The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-12-04

The winter rolled by slowly, and he
did not de- Sometimes would feel a
wild hope that he might recover, and
he would see it shining in my eyes, and
would smile and shake his head in an
swer to the unspoken thought. II
li" In the spring." he SAID, very often
-" in the spring, shall die"
The spring came too soon. The rob
ms began to sing in the sunshine-the
starting came to his old nest in the ap-
pie tree by the wall. Sometimes Frank
would bid me open the window 80 that
he could hear the plaintive notes of the
bluebirds and the twitter of the spar
rows under the caves. Wrapped in
heavy shawls, and sitting in his great
arm chair, he would gaze out the win
dow with his dreamy blue eyes till he
seemed to forget that was there.
They are getting ready" he would
murmur. 81 shall hear from them
soon. 'H
thought he was talking of the
angels. p hR
What do you see out there, Captain
Frank ?" asked DIR. Thomas, one such
day, as he entered the room.
81 am looking southwark !" whis-
pered Frank. There will be grand
news from the front very soon. That is
what L am waiting for" nm o b..
Then we understood him. The win
dow looks toward the south, and COM
mands view of the road leading to
the village, ten miles away. And it was
there he sat when he died., You must
know that here on the Heights we get
the news bat once week. We are on
no high road where travellers pass. The
half dozen farmers who live on the
Heights with us, like us, go to the vii
lage on Saturdays, the common market
day. Then we get the weekly news
paper, which is issued III the village on
Friday morning, and contains all of the
events of the week that is past.
/ , Frank slept none on Thursday night,
and Friday morning early he asked that
Philip be sent to the village for the
Republican.
1t was afternoon when Philip re-
turned. Frank sat by the open window,
gazing earnestly down the road. 1t was
beautiful day. The air was balmy as
in June, and the birds were flying
about aud twittering joyously in the
trees. Presently Philip came in sight
around a bend in the road. He was wav-
ing the newspaper in the air, and
seemed to be shouting something, but
we could not hear. The orchard shut
him from view minute after, and ran
down stairs to meet him at the gate and
get the Iepubtican. - g AZ z. .'
Hooray cried Philip. "Vic-
tory !" o., Ifn-t,g 80 sa
Idevoured the news with quick eyes,
and then ran up, stairs to Frank, and
knelt by his chair.
u" Dear husband" said L. the news
is grand. Do you think you can bear
to hear it ?"
Mary said he, =" shall never be
stronger than | am this hour. 1t is my
last. Tell me the good news. / have
waited long for it." ZE moo r.
Amidst my tears / read the news.
Richmond was evacuated and our
troops occupied it. jeff Davis was fly
ing for his life, and Lees whole army
had surrendered to Grant. An order
had been issued to stop recruiting and
drafting. Peace had already dawned.
He listened with closed eyes, an ex-
preston of unutterable happiness on his
white face.
"Glory !" he murmured, when I had
done. "The night is past. Dear wife,
| am happy now. knew should live
to see the dawn"
An hour later he passed away. sat
at his feet, clasping his hand in both of
mine.
Mary" he whispered, "you know
the legacy l leave my boy. He is too
young to understand now, but as he
grows up teach him it's priceless value.
The day will come when he will be
prouder to know that his father died
one of the martyrs in freedoms cause
than he would be if L had made him
heir to millions. Twas a soldier, too
Iwore the army blue
His breath came fainter and fainter.
His hand grew lifeless in my. clasp.
Then he rose up in his chair, gazed
with brilliant eyes out at the window
toward the south, waved his bony hand
in the air, and fell back upon the cush-
ions. touched his cold forehead with
my trembling lips, and heard his last
faint whisper. wvWy rKEB
~ " Mary-don't forget II wore the
blue ~ And he was one of the many.