Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-10-28
Love Conquers AL.


to what sweet purpose they were to be
put they blossomed -out so gayly that
golden spring yellow buttercups and
moccasin flowers and pink and white
shooting STAR on the prairies, with
patches of blue violets, set like ting lake
lets in the grass while skirting the dim
old woods, red as a fringe of fire. myri-
ads Of painted cups bloomed forth.
Further on in the shadowy hooks the
delicate dicentra nodded on its slender
stems. and Solomon's seals shone out,
and the tri-leafed wake-robin lifted its
dusky face, while under their broad
green :'sunshades' the snowy mandrakes
pure as hot-house japonicas, unfolded
their waxen petals. And the children,
even those who had gardens and conser-
vatories at their service, seemed to feel
that they could bring on that sad day of
remembrance no filter offering than these
dainty wild flowers, fresh from their own
wild home.
It was Friday afternoon. Word had
been given in school that on the follow
ing days, the soldiers graves were to be
decorated, and as soon as the bell sound
ed for dismissal the boys and girls in
merry troops made raid ON woodland
and prairie for all manner of pretty
symbols were to be fashioned, and it had
! been decided in the noon council that
the flowers must be gathered that night.
/ But while the rest of the children were
trooping away, laughing and chatting
as they went, little Fay Hunter stood
leaning against the door-post pulling
petulently at her bonnet strings, with an
angry look in her great dark eyes.
''Come Fay called Kittie Field, her
deskmate, running back and catching her
by the hand. But Fay frowned and
drew herself away. "Do come" entreat-
ed Kittie, .'it's lovely in the woods. and
we can get all the flowers we want, and
in the morning we'll make them into
wreaths, and brother Jack will 90 with
us to help decorate the soldiers graves. :"
''What do you s'pose 1 care for your
4 soldiers graves % said Fay disdainfully.
81 wouldn't put SO much as a spear of
grass on one of them y
s'Kittie, patriotic to her hearts core,
opened her blue eyes wide, and tossed
back her fleece of faxen hair, with a
proud little way of her own
''Ihere are two c0n1ederates Durleu Ill
Cedar Cemetery. May be you'd like to
honor them with some flowers ?''
care there ?" said Fay eagerly. 'In-
deed, would. 1t isn't likely that any
one else will remember them, poor fell
lows !''
The pride had gone out of Fay's face,
and there were tears in her eyes, seeing
which, Kittie was instantly repentant
"Come with us, Fay, dear, and I'll
help you make wreaths for them"
Fay was sobbing now 80, Kitty
: Why did they ever have that horrid, hor
: rid war ? do so want to love you all
And papa says l mustn't, because your
soldiers killed my brothers p
: ''Your soldiers killed my brother ?
e said Kitty, half reproachfully. "Ant
$ when you came to Cova, l didn't wan
to play with you because you were
1 Southerner. But mamma says we mus
: love our enemies. y
: ''And so we will p said Fay, warmly
Il tell papa, that nobody can help Low
) ing you, Kittie Field" And, linkin,
), arms, the two little ma;dens left tn
n school house, and strolled after thei
playmates.
. Cova perhaps in the gazateers it
d known by some other name) is small
/. quiet town on the banks of the Mississir
/ pi During the war a hospital and
newspaper had fourished at Cova, bot
o of which, having fulfilled their mission
+ s'wound up when peace was declared
le The hospital was originally intended fc
the reception of Union soldiers only /; b,
as several times it chanced that some of Il
a Southern prisoners, on their way to IL
u Rock Island barracks, too sick to trav
10 further. had been put ashore here an
taken into its wards. IN almost evel
be instance, under the careful nursing
I'd Mother Molly, the Florence Nightengal
5 who managed the Cova hospital, the
! had recovered, and been sent on The
way Two of the number. however, a
L ter lingering for weeks, found their lon
I'M ly barracks at last in a cornor of Ced
Cemetery, The, inhabitants of Co
were chiefly New Englanders and VIII
Col Hunter, whose fortune had go
= down with those of the Confederac
on came with his family to live among thel
lis he found few to sympathize with
al openly expressed enmity toward t
, North. Little Fay tried hard to thil
!: papa was right; but the kind old gran
un n father with whom they made their hon
and all the rest of her new friends, see
,ed ed SO true and good that papa's careful
'he inculcated opinions were fast losing th'
TO Z, hold, though the change, perhaps, v
>; due more to her friendship for Kit
~ Ella a.. e. 4l.- e.,..aa 4