Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-12-15
The Young Soldiers Story.

stories have what is called moral to
them and if you don't know what that
means l shall not stop to tell you.
1t matters very little who or what I
am, continued he. Ihave lain in silk
and purple, and grew up as one born to
command. I went to college, and very
likely you think was a wild, harum-
scarum devil of a fellow-boasting, driv-
ing, hunting, cultivating wine. cards,
and so on. WE'LL if you think SO, you
are mistaken. [ was quiet, studious
young man, [ might add moral and it
would have been perfectly true. l loved
books, study, and peace, was a good
scholar, liked the arts, and was a good
infant. But | still had fiery devil in
me-
4 fell in love with little doll of a
girl about my own age, that was seven
teen, and for whom I would have taken
my heart out of my bosom. could have
put her in my breast to shelter her as
one would little bird and she loved
me with such a strength of faith, and
had been Don Juan himself, there was
such lavish trust in her that | would
have been converted from a debauchee
into an honest man.
She is still now as frozen rill-
sleeping like the streams of winter-she
will never waken again.
Yes, she was a lovely little trusting
flower, the daugheer of a worthy trades.
man, who loved her as the apple of his
eye but she was worthy of throne,
and | would have given her one if |
could She is poor now, and so am l.
Our dream of love was delicious, but
very brief. She eloped with me-she
became my wife.
My parents heard that had eloped
with the child of a tradesman, and threat
ened the old man with rum and annihila-
ton. Tt would not have taken much to
have broken his heart, for it was half
gone already but what was done could
not be undone -and | though my faith
er and mother loved me too we'll to thwart
me, and that l had only to bring her
home to give her another father and
mother, who would love her like her own.
i meant to have put her back into
| has bosom. and said, embrace your
daughter, but also embrace my wife, and
/ ynn can lowe her still hnt that day
never came. l believed, however, very
firmly in it, and was happy, living il
little Eden of my own, far from the
turmoil of life, and expecting then my
little baby hourly.
My parents prevented this. Yes, they
hindered all. We lived in Wales at tn,
period, and when my baby was born
and she put it in my bosom, and laic
her own sweet little head beside it, L
prayed for her, for both, and loved then
more and more. Then 1 made up m,
mind to return to my fathers home
One day I went to my little home
after walking, and found her gone, boil
gone Then the sleeping devil within
me woke up. l learned from the peopl
of the house, that stern man and
proud, pale woman, richly dressed, drov
up in splendid chariot, drawn by fou
horses, and carried off-robbed me O
my wife and child. They denied an
knowledge of either. | cursed both, an
left the house never to return to it agair
81 need not tell by what means trae
ed my Alice through stages of wretched
ness and penury, till found both moth
er and child dying on mean pallet
PARISH WUTk-uOuS6.
i, 81 could have called curses from hea,
| en-, and fires from hell to avenge tn
objectionable wrong-for what had thi
pale and tender dove done to win sue
o an injury /? But when [ saw her pal
e thin cheeks, and heard her moaning, an
| Lo1 &ho ho1f or
breast of the woman / adored, stille
: my soul | shed no tears heard h,
t utter cry of joy and pain, and the
e the thin, helpless hand wandered ov
e my head, as l laid it, kneeling by h
side in that horrible hole, upon h
= breast beside my child.
i '.To lose a parent, to lose moth
one loves-to lose friend one is dev
d ted to-to lose dog that has been yo
n companion for long years, is all painful
y what was it to this !? Was it for this
h had sought her {? Was it thus my p
rents had shown their love ? Was it
le see her die that | had moved the hea
ems and the earth to discover her !?
= 3Take my head in your arms, my de
d George" she said family. "Take I
h child in your arms, too. Kiss me-k
Id the baby.-You love us, do you not
) God bless you-God protect you
/ not separate US. Do not forget us.
10 have borne much-but loved you de;
n. ly and | forgive every one, as [ ho
1t to be forgiven
u ! The rough soldiers turned away, a
h. one or two wiped their eyes.
k. "Little Alice" l said, s'are you goi
rs without me ?
~ 1 am only going before you, she sal
: and felt that she was speaking