Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-11-07


"What could I say; and then
reasoned. ''She seems the kind O
woman to go to a sick mans cot"
ssWe will see. Whom shall l tel
the captain has come?"
"Mary-in place of his mother
Here was dilemma worse than
anticipated. / called the head nurs,
of the female department, and tolt
her to care for Mary, adding, sh,
has come to see Captain c..
then fastened to the captains cot
for had left him quite as long as
intended to do.
HAS anybody conner"
"Supposing your mother has no
come, do you think you could endure
the disappointment"
Somebody has come, doctor"
"Yeur mother has not come"
"But Mary has. Bring her to me
doctor. This suspense is worse thar
all the rest"
felt now it would be useless to
attempt to reason with a man in his
condition, and knew that safety de,
pended upon gratifying his every
wish.
"You shall see Mary"
My pen draws a veil over the
sanctity of this meeting. No one was
present but wounded comrade who
occupied an adjoining cot. / stood
in the hall ready to advance at mo-
ment's warning. The captain called
out cheerily: doctor, yeu see l can
bear this kind of excitement. feel
like new man. Mother has the rheu-
matism-couldn't come; so she pre-
vailed on Mary to take her place.
This is my Mary, doctor. Isn't she
a brave little girl to come all the way
to Washington alone to hunt me up,
eh?"
Mary put her hand playfully over
his mouth, and said:
81 will talk for you
He removed the pretty hand, say
ing:
II have thought, doctor, some
times l have felt" and his eyes wan
dered painfully to the place where
his shapely limb should have been,
"that Mary might think less of me
now that I am not as l used to be.
''How could you, George?"
1 shook my head at her, and she
understood my meaning.
81 see how it is" said the captain;
i'you are all trying to spoil me by let
ting ME have my own way. l have
been thinking 10 have Mary for my
wife now. 1t would be so much bet.
ter. you know, doctor. She would
then have the right to be with me-
No one could question her presence
1 cannot be separated from her
What time is it, docter?'
"Quarter to three O'Clock"
doctor, you will arrange every
thing. With Mary's consent we will
be married at FIVE. Telegraph this
home. What do you say to this lit
tie girl?"
Such q bridal; l shuddered. Th'
girl was Drawer than L, and sh,
answered:
"Thy will be done, George" ant
then she tried to smile, and told hin
that he must be very quiet, else thu
doctor would send her away.
"Never, Mary; we are never NOR
to be separated, in this life or eter
nifty"
ETERNITY"
"Who echoed my last word?' sale
the captain.
Cali imaginary" 1 replied. "Don
you see your nerves are getting al
unstrung? you must compose your
self, captain
There were only three souls in thu
room beside the captain, and we eacl
looked inquiringly at the other
Neither Mary, nor the wounded sol
dier on his cot. nor myself had spo
ken. Whence came the voice2
At five o'clock precisely, the chap
lain of the hospital performed
marriage ceremony. An accidental
guest might have taken it for a fu
neral.
"God forbid my witnessing anoth
er such wedding, said the surgeon ir
charge, an old unmarried regular
army officer. The woman looked
like a ghost with her white face, and
the man in his winding sheet never
did like weddings. I'll never go tc
another so long as l am above
ground. See here, priest, if you are
gsing to have any more such scenes
leave me out, will you? Ugh! i
makes my teeth chatter! Any more
of that good brandy left, Doc.?"
After the ceremony my patien
went to sleep, holding his wife's hand
His rest seemed tranquil as an in
fant's. / arose very quietly and de
scended the stairs, opened the from
door, and stepped On to the pave
ment. 1 had no idea of going any
where. 1 had that yearniDg for ou
of doors which comes to US all a
some time or another in our lives
when it seems as if the whole atmos
phere under the heavens woult
scarcely suffice for breathing pur
poses. The thoughts which led m
hither were still revolving in m.
mind, when heard call for help
clear. sharp, unmistakable. Not tw'
minutes elapsed before l found my
self at the bedside of the captain
II was almost over. With the break
ing of the arteries every pulsatiol
of the heart had sent just so mucl
of the captains life out. A few jet
of scarlet fluid and soul foated oi
into the great mysterious unknown
In less than three minutes from tn
time entered the room the sense
less form of woman was borne ou
of it.
u "She is out Of her misery at least,
| said the wounded soldier. who ha
4 been obliged to witness that whic
made us well men sick.