The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-05-20
1l For The Bloomfield Times.
The Stolen Meeting
A Story of the'Rebellion.
BY W. A. HOLLAND.

the gateway Of q spacious garden, attached
to one of those manorial-like residences,
was cautiously pushed open and two beau
tiful women appeared outside, who seemed
to be waiting for the appearance of third
person.
"You must not let your courage fail,
Annie" said sweet voice, that tried to
be heroic, "you must not fail, you are in
the path of duty, then why should you
tremble ?''
But the companion of the fair speaker
hesitated, and drew back.
"Ohl what will father say P' was her
reply. "I have never disobeyed him be-
fore, and he has always been so kind to
me-"
"What will Raymond say, if you do not
meet him9 He is going to join the army
tomorrow he is about to risk his life in
a noble cause.-the defence of our glorious
union-will you then refuse to say farewell
to him ?''
AS she spoke, she dragged her compan-
ion forward beyond the gateway, and at
the same instant, a gentleman attired in
plain citizens clothes, and carrying cloak
on his arm to be used if necessary as dis
guise, emerged from the shadow of the
wall.
"There, I'll keep watch here" said the
first speaker, pushing her timid, blushing
friend toward the eager cavalier, "and do
not be ashamed to tell Captain Raymond
how much you love him."
Annie was in her eighteenth year..
Though slight and fragile, her stature was
sufficiently tall, and her form of beautiful
proportions She had an exquisite com
plexion, wavering between fair and dark,
sometimes one and sometimes the other ;
and features not susceptible of classifica-
ton, but ever varying with her emotions
and fully expressing them.
Hitherto her life had been an unbroken
dream of pleasure, with the exception of
the agony of the loss of her beloved mother.
But death being one of the inevitable in
stances of this life, nature provides solace
for the pang. Although we must die, it is
natural to mourn the departed but nature
enables us to bear the loss, and provides
other objects to occupy our affection, and
then in our turn we shall be loved and lost,
mourned and forgotten.
Annie was the only daughter of Judge
Mitchell, who after having been success
lively elected to many important offices,
which he had filled with honor, had retired
few years before the rebellion, to his
splendid country seat in the vicinity OF
Warrenton junction, Virginia.
Like many of the wealthy officials he
had leaned strongly to the cause of the
South, and hence had banished his daugh-
ter's fayorite sutor from the house, though,
previous to trouble between the North and
South, no person had been more welcome
guest there, than Charles Raymond, q
brilliant and rising lawyer and the orphan
son of Judge Mitchell's early friend and
patron.
"The traitor" he exclaimed, angrily,
when he announced this to Annie, 81
might have forgiven him, if he had stood
neutral, though it is a shame in one whose
ancestors were all of southern birth, to be
even that; but to take sides with the abol
tionists, to accept commission In theil
beggarly army, I'll never forgive him al
long az live.
"YOu'll live TO see him hung" he contin
ued, indifferent to Annie's tears, for til,
Judge was one of those who had little car,
for the feelings Of others, when he was an
cry Many better man, and less Of ;
traitor, has suffered death.''
Thus forbidden to visit his lady love
Raymond, or Captain Raymond, as W.
ought to call him, had solicited parting
interview with Annie, before he Joined hil
regiment, request which she had delayed
to grant, for, brought up as she had been
it seemed both unmaidenly in itself ant
ungrateful toward her father.
Not that she did not love Raymond. N,
pledges, indeed, had ever been exchanged
between them; but they had been so mucl
together, and their tastes were so similar
that she could not help but love him
though she was ignorant Of the state of he
heart till her father had banished Ray
mOnd. This action first revealed to he
how much her happiness depended on hin
but in spite Of all this, her strict ideas 0
duty might have prevented her grantinI
the interview SO eagerly solicited, had
not been for her friend and schoomate
Virginia Rivers, who plead the lover
cause with an eloquence that found onl
too faithful an ally in the heart of her lis
fo,.ar 'N