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

remember. On him 1 lavished the long
boarded affections of nature whose
depths no mortal being had looked into
before him. My heart would leap with
gladness at the sound of las voice at a
distance. knew his footsteps so well
that would 60 far beyond the gate to
meet him when he was coming up the
road. His kiss was heaven to my bps,
and the fond glance of his blue eye
would thrill my being to the core.
You NAV wonder that / consented to
part with Frank when / loved him So
II was because loved him as did that
/ could not oppose him when he told
me, his face all glowing with enthusiasm,
that he wanted to raise company for
the war. Then he talked SO eloquently
about it, his eye shone with such a
luster, and his voice had such a cheer
in it, as he spoke of going forth with
his comrades to fight in defense of the
dear old flag, how could L put in my
selfish protest 7o lrrs1I.,] ~ a.. 4
But L chung to his neck with silent
fear in the darkness of night, when he
lay fast asleep l pictured his loved
form lying wounded and bloody on the
battle field, and hid my face on my
pillow, and pressing his dear cheek with
my hand softly, so as not to wake him,
while wept as if my heart would break
But in the day time l never let him
know; tried my best to cheer him, for
knew it was the old patriotic fire that
burned in his manly breast, and no
tears of mind should quench it. was
always proud of Frank he was a prince
4 Of IN ma hI1t Il r,rnn a
of him than ever before. -
l was but the bride of summer when
he marched away. The harvest was
ripe, and the leaves were browning. He
kissed me again and again as We stood
under the porch by the door, and
smiled cheerful smile of adieu to him,
and struggled to hide from him the quiv-
ering of my lips. Then he walked
briskly away down the garden path,
passed out the gate, and waved his
gilded cap to me from the read and
when he was so far away that he could
not see me weep, leaned against q pill
lar and gazed long after him through
the binding rain of unavailing tears.
l used to get such cheering letters
from my hero He found so many
amusing things to write about in his new
| life, and seemed to relish SO we'll the
novelty and hardihood OF the camp. He
would describe to me the minutest par
ticulars of his surroundings, tell me
what he ate and how, where he slept
and how, and drew for me such photo
graphs of the scenes in which he moved,
that soon quite lost my foolish habit
of picturing him lying bleeding on cold
battle fields, alone with the watching
stars and the long night. Instead of
this i began to share his dissatisfaction
at having nothing to do through the
long winter, and / looked toward to
spring with its longing vision and learned
TO glory in my husbands strength as he
himself did, and to feel certain that all
perils must yield beneath the power of
his one arm. Our boy was born that
winter, too, and in him 1 found an OBJ
ject on which to pour out the love of my
heart, and a companion to make the
time pass away.
The spring came, and in the battle of
Fair Oaks my husband was taken pris-
oner. They shut him up in that fear
full prison in Richmond, and murdered
him by inches. Long, long months had
rolled away. My boy grew till he could
run about the house and play with Carlo
in the yard and every day he seemed
! to grow more and more like his father
as he was when he went away, with his
fresh, round cheeks red with bloom,
ond his merry blue eyes and ringing
laugh. ttt
Last October they brought my husband
home. Oh, what a pitiful resemblance
of man who waved his gilded cap to
me from the road as i stood in the porch
that September morning so long ago (!
| They lett him alone in the parlor to
wait for me, for / had tainted at sight
of him from the window-my darling
Frank-this skeleton with shrunken
limbs, and CHASTITY, fallen cheek and
dull eyes Gould it be he ? Only when
/ entered the parlor where he sat, and
beheld the clustering black hair that
shaded his forehead, could see aught
of the man had married on that May
night when the odor of the apple bios
SONS was in the air ? = He looked on me
so pitfuIly, and raised his wan hand as
If to embrace me. flew to his breast
and kissed his white cheek and color
less lips, with despair IN my heart, for
1 knew he had "come home to die p
sis this my husband r. murmured,
in a tone of awe, as ] looked upon the
strange face. ".
"This is what they have left you of
him, " said he, smiling family; andI hid
my face in his bosom. ~, NJ
Where is my boy 2" he whispered.
smoothing my hair with his bony hand.
Invent for little Frank, and held him
up while his father folded him in his
arms. The little fellow looked in
to the white and bearded face with a
straight, earnest gaze, and then his eyes
filed with tears, and his lips began to
culver, but it was with pity, not with
childish fear, for he put up his little
hand to his fathers mouth caressingly,
and said Papa sick -
Next day the doctor came. He sat an
hour with Frank; prescribed cheerful
ness, quiet, and generous food In
structed me in the duties of my new
Office as nurse, for 1 would have no
other; pressed Franks hand cordially, !
and left the room. followed him to |
the door.
How long can he live p asked.
The doctor shook his head