The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-04-20
Uncle G0rd0n's VIII.
ny MAKY KYLE DALLAS.

I lieved, with old Major Briggs, the ho-
tel keeper and oracle of the place. that
the rebellion would be crushed out in
week, sir" The sky was Just as
blue, and the swallows sang in the
caves and the bees went humming.
golden-w winged, over the fields of corn
and buckwheat Just as they always
did. The service IN the church was
just the same The children came,
rosy-cheeked, out Of shady lanes and
over green hillsides to the long, low
school-housc The COWS stood knee
deep 10 the running brook; the home
/ ly cOurtships and weddings went on,
and people died and were buried
among their ancestors. Wo could
hardly believe that anywhere rivers
of blood were to run red that any
where frightened ears listened to the
drums boat and the bugles blare
and the tramp of armed men; and
then down South was far away tc
our fancy rs any heather land at the
antipodes. For my own part
amongst the children in the school !
dreamed my hours away, filed with
the petty tribes Of the hour or now
and then at eventide, when the days
work was over, with some thoughts o.
the past, brimful OF sweetness
Those were happy days, year age
that midsummer. when my Uncle Cor.
don had come down to c., with
his adopted son and heir, Harry Ray.
nor; when in the happy holiday he
walked beside me, that brown hand
some, sweet-yoiced Harry, in The
green old woods. There had never
been such holiday to me before
What had he said Nothing; bu
we need no words 10 teach us wheth
er we are liked or no, we girls Yes
he liked me; and OH, how much
liked him And [ thought my uncl,
chuckled and smiled mysteriousl,
when he found MS together, as though
our liking each other could not ange
him. And then he had sent Harr,
down again at Christmas.
All, well. he had said nothing then
either; but when we parted, and /, ii
the moonlight, standing above him OF
the porch, had given hmm my hand i,
had put it to his lips and kissed it
Not much in that either: yet.
dreamed OF it,
Midsummer was near again and the
holidays. Would it plant another
green oasis in my desert? It wa.
such silly thing to pick the petals o
"a flower and count them, with Fl,
loves me, He loves me not," and t,
laugh like child when the last lea
dropped to the words "He loves me.
But they say the young have been sill
ly all the world over. The happy al
swer to the test kept my heart "
through that first holiday week whcl
passed without bringing him. WheI
the second began was less cheerful
and | sat looking over the old fash
Toned window sill one evening, listen
ing to the crickets in the seringi
bushes, until the measured music Sc
me TO CRYING
l dropped my head upon my arm
and shut the moonlight out with them
and sat there until the church clocl
sounded nine. Then a hand droppe,
down on my head and somebody said
Poor child, you are too young t.
have trouble And / looked up an,
saw my Uncle Gordon
The words in my heart rushed t.
my lips ut that, and / cried.
is Harry with you?" and looked
past him into the night
"Are you crying for Harry aske,
my uncle, pityingly; then, with sud
den change of voice: Don't speak 0
Harry again. Light a lamp and com
and talk with me
Not speak of Harry Why not
, Ny heart stood still. Had anythin;
happened to him ? Was he dead ?
trembled so / could hardly light
match, and when the yellow beam
fell over the room l scarcely dare,
look at my uncle When l did h
sat there, pale and grim, changed
somehow, either by grief or anger.
crossed the room and knelt down b
his side
Uncle" | said, in voice not m
{ own, tell me the truths he dead ?
My uncle brought his hand dow
, on the table with Il heavy blow.
dead to me, he said-"an inso
, lent, ungrateful, rebellious dog Nv
+ cast him off forever! You muslin
think of him any longer. Last sum
mer | hoped-no matter what no mat
ter what 1t was an old mans dream
! and it's over And to think l hav
loved the fellow so !"
) Surely he can have done nothing
so very bad" / said.
''He has insulted me by espousing
cause | set my face against, said m
uncle. "Ho has joined the army t
fight for the COMPOUNDED niggers."
The words fell on my ear with
: crash. They stunned me for n me
: ment. When was able to think
g comprehended all. My uncle was
a Southerner by birth and had Soutl
e ern sympathies. Harry, Norther
S born and Northern bred, could thin
v of course but in one way, and so ha
), come to strife aud anger. The wa
y was brought home to me at last.
T. hid my face in my hands again.
"A horribly ungrateful return fC
all my kindness, said the old MAJ
4 but 1 was thinking only of hashin