Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1868-09-05

Z
ed her hair with grey, The stately
form is bowed and lhe face is w"ru
} and weary,
Aud why il st, John absent fl'om
I his promised bride, now that she i
IN, in poverty aud eNilcg Alas hu
has fallen, one at the many victims
on tho altar of freedom, lle rests
where he fell, an the bloody field III
tho second Manassas, A simple
cross marks the place Of his grave,
raised by hiscomrades, that he may,
at some future day, be moved Ia his
island home. On the cross his
name Is cut,
"Priyatc Allan st John, Palmetto
Guards, 2d Regiment ), q, v"
| Yes, with all his talent, wealth
and arislocatic birth, St John died
n privato. Possessed of neither u
military education, nor peculiar
military skill, he sought no Office,
but was content todic with no high
or title than that of being II gentle
man private; yet, mcthinks, no
purcr. noblcr name can bo bnrne In
such struggle for liberty. For his
country, aud for her alone, he cinnghE
and nd thought Of self mingled it's
alloy with the puro gold Of his
PATRIOTISM
A few short months after the date
of our last chapter, when South Ca
rolna called upon her sons Ia rally
around tho walls of Sumter, st John
hastened TO join the patriotic band
under tho command Of the gallant
and lamcntcd Captain Cnthbcrt -
Asa member ofthc Palmetto Guards
he fought until death laid him low.
A few weeks after his ;all his place
in the company was supplied by
Charlie, then scarcely scvcntecn.-
The boy had long been anxious to
Join tho army, but, on account of
his youth. his mother had hitherto
refused her consent. Now, however,
when he heard of the death OF his
friend, his almost brother, and saw
his sisters anguish, he passionatcly
implorcd his mother to hold him
back no longer. And she, seeing
it was best, yielded up her treasure
to her country's service. lie had
not been in Virginia more than six
weeks, when he was summoned
homo to his sisters ath,bcd. That
evening was the earliest time posi-.
bio at which he could arrive, and
mother and sister were both anX-
iously watching for him. They
had been silent for the last hour,
when Helen spoke.
"Mothcr, if Char lie does not come
to o.day, l shall never see him again;
for feel that / shall not live until
tomorrow. To-day was to have
been our wedding day, you know;
and | feel it shall be yet. But, oh,
mother, we never thought it would
be in Heaven"
She paused, then softly repeated,
"Ncnrer My Fathers house,
Where the many mansions be;
Nearer the Great White Throne;
Nearer the jasper sea,
Nearer the bound of life,
Where we lay our burdens DOWN.
Nearer leaving my cross
Nearer wearing my crown
"Mothcr, do you remember how
we used to sing that at home? 1t
was Allan's favorite. | rccollcct his
telling me once that Heaven never
seemed so near to him rs when he
sang.that. Now | am going to my
Fathers homo, and oh, how L thank
Him that Allan will be there to
meet mel DO you know, mother,
on The night that l was seventeen,
| told him in the dear old orange
grove that / could not live without
his love; and you see | was right
Ny Father saw / was a poor, weak
creature without my Allan, and so
He is taking me to him. Do not
cry so, darling mother. Have you
not taught me that to live is Christ,
but to die is gain?"
"My child! my childl How can
1 give youup? You, who have been
my comfort through SO much of
sorrow and affliction. Help me, oh
God; to say, Thy will, not mine, be
done'"
"But, mother, you willhave Char
lie here, and two children in Heaven
with father. Surely you, who have
always lived so near to God, will
not find it hard to think your treas
ures are with him. Oh, mother,
dear mother, let me.go homer
Her voice ceased, and drawing
her mother down to her, she strovc
to kiss away the binding tears. So
absorbed were they, that the open
ing of the door disturbed them not,
and Charlie stood some seconds in
the room, before they were aware
of his presence. In an instant,
however, he was clasped in his
mothers arms and she was kissing
him with all the passionate fervor
of a mothers love for an only son.
When she released him, he turned
to his sister, but shocked at the
change few weeks had wrought,
he could only throw himself down
beside her in an agony of incon-
trollable sobbing.
She held him closely, kissing
again and again the cheek already
imbrowned by his few weeks expo
sure to the bardships of a soldiers
life. At length, his mother, fearing
the excitement would prove too
much for Helen, drew him away
until he could regain composure.
The sun was slowly setting. Still
on a couch by the window lay the
dying girl. But now she was sup
ported in her brothers arms, aud
her pale cheek rested on his grey
jacket. Softly she spoke:
Mother, Charlie, will you sing,
There is rest for the weary "