Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-03-05

uailSs I.aNh knew thtre MAS manly stut
in the other, that whatever should com,
TO him in the fortune Of war, the Other
would be true helper in So far as in hin
lay.
Through several severn engagement,
they had hattled hraVcly, and when their
first year OF service was euded, had wei
earned the name of veterans. Hammond
had been promoted from the ranks to 1
iieutenanoy which promotion pleased him
no more than il did his friend LANCE
and while in their hearts there was a deer
sense OF gratitude Tor the good forum,
that had thus far attended them, the,
looked forward 10 further efforts in bchali
of their country with lively antieipa,
tion, II was hardly possible that through.
out the future strife both should 90 un,
seathed, and Hammond, looking NOR,
frequently than ever at the dry and brittl,
token he still cherished, thought fondly
OF the little fingers that once pressed IL
and wondered il they would ever agi,iu
be elasped in his.
Then came one Of those bloody con.
hicts which tested 50 sorely the LOYAL
ranks and the report Of which fairly chilled
US as they thrilled over the Nurth-land
y was at Antietam. think The til
New Hampshire volunteers We're IN The
thickest of il, and suffered foariully. In
charge which the regiment participated
in, towards evening" hoadlong, blind
sortie, through piece Of wood-Ham.
mond and LANCE became separated, and
after q retreat had been effected, the ior.
mer was missing just at twilight while
the battle was raging along another part
Of the line, LANCE venturod again into the
wood. He hoped to find his friend aliv,
and be able 10 bring him in. Many u
form with the soul gone out Of il he tuIn-
bled over in the shodows; and many a
poor wounded fellow looked pttifutiy ~
at him as he closely scanned the feature,
OF those lying around His search was
rewarded finally. In a little hellw, by al,
old stump Clyde laid, bullet hol,
through his body, and the red current OF
life oozing out slowly. He roula talk
vet.
" Tn pretty near done fcr, Old fellow,
he said, through bit of smile. but ana
glad You came. You can deliver a mes
sage began to fear must almost 20 uu-
given. You remember the myrtle leaf,
LANCE Wen, there's a little girl aw.N
up there among the granite hills who gave
II 10 me the night before | left home
shes made the place more gladstone foI
the old folks than it might have been, tpi
she is merry hearted body, and like o.
daughter 10 them. But she is not my
sister, though my companion as such i1r
a dozen of wears, and She WI. 70 he my
wife when | got back"
His voice tremhled pcrccp,ibly, but b.,
swall> wed draught from LANCE can
teen and continued:
IL :, - =. - : :
me : but it's over now, and want you L,
put the leaf into a letter and send it {,
Nell, along with few words, just To lc,
her and the others know that I'm not COM
ing. loull do it, won't you You know
where it should GO"
LANCE found the simple keepsake wher,
1t had all along been carefully hidden
and at that moment Clyde tainted entire
ly. Firing near at hand compelled Lang.
to move back 10 his regiment, and with
never thought but that his friend wa
among the dead, lac that evening wrote
the promised message To the little girl u{
among the mountains. aud enclosed in il
the myrtle leaf she had given when she
gave her troth.
CHAPTER H.
1t was midsummer-time when the Iae>-
sage reached its on-milsummer
amid the gray New Hampshire hItfS
There had been hrcaths from the sunny
South which were waited even into th,
peaceful valley whore the Hammond
was situated. and which Ind ii
faint of blood in them. But none oi them
had breathed upon the senses OF the little
home circle that now waited auxiou>h
for news from the boy in,Aluc."
He had been kept safely 20 long THAT
they were beginning to think him pu.ot
against the dangers ii war, but when
news of the battle same and Was n,.
speedily followed by assurances of hi.
welfare, they doubted In the midst al
their anxious d0uhtte aul hoping. ramr
the message.
1t was just such an one rs came tumane
and many another home-iust such an
one as cut TO thousands Of other hearts
- i'IS. P|ih'l'>' t''e !'"' 81 my rue h'~
1 ~. o'lleu' III a certain sense, the EtI'F "}
! t-ii'ii van am 20 iltI9el'' ,ht h'' 'lts
SHOWN OF ms N"ephS H. lie never ha1
mentioned II IN ms letters, and >h' had
almost lofSotteh me giving Oh II. no"
hloch IL i'ad oeeh 70 Hlm-how much her
, iaa 1eeh 70 hiin-'H" I'tt'r lA'ie1
'e"i eio4uth'iy '''i' - 9lhttfH,'@ So
tfe'i' tneFelofe' she lala II ASIDE. Ana 't>
ne haa brought u i9f'h "ft"n 10 see inc
picture I, willch II ma from alt Others 50
sue "' oiten are" II from It's fteefi''lt
my feaH III II " s"uoGr story 'I,'Nl 'ef Z"
ouiis Mart ousi' =, =, hho"' anu 10 see Id
:. !" SAUL , ''t5''F IN ,'''n s1't ''' W.
" =. " "o''''s t ~ ''''i va w ~
: " o'i'.ia y. ''N MINI '''' u
9i.e sd oN'i'''''p u'i'''''S ''''' " l"''' y