River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-08-26


entity of all the graces of mind and
person which invariably adorn each IN
dividual OF Caucasian descent, desert.
ed by the nearest and dearest because
it is discovered that ever 80 slight
portion of African blood mingles with
q stream that circles in his veins And
shall such assertions be sanctioned by
an enlightened community Let's put
the question to ballot. Here 1t is in
its plainest form. Miss Winthrop, it
shall be your privilege to vote frst.
Would you, under any circumstances,
be willing to marry a--nigger I"
Z" How absurd ~ said Edith, her
bright face contracting with moment
AIRY expression Of disgust.
"Miss Edith" began Sandys, his
voice tremulous with emotion, his eyes
full of pathetically childlike entreaty.
What he would have said heaven
knows; he had evidently forgotten
that he had any auditors besides the
girl he addressed, but just at that mo-
ment there was a shrill scream and a
great connection in the bevy of chill
dren. We all FASTENED to the scene /;
there was no serious accident, only a
child had fallen from a swing; but our
little party, thus broken up, did not
| reunite.
As our young people paired off for
the return noticed that Sandys walked
with Edith, and / afterwards passed
them as they stood by Deacon Win
throp's gate. He was talking rapidly
and earnestly. She was motionless as
a statue, but l fancied that in the
moonlight could see the traces of tears
on her face.
Next day it was said that Sandys had
left for home very suddenly. He had
started. on foot early in the morning,
and all his belongings were sent after
him in the mail coach to the next town.
His abrupt departure made nine
days wonder, of course, and many
were the stories framed in explanation.
The one which gained the greatest de
gree of credit was this he had been a
slIve, the son of father who dared
not acknowledge him in his own home.
He had confessed to Edith his love and
the secret of his parentage as well, and
in his despair at her answer he had res
solved to leave place which could no
longer have any attraction for him.
Edith neither confirmed nor denied this
account. She was plainly unconscious,
or smiliDgly indifferent, when the sub
iect was preached in her presence. In
deed, her apparent insensibility was
too extreme to be regarded as altogeth
er sincere by those who had remarked
tue interest, never disguised, with
which she had regarded the absent
young man.
Sandys never returned the stirring
events of the following months occupied
our hearts and minds to the exclusion
OK all local topics, and he was forgot
ten. In the fall I'VE organized wide
awake associations and took part in
torchlight professions. All winter long
the gloomy anticipation of war smoul-
dered iii our breasts, to be startled into
flame by the shock that reused the
whole country. Our young men were
missed, first one and then another,
from their accustomed places. Our
girls made havelocks and knit stock
ings and wrote innumerable letters.
As you know, / obtained a position
as surgeon of volunteers. Edith and
Laura, despite much opposition on the
part of their friends, succeeded, as
they generally did, in following their
own sweet wills, and it happened that
in June, 1864, they were acting as
nurses under my direction, ut the paval
hospital at Annapolis. / confess that
at first doubted whether these young
girls had courage and capacity to fulfill
the trying duties demanded of them.
but my doubt gave place to admiring
wonder as L noted the unshrinking
tirmness; the grave, pitying gentleness,
they brought to the performance OF
/ their work.
Our patients were mostly exchanged
/ prisoners in every stage of debility and
loathsome disease. 1t is idle for me
to speak of the sickening horrors we
witnessed, the indescribable suffering
we strove, too often vainly, to relieve.
One day L was summoned to new
case, hopeless one, as / saw at the
| first glance. As we afterwards learned,
the prisoner, as an officer of negro
/ regiment, had been treated with more
than usual severity, and his release
had only been determined when it was
found that he was in dying condition.
Injured as | was to such sights, yet on
beholding the CHASTITY figure involun-
tarily shrank aud shivered. No such
weakness was betrayed by the brave
girl who had reached the scene before
me. Tenderly as his mother might,
she lifted the matted hair and bathed
the shrunken temples, aud strove with
anxious attention to gain some sign
that the poor patient realized that in
his last moments he was cared for by
friendly hands.
Suddenly the drawn muscles of his
face relaxed the mouth fell into
natural curves, the glazed eyes bright
ened, and in that momentary trans.
tiguration we recognized Robert
Sandys. Half lifting his head, he
Sazed into the face Of his nurse.
Edith" he said aud almost in the
Inference he fell back ON his pillow,
dead.
The next day we buried him. We
three who had once known him living,
snatched from our pressing cares a
brief time to follow his remains TO the
grave. Edith wept silently as the