St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-01-24

for that !" murmured the poor girl. 81
know it is from Jamie. Give it to me,
quick, quick" She seized the letter,
but glancing at the superscription. a
shadow came over her face, and she add
ed, mo, it is not from him" Then
opening it, she read on hurriedly until
coming to the end, she burst into tears,
and handing the letter to me, sabbed out,
'Read for yourself
1t was from a private in Jamie's COM
pany, who, after paying his dead officer
the highest tribute of love and respect,
said that in the battle which had proved
fatal to Jamie, their regiment had been
ordered to the front, and in short time
every officer of their company ranking
higher than himself was killed. Sword
in hand. Jamie led the few remaining
men into the thickest of the fight, and
fell shot through the heart, at the head
of his column.
The private who wrote, being nearest
to him, rushed to his assistance, while
the rest were ordered on. Jamie only
breathed long enough to give the private
Maggie's address, and desired him to
write, saying, Tell Maggie darling that
though l die for my country | still live
for her. Tell her'-but here .Jamie's
voice failed, and in a moment more life
was extinct.
The firing became so murderous that
the private was obliged to retreat imme-
diately. Returning with his comrades
after the battle to give their officer de-
cent burial and to remove whatever Of
value there might be about his person,
they discovered that the body had been
robbed of everything! The private
could only send Maggie these last sad
but loving words.
Suspense was now at an end, and the
dear, noble girl grew brave in her suffer-
ing. At the end of the second month
she had regained sufficient strength to go
to work, and work she said she must, al
though / had grown so near to her that
her heart blcd at the thought of leaving
me.
Then told Maggie | could not let her
90, for she had become part of my life
and there had been a providence in our
coming together. | allowed that she
ought to work, as it is best for all to
have serious occupution, particularly
where, added to poverty, heavy heart
needs diversion. But | said my home
must always be hers. Maggie, overcome
with grateful pleasure, was speechless. 50
talked for her. and that night tucked
her into bed, called her sister, and went
TO sleep, feeling as though l had some
thing new and noble TO live for.
As to Maggle's sewing, it Was absurd.
She had little inclination and less ability
in that direction. Though uncultured
her nature wi> emincnllv artistic. IIeI
eyes shone brightly at everything beauti
tul, and pictures, of which | made it d
point she should see all that were in the
} city, were Il glorious revelation to her
"Oh, if | could only paint ~ she cx,
claimed, after looking at Tissot's Foun.
tain" 'Ilow that face talks 10 me, anC
makes the tears come ~
''And why should you not paint, Mag
ole ," | answered.
Maggie looked frightened and SAID
81 p! poor girl like me, who knows no
thing -
'.But why not try, Maggie? have :
Z good friend that | know will give you
drawing lessons on trial and will be hon
est in his advice
oh, If could only try she an
: swercd, with such radiant face that
: felt it was in her TO be an artist.
| Well, there is little left to narrate nov
saving that my prediction came to pass
2 The kind artist who volunteered his al,
found an apt pupil in Maggie. Sh
worked mtiringly, and gave such prom!
ise that he soon taught her the use {
: colorS sufficiently TO obtain frst-cla=
situation as photograph colorist. Nov
Maggie is Sclf-supprrting. Still this oc
cupaIion does not take her away fror
} her earnest work. and it may be that i
a few years the art critics will welcom
| with words of encouraging praise, the de
but of Il young woman.
. Maggie is very sad, but she feels tia
= there is good 10 be done in this worC
: that life means self-dcvclopment, and
o know that she will ripen into a nobly
: rounded woman. We talk OF going t
h Europe-she to study art at its tountai
e head, TO study men and their manners.
:, To Maggie's father, God was kind
5 A short time after leaving the house {
, correction, he fell from icrry-boat int
/ the North river. His body never wa
; recovered. Pats mother does all OF
Q washing and ironing, and receives 5
many presents from Maggie that she
i Overcome intirely, and shure Maggie
st. Bridget come tO life agin.' As tc
: Pat whom | saw for the first time til
other day, he has given up the noble Al
h of shining boots, and attends publ
: school in a new suit of clothes given
n him by his patron saint.
And this is the end of my story.
c Hate FjeId C'.StiyucS, Jr.')
G As colorcd man was returning tro