The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-01-25


either as a man or an Italian.
1.-The letter from Vienna came at
last, and was more harsh than | lad
believed possible. Gustav and lad
held counsel together, deep into the
night. On the morrow he was to lave
Vienna. Finding my main deternin-
alton not to be shaken or charged.
At least, said he, you will MOI re-
fuse to share my purse for the present.
You have told me / am as brother
to you. Do not deny me a brothers.
right to aid you now. | hastily con-
sidered what was the smallest sun that
would take me across the Alps, and
then told my friend that would
thankfully accept that sum from
him as a loan We agreed to
write to each other, and formed many
plans for aspeedy meeting. All the
manly dignity [ tried to summon up
could not repress the tears that gush-
ed forth when Gustav took me in his
arms for one last brotherly embrace,
and passed his hand through my hair
in the old caressing way. L tlung to
him as a child might cling, and sob
bed upon his faithful breast. He
cheered and soothed me with high
words of hope, and noble aspiration,
for the future. Heaven bless you,
my Aneelo2 Courage, faith, patencel
Remember my prophecy. You will
live to see your Venice free and Ital-
ian. And we shall meet again-here
or hereafter
Il never saw him more
Next morning, at daybreak, / left
Vienna forever. [ reached Turin,
and there enlisted in a line regiment
as a private soldier. | first saw SER
vice IN the Crimea. Fortune favored
me, and was promoted from the
ranks.
kept up a constant correspond
ence with Gustav; and, at one time,
had great hopes of seeing him, for he
wrote me word that he had been re-
commended to pass a winter in TIA y.
In the joy of looking forward to hav-
ing him with me once more, [ paid
less heed than [ should otherwise
have done to the hint of ill-health
which such a recommendation con-
veyed. He had looked strong, and
bright, and blooming; the very incar-
nation of youthful health. But con-
sumption lurked in his rosy cheek
and bright blue eye, and soon the
tidings came that voyage to Egypt
was considered the only chance of
battling the disease Iwould have
given worlds to see him before he left
Europe; but my duty and my poverty
combined to keep me at my post.
The events of "58 : and '59'
are as familiar to you as to
me. | won my company at San Marti-
no. At Solterino-" As Bertani
pronounced the word, a deadly pallor
whitened his already pale face, and
his eyes resumed that fixed gaze
which had so startled me.
- At Solferino my life was saved
thus :: [ was in the thick of the bat
tie where the fight ragged hottest, and
[ had reached that state of furious
excitement in which only the wild
beast instinct of destruction seems to
animate man, when | felt ice cold
fingers passed lightly through my
hair. At that same instant a bullet
whistled past my ear. 1t passed SO
close to me that it seemed as if the
difference of hairs breadth
would have buried it in my brain, l
kneoo then, and l kaow a0,c, that the
hand that S0Ued me aodS Gust0US. |
recognized the touch Of that hand,
and the peculiar oaress | had so often
received from it, as instantly and GER
tainly as though my friend had been
standing bodily by my side; nor did [
need the fatal news that came to rue.
Whiting six weeks received letter
from Madame Won Hildesheim, written
(these were her words) in compliance
with her sons last and most urgent
request. GHstav had died IN Egypt,
on the Uery dog and at the uery hour
aohen 1 had felt has hand amidst my
hair upon the battle field of 4Solfertno.' y
Bertram's voice thrilled me in every
nerve, and | shuddered. Was that
]. asked, " the only OCCASION on which
you have experienced the mysterious
touch?"
He answered, softly, {" I felt it once
again when | was lying sick in hos
pital, with the sabre-c in my thigh,
received that same day at Solferino.
How | came by it l know not, for,
after the hand had touched me, re-
membered nothing until found
myself stretched out on a hos
pital pallet, with the surgeon
dressing my wound. | got brain
fever after that, and was delirous, they
tell me. One night as [ opened my
aching eyes to stare at the dull flicker
from the lamp that wavered on the
whitewashed ceiling, / felt the cold
soft fingers stroke my hair, and imme-
diately tight hot band of pain seem
ed loosened from my temples, and |
slept. Next day Iawoke-weak, it is
true, but refreshed and free from
fever. My time has not yet come"
. Granted that ali this vas So