American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-03-16
VOL. XIII.

| COhS VI AScu NOTlNcrn nome,
But instead of the golden-haired it'll
girl that Ben had pictured to himself
what was his surprise to find Ella a tall
graceful woman of eighteen, who met hin
with the sweetest of smiles, gave him tn,
softest of little hands, and told him in tn,
sweetest of voices that he was welcome
Charlie was right This acas new ant
rather awkward situation for a bachelor
verging close upon fortys one, too, who
had always feared the girls, and hat
Stunned them until they had set him dowI
in their lists as perfectly horrid, crus
ty, sour old bear"
And so you expected to find a little
girl, that you could take upon your knee
and fondle, and kiss to your hearts con
tent ?" said kind, motherly Mrs. Granger
to Ben, one day when Ella was out of the
room.
YES" said Charlie from the sofa
land you ought to see, Mrs Granger
what loads of swectmeats and toys he has
| brought her a DOLL
Ben blushed blushed like a school.
girl blushed clear up to the roots of his
hair, until the crimson tide could be
plainly seen in spite of the tan which his
Southern campaign had left upon his
handsome face.
But no one could get angry with merry,
ight-hearted, rafting Charlie.
Mrs. Granger soon grew to like him al
most as her own child, and little Ella, as
they all called her, would spend hours by
his sofa, reading to him in her soft, rich
voice. -
With such sweet care, the time with
him went by upon golden wings, each
day finding him little stronger
Its but right" said Ben to himself,
as he watched them day after day, she
reading to him, or listening to his tales
of the war. "'Tis but right they are
both young, and will make each other
happy" But somehow, each day, as he
saw them, he could not help wishing he
was not so old and weather-beaten, and
grizzlcd, and awkward. And somehow,
each day he seemed to grow a great deal
older, and more weather beaten, and more
grizzled and awkward.
81 am afraid Ben is not WELL" said
Mrs. Granger, one day after he had left
the table. HE doesn't seem to eat much
of late"
Poor Ben did not know himself what
that he did not feel right, as he watched
those two day after day. OF course he
did not know that he was in love- Peo-
pie are often sick without knowing it.
You must take good care of Charlie
MOTHER said Ben, one morning at the
breakfast table. My leave of absence has
expired, and I must be off to the wars
again"
No need to tell her." thought he, as
he saw the blush upon Elias cheek.
A few mornings later, the gOOd-byes
were said and he was gone.
Gone, after holding again that soft, lit
tie hand within his own for a moment,
and looking again into the misty depths
of the violet eyes that had once smiled SO
sweetly upon him, fancying he saw there
just the smallest tear of regret.
''Of course she's sorry to see me CO."
said he to himself dozen times that day,
Only this, and nothing more"
He did not know-he did not dream-of
the face buried in its pillow, of the tears
that dimmed those violet eyes up in Elias
room at home, while he was being sped
away, plucking at his n-brown whisk-
ers, and wishing he was not SO old, and
grizzled, and awkward.
We never know such things as these.
But let us not grumble at fate
But little time did Ben find for repin-
ings, for his regiment was ordered into
active duty almost Immediately after his
return.
Surely he missed his merry. light
hearted Charlie.
Letters from home did not come very
regularly, for the communications were
often cut off, but in each one that did
come his mother spoke of the invalid as
still slowly improving, and of her and
little Elias anxiety and care for him.
But one day there came a letter with
black lines around the margin, and Ben
knew before he opened it that poor dear
Charlie was no more.
1--WE made his grave in the churchyard
beside your brothers," Mrs. Granger
wrote, land little Ella has sodded it with
grass, and planted flowers about the
headstOne"
Among all the rough, strong hearts
that were saddened at this newsstand
there were many-nOne knew of the fierce
struggle that was going on in the breast
of Lieutenant Ben.
Fiercer than any battle was the contest
between friendship and honor upon the
one side, and love upon the other.
All who will undertake to say which
will be the victor +?
Ben Granger, you are a brute ~ he
would say to himself almost fierccly, as
he went modify about his duties.
And this seemed to be about the only
conclusion he ever came to in the matter.
At last came Sherman's march to the
sea, and with it the terrible battle of
Resaca.
Many noted the wild, reckless courage
with which Ben plunged into the thickest
of the fight on that bloody day.
When it was over, he was lying, pale
and faint, upon the sanguinary field, with
terrible wound in the shoul, er.
Poor fellow! A bad case !" said the
surgeon, as he went his rounds that night,
and found Ben sleeping, after his wound
had been dressed. =" But what is this ?"
picking up small pocket diary that lay
upon the table.
That" said the waiter, ''is something
Perhaps you had better keep it till he re-
covers"
"Ah see," said the doctor, "and a
picture. Sister, or sweetheart, perhaps
Pity she isn't here to nurse the poor
fellow"
And so he went on his round taking
the picture with him: a picture that re-
minded one wonderfully of the girl away
off among those Northern hills-the girl
with misty, violet eyes, and sunny hair.
The same who, two days later, looking
over the paper, saw among the list of the
wounded in that terrible battle, the name
that was dcarer to her than any other
The same who, five days later, knocked
at the surgeons office of that hospital,
and made inquiry for a wounded sol
dier, whose description Ben answered pre-
cisely-
and he produced the little bit of paste
board IL found it in one of the rooms :;
your face brought it to my memory"
"Show me where you found this ?"
But what need to prolong my story
Perhaps every one would not have taken
that great brown hand in theirs, and kiss
ed that male forehead as little Ella did