing?"
| ..Blame you, Archie? Oh, you know
bettcr!'' And q kindling fash lit the
Fearful blue eyes. -z1----4
r. ..Yes, yes, I do know better," he said.
s.Bnt wouldn't mind, If it wasn't for you
and mother. 1t almost seems wrong to
| leave you exposed 10 these Southern
troops, with no one to protect you But
what can do? I cannot fight against
my country. Old Jacob Bradford would
rise up from his grave. If his son was to
turn traitor; and my grandfather. who
fought at Trenton, would come back and
curse me. And yet, if stay here day
longer, III be conscripted for Lees
army
There were no tears in the blue eyes
now they cleaned like an unshearthed
sabre.
You must 60, Archer" she said, her
lip, that had quivered a moment before,
curving proudly; "God will take care OF
your mother and me-" fs
Il have something for you, Alice he
said, after pause. .'See here, and he
drew from his pocket tender. little rose
tree, with the roots carefully wrapt in
paper II got it up at Mr. Ashton's to-
(iay; they say it is or a rare species. and
blooms every month. Come, well plant
it, and it shall be my parting gin"
He caught up the little garden hoe
that lay near by, and went round to the
old sitting-room window. Allce Iolioweo
him in silence.
= Fright here" he said, digging up the
soft, black soil. .swhere you can see it.
whenever YOU look out at the window
and mind-it shall be a token between
r us. Alice-as long as it thrives and
blooms, you may be sure I'm alive and
. prosperous but if it willis and dies
sDon't Archer. don't she cried, hel
face growing white in the deepening
twilight, .,don't say that, it may die
and
..Is will live, Alice; and shall live
a and come back to you again-God has
!. told me So"
"She looked up, with something like
: awe in her face. as she heard his conf
! dent words. He smiled, and, levelin&
: the soil about the roots of the little tree
= repeated half to her, and half to himself
. at will live; and shall live-and on
country will live, too
Then he kissed her softly, and sh
=, tripped away to the kitchen, leaving hin
y standing there alone. The May mool
was coming up over the top of the oil,
III oak tree that stood off to the eastward
u flooding the surrounding hills, and al
.. the green hollows with a subdued lustre
OF towslier if not brighter, than the ful
I'D radie~ce of day. A whippowil began it
~, "a, melanch~ly song from its perch on tn
csd % grind some, and the frogs set u
{ "a -su piaintlve cry from the pond in tn
aow Sights aud sounds familiar a
IA "s own being, they brought the tears t
~ s pradford's eyes, and made th
TO oros, chest beneath his folded arm
?. Men convulsively. His heart wa
'enuel 1d domestic; all his affee,on
Il we're ceneed in this old virginian hone
yer all his deeplove lavished upon his DORM
- old mother aAd little. blue. eyed Alice
not his sister,but something, as we ha,
ted seen. nearer and dearer
thy BY ten o clock very arrangement con
inc pleted. and ArcAaw's satchel, paeke
with clothing on ons side, and eatabl,
~ on the other, stood. licked and strappe,
on the kitchen door.sM He picked
hall up. and swung it on his Shoulder.
~. ..Well, mother" he saia. putting n
arm round her and 6ssiag NJ tenderi