Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-12-02
3Niseellary.
A Fortune Saved.
By MARY c. VAUGHN.

BY MARY c. VAUGHN.
The war was over, and Bella had come
home to me-that is, the shadowy wreck
which answered &c the name. and assumed
the place in our home life that had been
occupied by my handsome young husband.
confess sometimes vaguely questioned
if it were really he whom | saw moving
about so uncertainty and stitfly, and heard
speaking with the weak, cracked vCices in
which | could trace no relation to the
round, ringing tones i had so loved to
hear. His face was pale, with Il deep
scar across the brow, his hair was thin and
faded, his form angular and weak, and
swaving quite unbalanced by that useless
sleeve that dangca limp where his good
right arm mad Eeen.
"Oh. is its it Bela?' | cried out,
weakly, myself, when left alone. could
hardly believe that, or anything else. |
doubted often if | were |, so different |
looked and felt from the rosy Young girl
who only three wears before had stood up
proudly beside that tall, handsome Bella
Stone, in his smart blue uniform. with the
shining buttons ana the maj Or's leaves
upon the shoulders.
had never had IN anxious thought or 4
care till he went into the army. | have
had many since, especially since our
marriage.
He had brief Through, and some
hindranreS had brought it nearly to its
expiration at our wedding day. SO our
bridal tour WAS army-ward. We had
meant it for 50 much of 4 pleasure Journey
rs might be Won from those gloomy war
times. but it proved far different.
We found my husbands regiment was
already treadinG the path which led to
active service, and none knew what peril :;
and our t,rewell> We're said Tie very next
morning, while ! was left to reach my
home alone. He WAS gone to danger and
suffering. and it was no part Of my ideal
life in these sad. stirring days to shrink
from either The halt-abandoned post
now held only hospitals and their >utlicing
guard. and SAW work for mc-not
| pleasant. but worthy and satisfying in
those great wards where 80 much pain and
misery gathered.
And thus il was that my brow, above
which the bridal blossoms had not vet
faded. bent daily over the couch of
suffering.
l do not know how long | remained
there in the hospitals. | cannot remember.
1
to wake suddenly out Of a long eclipse of
life long. strange >,agnalion of faculties.
through which 4 few vague and scattering
thoughts had seemed to swim slowly and
cluSivclv.
WAS in my own old bed and familiar
room at home. tried t. rise from nv
pillow ana take Il look about me; but il
seemed easier for me 10 lie still and list
! ~,
unreal thought; noting in the same halt
Indifferent way that the fields and gardens
were covered by snow. all unlike tn,
rreenncss of those Virginia fields and
Woodlands had last seen.
Then it occurred to me that had been
i'll. seemed to remember Il burnn.
brain and aching head. and something
connected these with the hospitals. And
my white, thin hands. and skeleton arms.
my feeble li-tle~-ne>s-litlle by little
noted these and built up the probable
theory of their cause. And then little by
little. learned all and heard how.
summoned by the tidingS of my terrible
illness, my mother had FASTENED to Nir-
cinia and nursrd me there through it
most dangerous phases.
! During this time, the army had been
passing through the fiery Ir and tumult
of the greatest and most decisive battle, OF
the w;tr. Many women had lost THEN
nearest and dearest. Mine WAS spared to
me- But oh, 50 MANNED and suffering. :,
feeble and wan. lie had recovered hao
been home and left again while | Law in
that Stupor of the t;icultic- and dear
fellow, they said he screwed morc-f:ll
more-for me than for himself, and the
loss of that good right arm that threw him
helpless on the world.
1t was while | lay in that long con
valescence that l first saw him. wan
spectre of his former >elf-movinr about
my room. and casting those plying glance
upon me that he would have deemed
wasted upon himself,
In time he got his discharge and his
pension. and began to think anXiou>ly and
seriously upon the necessity of seeking
some occupation, for which. in spite of all
the changes that had occurred, he would
be fitted. Bella. the younger.-a pale
quiet, little felow-had come as a new
claimant on his fathers time and care
He must not he idle; and vet what could Il
poor one-armcd soldier do, in the midst
of the strife and turmoil of business and
the hurry to be rich which ever mark,
American life?
He resolved ut last to remove TO the
Western town which became our place OF
residence, and to open there what believe
is called :, Land-oflce. If he needed IN
appointment from the Government, he ror
it but knew little of details at the time
owing to my feeble health.
NY mother feared that | would not b,
able to endure the tatigues before me, bu,
the physicians prophecy that the journey
the change. and the responsibilities would
he'll p me greatly was found to be true
With the new home and the new life, both
my husband and myself felt new strength
By the time the one had established
business and arranged it in what he called
g running order, the other had her house
settled and a household system in operation
we were astonished to find ourselves sc
well, so happy, 50 hopeful, and SO charmed
with all the surroundings of our new life
| think we had been about year in the
West when the occurrence which am
about to relate and for the relation of whicl,
this little sketch has been written, took
! place.
1t was dark winter night; the streets
were not alone sloppy, but the slow falling
winter-rain had filled them deep with mud,
thick and tenacious as mortar. They
were Almost deserted, ana nobody surely
could be expected to venture out in them
from any prompting save necessity.
This represented to Bella us he rose
from the tea-table and prepared to return
to the office for the evening
"There'll not be 4 soul at the office the
whole evening"" said. 1--WE have had
few enough home-evenings together since
we were married, and think you might
remain with me now.''
Bella demurred; he granted the I'M
propitiousness Of the evening, but averred
that, in his scheme of minor moralities.
business always had precedence of
pleasure and so, laughing amt bidding
us goodbye, he went on his way.
1t seemed a very long evening. l was
alone, for servants are a scarce commodity
in the West, and kept none. Little Rel,