Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-05-24
My Friend the Major.


of valley and river, the light In the
west had changed from yellow to red
and from red to gray, and the stars had
come out braveIy but still two girls
sat by the window of the darkening
parIor of a house at B BroOmsgrOve, talk
ing about love. And as the tWitte1 of
the swallows and the hOaTse scream of
the blackbird and the rUstling of the
evening breezes were hushed one by
one, the voices of the two became
lower, until at last In whispers only
each painted "the bright ideal Of her
dreams" l suppose that in this they
but followed the example of very many
young girls from the earliest ages un-
til now. It is true that in the present
instance the said bright ideal seemed
of remote realization. Both had many
times mounted into the tower Of hope,
and looking afar off had cried, like
poor unlucky Fatima: Sister, sister,
do you see anybody coming?" but only
to be told that she who looked saw but
a cloud Of dust.
And yet their Cousin Charley was
coming home. He was nobody, how
ever. Y ears before, a mere curly
headed boy had left them for the army.
HE was less than nobody" said Clara,
the eldest of the girls, ''for he was Just
at the age when boys are only fit to be
put under a tub. The sword that he
was so proud of, why, he seemed to be
fastened to it rather than it to him =
now was it not so, Julia ?" And Julia
rather absently answered that it was.
The door opened. 'Girls, tea Is on
the table" said mamma, a very stately
old lady, with a world of mys-
terry in her spectacles and a forest OF
frilling IN her cap. The two started
up and hurried down stairs. Mr..
Powers, their father, was already there;
and as he was excessively fond of the
company of military men, the sisters
were not in the least surprised to find
two gentlemen seated nor did they
think more than a nOnchalant bow
necessary when the gentlemen rose.
Colonel Montague, my daughter
Julia Major, my daughter Clara -
young ladies, let me introduce to you
the Colonel and his friend, the Major.
And then the celebration of the mys
teriOUs rights Of the urn began.
''As I was saying, Major" said Mr..
Powers, resuming a conversation bro
ken off by the entrance of his daugh-
ters, I always thought that flank
movement ofyours the very best thing
I ever heard of. No doubt the Colonel
is of the same opinion-heY, Colonel
1t does me good to find that our days
are not so degenerate as some would
have thought they were"
1T saved the day, said the Colonel,
cody slipping his tea.
And then that final charge of the
whole brigade-by Heavens, it was
glorious !"
ut was pretty well done," replied
with grave bow.
well, the loss was rather heavy
was it not p continued the host.
Yes, about fifteen hundred; but the
enemy suffered far more, besides being
dislodged from position of great i'm
portance," replied the Major, who
added, rather hastily: These mill
tary details can hardly be interesting
to these young ladies, my dear sir"
Interesting The Major did not
know how the vivid imaginations OF
these young ladies" pictured what
these two sedate gentlemen would look
like amidst all the turmoil and strug-
gle of the battle field, aud how that
| aspect of latent power which soldiers
who have seen service wear impressed
them both, quite apart from the fact
| that both were strong and handsome
men. The Colonel and his friend the
Major were contrasts of manly beauty
however. The first was tall and ia, X
dark as to his skin, jet black as tC hail
and beard; the second very faiT, with
blue, searching eyes, a silky nustache
and with hair as soft as his mother
used to say hers was wren she was &
| little girl.
But in spite of these advantages the
young ladies began, when the conver.
sation flowed into new channels anC
/ the party adjourned to the drawing
room, to think them not quite so nice
as they seemed when they talked o.
dangers they had passed. 1t was pro
voking to see the self-p possession botE
/ maintained. The almost indifference
with which the Colonel handed Julii
/ to the piano, and the almost languol
with which the Major spoke of his ex
perience during a short European
! tour-of the Opera at Paris, or Lon
| don, or the Carnival at Rome, or The
glaciers at Switzerland-were positive
! " tiresome, though the ladies', whC
! felt provoked, would not have ao
/ knowledged it for the world The
gentlemen ought to have paid NOR,
attention to the beauties present rather
than talk of the beauties of Spain Of
Italy. They ought to have reverentl!
turned over and enthusiastically ad
mired the sisters sketches, nor breath
ed a doubt of their perfection, wherea
with a calm Am l permitted ?" thl
Colonel took a pencil from Julia
hand, and with a rapid touch added
to the drawing just that artistic, truth
full line which her rebellious finger
had refused to trace. Music, too =
what business had two men to turn tn
conversation from the last impOrtet