The Placer herald., 1872-11-23

sweetest smiles, gave him the softest of little
hands, and told him in the sweetest voice
that he was welcome.
Charlie was right. This was new and
rather awkward situation for a bachelor verg-
ing close upon forty; one, too, who had al
ways feared the girls and had stunned them
until they had set him dawn in their lists as
a perfectly honid crusty, sour old bear"
''And SO you expected to find a little girl
that you could take upon your knee and fon-
die and kiss TO your hearts content?' said
Mrs. Granger to Ben one day when Ella was
out OF the room.
Yes" said Charlie, "and you ought to
see, Mrs. Granger, what loads of sw eet-
meats and toys he has in his trunk, and l do
bel eve he has also brought her doll.
Ben blushed bushed like schoolgirl;
blushed clear up to the roots of his hair, un-
til the crimson tide could be plainly seen in
spite of the tan which the Southern cam
paign had left upon his handsome face.
But no one could get angry with merry,
light-heared, ratting Charlie.
Mrs. Granger soon grew to like him al
most as her own child, and little Ella, as
they called her, would spend hours by his
sofa reading to him in her soft, sweet voice
With such sweet care the time went 10y
upon golden wings, each day finding him a
little stronger.
'Tis 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. "'Ts but right; they are both young
and will make each OTHER happy" Bat some
how, each day, as he saw them, he could
not help wishing he was not SO old and wealth
beaten and grizzled 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 was
the matter with him; he only knew that he
did not feel right, as lie watched those two
day after day. OF course he did not know
that lie was in love. People are often sick
without knowing it,
You must take good care of Charlie,
mother" said Ben one morning at the break
f st table. "My leave Of absence has ex
pred and | must be off to the wars again.
No need to tell her" thought lie, as he
saw the blush upon Elias cheek.
A few mornings after the goodbyes were
said, and he WAS gone; gone, after holding
again the soft little hand within his own for
d moment and looking again into the misty
depths of violet eyes that had once smiled SO
sweeiy upon him fancying lie saw there just
the smallest tear of regret
cog oorrso uIa'c corry RI COO mo Co .
said he to himself a dozen times that day;
sorry for father or elder brother. Only
this and nothing more
He did not know-be did not dream-of
the face buried in its pillow, of the tears
that dimmed those eyes up in Elias room at
home, while he was being sped away pluck
ing at his sun-browned whskers and wish
ing that he was not so old and grzzled and
awkward.
We never know such things as these. But
let us not grumble at fate.
But little time did Ben find for replning,
for his regiment was ordered into active duty
almost Immediately after his return Surel,
he missed lis merry, light-hearted Charlie.
Letters from home did not come very reg
ulary, 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 anx-
ie,y and care for him.
But one day there came letter with black
lines around the Margin and Ben knew be-
fore he opened it that poor, dear Charlie was
no more.
"We made his grave in the graveyard
beside your brothers," Mrs. Granger wrote,
"and little Ella has sodded it with grass and
planted flowers about the headstone.
Among all the rough, strong hearts that
were saddened at this news-and there were
many none knew of the fierce struggle that
was going on in the breast Of Lieutenant Ben.
Fiercer than any battle was tie contest
between friendship and honor upon the one
side and love on the o.her.
All! who shall undertake TO say which
shall be the victor?
"Ben Granger are you brute ?" he would
say 10 himself ALMOST tiercely, as he went
moody about his duties.
And this seemed to b, about the only con-
clusion he ever came to in the matter.
At last came Sherman's march to the sea,
and with it the terrible battle Of Res ca.
Many noticed the wild, reckless courage
with which Ben plunged into the thckest of
the right on that bloody day.
When it was over he was lyipg, pale and
faint, upon the sanguinary field, with ter
rible wound in the shoulder.
"Foor iellow "A bad case!' said the sur
geon, as lie went his rounds that ight and
found Ben sleeping after his wound had been
dressed. "But what is this p picking up
small pocket diary that lay on the table.
That, said the waiter, ''is something
that fell out when they took off his coat.
Perhaps you had better keep it till he recov-
ers."
"Ab. see," said the doctor, "and a pic
ture. Sister or sweetheart, perhaps. Pity
she isn't here to nurse the poor fellow"
And so he went his round, taking the pic
.,,,o h him n v,;ctura that ron,udad him