The Shasta courier., 1869-05-15

/" We shall go into bivouac before night,
colonel"
Slowly the life blood was trickling down
upon the greensward where Paul Dana lay
dying. But as the words fell upon his ear
ne looked up enquiringly into the speakers
face and asked
$50 soon ?"
Yes, the march is almost"
But the sentence was left unfinished,
while the fast falling tears interpreted, only
too truly, to the dying colonel the chaplain's
solemn meaning.
Oh, and am l so soon to die? And
mother and Lille not here to kiss me once
more Not one loved one near to hold the
hand of the poor soldior boy as he wrestles
with death o nother mother, how I
bless you now for the prayer you taught
Inc in my infancy And you'll tell her
this, chaplain? And tell-tell her to
whom my heart is pledged to come to me
in heaven"
The heavy lids dropped low, but we're
suddenly rolled back again: the glazing
eyes flashed brilliantly, and flush over
spread the pallid face. The brave patriot
was again in the battle scene, and spring
ing to his feet shouted,-
Forward brave men Of
But the bugle call had sounded the
halt" Softly the shadows on that Sep
tember evening descended and closed in
around the bloody field of Antietam, while
Luna's pale light fell in long, quivering
arrows upon the upturned faces of dead
and dying
x y x X x X x "a
And, mama, / must send some sweet
geranium leaves in my letter to Paul
they will smell of home, you know And
he"
Miss Lille, dere's gemmen in de par
lor wants to see you berry tic ler," and the
sooty face and queer figure disappeared
from the room as unceremoniously as they
had entered
"Must 1 go? Well only moment,
mama, dear, and then you shall have your
lassie back again y and throwing a kiss
from the tips of her tiny, pink fingers,
Lille Maynard tripped lightly down the
cottage-stairs and entered the parlor, her
heart bounding with happiness, and cheek
and lip beautiful with the elixir of life.
A tall, benign-looking gentleman ad-
vanced to meet her. With glad smile
she held out her hand and said,-
i am sure have the pleasure of speak
ing with Mr.. Cammorford, chaplain of
Colonel Dana's regiment. Is he"
But some mysterious power seemed to
arrest the words that she would speak, and
they froze on the trembling lips
1t was indeed Mr. Cammorford, and
looking compassionately on her for a mo-
ment, with visible emotion, he impressive
ly said =
"The Lords will be doncw
But Lille remained motioness, while
the heaving bosom and rigid look attested
to her suffering and the fearless eyes plead
ed eloquently to know all The chaplain
understood the mute appeal, aud leading
her to sofa, gently placed her unresisting
form upon it. Then, in kind and father
ly manper, and uttering many beautiful
words of consolation, he unfolded to her
eager ear the story of her lovers death,
how nobly he had fallen at his post, how
he remembered and loved her to the last
and how brightly the spirit of '76 had
burned in his bosom, even until his going
soul had gone forth on its long, long jour
ney.
But no word came from the stricken lips,
no sob from the anguished heart, only
low moan. She appeared to be unconscious
of his presence or to know that her lovers
remains had been brought to his home in
the village; but as he arose to go she
murmured in dreamy sort of way, as if
talking to herself
" He said we were to be united on the
first day of the New Year"
Lille never smiled again no complaint
escaped her pale lips, but sorrow had
entered her soul which only the waters of
eternity might head. There was gradual
wasting away of life's powers; her step
lost its elasticity and her cheek its peach
like bloom Yet in sunshine or storm she
daily visited Paul Dana's grave. 1t was
her Mecca.
Her mother and young associates tried
in vain to win her from this grief. Earth
had lost its every charm, and from the
sweet, spiritual-looking face, it was evident
that the pearly gates would soon be reached.
But her suffering touched no chord of
sympathy in the heart of William Berry
They seemed only to intensity his hate
Pity and her sisterhood were banished
from his presence, as was clearly shown by
his conduct when he met the gentle girl
once more. She was returning from her
sacred vigils, and would have passed on,
but he stepped before her, and in slow and
measured tones hissed in her ear, while he
looked the impersonation of Satanic hate
81 am satisfied.
When the unforgiving man again looked
upon that wasted form, the pure spirit had
gone "where the wicked cease from troub-
ling and the weary are at rest.
With sighings, and clouds of driving
sleet, and angry means, the cold December
days drifted away. And now the old year,
with all its sunny. light days, and gloomy
and sad, was among the records Of the
past. Lille had wandered as usual to the
grave of her soIdier-lover. Some of the
simple villagers passing the spot at night
fall found her there; her fair hair bad
escaped its confinement, and fell in long