The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-04-20

/ III Hily punished. | want Won TO
shut up the school, here, and come
home with me can't live alone in
my great house, and somebody must
take harry's piece. VIII You p
81 can't take Harry's place I said
u would not if could Oh, don't be
cruel to him r.
1T is he who is cruel to me, said
my uncle. But come, but in anoth-
er light. lam lonely old man, as j
said before VIII YOU keep house for
me, and be daughter to me? It's
charity TO me. look upon it in that
way. VIII your"
How could I say ono p Besides,
the Thought came into my mind that
I might be a peacemakor, while some
mereenary creature chosen in my place
might but add fuel TO the flame of his
anger against Harry.
Il will keep house for you if you
wish it, uncle / said, mot taking
Harrys place. for he wns a son-I, at
best, can only be a daughter, and
then. vow are certain to forgive him
some time
Never" said my uncle never if
he knelt at my feet He has iusulted
me and treated me with contempt
Forgive him Not if saw him on
his death-bed y
But 7 knew my uncle's temper, and
felt sure he would soon relent The
/ next day l gave up charge of the
school, and went home with him.
But oh, what dreams | had that night
of bloody battle-helds, and Harry "
ing on them; of dim hooks by ripping
streams, where | came across him sud
denly, breathing his last; Of seeing
swordsmen hew him down, and bayo-
nets thrust at his breast all alike,
yet all different. If all soldiers friends
have such sleeping fancies, heaven
help them. No wonder my uncle told
me that I looked ike ghost next
morning.
As jouyneyed with him cityward
. leaving the rustic silence behind us,
the tramp of war came closer rec
ognized it in the recruiting tents, in
the placards printed on the walls, in
, the little bands of uniformed men we
met and in the words we heard ut
tered. I wondered how / could have
; been ignorant and blind SO long, and
, my heart was with my people and my
n hero. The cause he battled for was
right, l knew, but was no Spartan
/ woman, and my spirit quailed at the
thought Ct his great danger.
When, settled in our homes, news
of battles came TO u.s. and long lists Of
dead and wounded | f.ncicd my un
r cles heart would melt, but efforts 10
, move him from his purpose only
, aroused such gusts Of passion, tina!
I knew ] rather injured than advanced
my purpose.
What would not have given for a
word from Harry brief line, only
to tell me how he fared. But no SUCH
ever came.
, Once, indeed a servant told me that
a letter had come for me, and ] ran to
my uncle's study, full Of the hope that
it might be from Harry but there Was
nothing there. y mistake OF the
I. girls, he said, hut be was confused
and would not meet my eye
That night he made his will There
were two lawyers there all the even
I ing, and when they were gone he
! called me to him.
4 don't expect to die yet, Rose :"
o he said, "bpt when do, you will find
/ that everything is yours. | bad made
4 Will before in Harry's favor, and the
D two are to be kept, to show him what
his insolence and ingratitude have
! lost him. You should have been his
wife, too, if you would / had made
/ quite pretty picture of the home that
/ should have in my old age with YOU
{ No matter-nO matter.
q | sank on my knees at his feet.
Forgive me, uncle, ! said. 'Ill
. stay with you as long as we both live
o III never be forgetful of your good
ness. But / cannot take Harry's place
n 1t seems as though had schemed for
S it, and you yourself will repent some
! day"
e What my uncle said then silenced
|, me. never heard him speak so be-
| fore I never did again Rage is in
y sanity, and that was his excuse for the
words he uttered.
y There is nothing for me to do but
p keep silence, though my heart bled
n SO time sped on until the autumn
had come and passed, and winter
j. was with us. Then, one day, yes
e sci brought to the dock hundred
t wounded soldiers, sent home to the
/ hospitals, and one who saw the filters
r carried by told us that Harry was
!, amongst them. Even that news did
e not melt my uncle, but /, by stealth,
found means to see him. He did not
o know me- He knew no one, and there
was little hope but that he wonld die.
Better so, perhaps said the old
Y surgeon, with a sigh, "for he has Civ
O en- his life for his country, and he
must be a cripple if he lives"
n These were bitter words to take
J. home with me, spent my nights ii
| tears and my days in blank sorrow
n Whenever | dared, sought news o.
l. him, ana at last it was as good as il
n would ever be- After that l went Nc
K more, for all this time he had not
d sought me, and /, q girl, could moi
" seek him. Soon | heard that he was
I l...t .,...; ,pI bod am,,iovrnauf ~,