The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-05-18


the emotion that possessed me-bewilder-
ment, intoxication, madness. | showered
kisses on her beautiful eyes, on her soft
tresses, on her lips that met mine half way;
but this excess of joy, together with the
pain of my wound, began to overpower
me: sleep growing and drowsy stupor,
against which l struggled in vain, stole
over me. l remember clasping her firm
little hand in mine, as if to save myself
from sinking into oblivion, and then-no
more-no more!
'On again coming back to consciousness,
| | was alone. The sun was rising, but had
not yet risen. The scenery, the thickets
through which we had skirmished, rose
dark as the deepest indigo against the am
Der tinted eastern sky; and the last hight
of the waning moon yet silvered the pools
and marshes around the borders OF the
.Langso Lake, where now eight thousand
men, the slain of yesterdays battle, We're
lying stark and stiff. Moist with dew and
blood, propped myself on one elbow and
looked around me, with such wonder that
a sickness came over me. l was again IN
the cemetery where the bullet had struck
me down; little grey owl was whooping
and blinking in a recess of the crumbling
wall. Was the drapery of the chamber but
| the ivy that rustled thereon? for where
| the lighted buffet stood there was an Old
square tomb, wherein lay my sword and
bearskin cap.
"The last rays of the waning moonlight
stole through the ruins on a new-made
graye-the fancied .fauteua on which lay
-strewn with the flowers of yesterday,
and at its head stood a temporary cross,
hung with white garlands and wreaths OF
immortelles. Another ring was on my
finger now; but where was she, the donor !?
Oh, what opium dream, or what insanity
was this?
'For time l remained utterly bewilder-
ed by the vividness Of my recent dream,
for such believed it to be. But if a dream,
how came this strange ring, with square
emerald stone, upon my finger? And
uAere was mine9 Perplexcd by these
thoughts, and filled with wonder and re-
greet that the beauty 1 had seen had no
reality, picked my way over the shostly
| Debris of the battlefield, faint, icyerish,
and thirsty, till at the end of long avenue
of lindens found shelter in stately brick
mansion, which l learned belonged to the
Count of Idstedt, noble on whose hospi
taiit7-~as be favored the Holsteiners-1
meant to intrude as little as possible.
HE received me, however, courteousiy
and kindly. l found him in deep mourn
ing and on discovering, by chance, that
was the officer who had halted the line of
skirmishers when the funeral cortege pass
ed on THO previous day, he thanked me
with earnestness. adding, with deep sigh,
that it was the burial of his only aa+ glitter.
''' Half my life seems to have gone with
her-my lost darling! She was so sweet,
| Herr Kaptain-so gentle, and so surpas
singly beautifui-lny poor Thyra!"
s"Who did you say I exclaimed, in
a voice that sounded strange and unnatur-
al, while half-starting from the sofa on
which had cast myself sick at heart and
faint from loss of blood.
'"Thyra, my daughter Herr kaptain,"
replied the Count, too full of sorrow to re-
mark my excitement, for this had lsen the
quaint old Danish name uttered in my
dream. "See, what a child | have lost!'
he added as he drew back curtain which
covered full-length portrait, and, to my
growing horror and astonishment ! be-
held. arrayed in white, even as l had seen
her III NJ vision, the fair girl with the
masses of golden hair, tise beautiful eyes,
ard the piquante smile lighting up her teat
ures even on the canvas, and | was rooted
to the spot.
e"This ring, Herr Count?' l gasped.
.He let the curtain fall from his hand,
and a terrible emotion seized him, as he
almost tore the jewel from my finger.
."My daughters ring" he exclaimed.
ssIt was buried with her yesterday-her
grave has been violated-violated by your
! infamous troops.
/ AS he SpeLe, mist seemed to come
over my sight: gjddiness pfafte m% %2nseS
reel then a hand 1.-THE soft little hand Of
last night, with my opal ring on its third
fneer-came stealing into mine, unseen.
More than that, a kiss from tremulous lips
| could not see was pressed on mine, as
/ sank backward and tainted. The remain
der of the s,oly ppst be briefly told.
my soldering was over; my nervous
system was too much shattered for further
military service. On my homeward way
to Join and be wedded to Marie LOUISE
union with whom was repGgHant 70 me
now-I pondered deeply over the strange
subversion of the laws of nature presented
by my adventure; or the madness, 1t might
be, that had come upon me.
'On the day presented myself to my
| intended bride, and approached to salute
| her, fe,t :, hari-the same hand-laid
softly on mine. Starting. ana trembling,
! | looked around me; but saw nothing. -
The grasp was firm. | passed my other
hand over it and felt the slender fingers
and the shapely wrist; yet still saw moth
| ing, and Marie Louise gazed at my mo-
tions, my pallor, doubt, ana terror, with
\ calm, but cool Indignation
L was about to speak-to expiain-to
say know not what, when a kiss from
| lips could not see sealed mine and with
cry like a scream broke away from my