The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-11-28
A Love story orthe Rebellion

ed into that of another room so placed
by the position of the main building
that half of its interior could be seen.
We were looking and admirng little
chubby, blue eyed two-year old, white
as snow, who was pulling bouquet to
pieces and tossing out the fragments, or
clap2ing her little hands with delight as
the train went laundering by.
"These rooms" said our fair visitor,
"have some very tender associations for
me-"
why so?" we asked.
"Well," she answered, "during the
war the greater part of tie hotel was
seized by the Government as hospital,
and we were crowded into few rooms.
My sister and I had this. In that room
where that little beauty is were two
Union officers, one sick of the fever and
another of wound. 1t was hard to
tell whether they were slowly dying or
slowly getting well. Inever saw such
ghostly skeletons to be alive. We were
'secesh' and not modest about it either,
but still our hearts a;hed for the poor
young men, so i'll, perhaps dying, far
from friends and relatives"
''It bothers us to know how this
should be hospital" we said, ''it is
so far removed from active operations.
ut was thought" she answered,
"that the mountain air Of the glades
would be more favorable than else
where, SO this was made hospital.
One day one of these officers dragged
himself to the window, and under the
impulse of the moment my sister asked
If we could do anything for them, and
he answered, gasping for breath, that
a little chicken soup would save their
lives. Chickens were rare in those days
an army is hard on poultry. The
men will work all night, after march,
ing through the day, to secure a few
chickens; so that when the hospital
nurse and physicians had an unlimited
supply of luxuries in the way of wines,
potted meats and canned vegetables,
they were without anything fresh. We
knew where few were hid in cellar
of a neighbor, and we coaxed one out Of
the owner, aud after deal of vexatious
trouhle-for at every turn we were met
by Fixed baycnet and an insult.-we
gat the soup ready, and as the guard
in thu hall would not permit us to ap-
proach our patients, my sister attempt
ed to hand the bowl 10 the officer in the
window. Just as he was feehly reach
ing for it, and she stretching herself
out to give it to him, harsh, ugly
voice below cried aloud, "Look out
there-poison!" She nearly dropped
herself, soup and all. Drawing back
she hesitated second, and then she
took the spoon and began eating the
soup. 'Oh bo.her!' cried the officer,
don't waste it in that way; I'm not
afraid and she gave him the soup. It
seemed to revive them, and they con-
tinued steadily to improve, as day by
day we supplied them with chicken
soup until the cellar was empty. Dur
ing this time we sat at the window talk
ing, and we sang to them-sang MY
Maryland and all the Southren songs
we knew, until they were well enough
to leave the hospital and returned to
duty. They both seemed sorry to go,
and forced on us quantity of hospital
store and some coffee, which last we
needed sadly. Then one gave a ring
and the other brooch, as tokens of
their kind feelings"
"And did they never return?" we
asked.
Zone did not, for poor fellow, he was
killed IN the very next battle in which
he was engaged. His companion wrote
us about it, and the writer insisted up
on opening a correspondence with my
sister; and soon his letters grew into
love letters, and after time they were
engaged, Nearly year subsequent to
this, our patient got leave of absence
and came on to be married. lie put up
at a hotel, and will you believe it, our
own brother, who was in the Confeder.
ate service, and knew nothing of my
sisters affairs, led band of gUerilas
at night into town and captured his in
tended brother-in.law from his bed.
This not only deferred the marriage,
but deprived the young West Pointer of
his promotion, that had been promised
for gallant services in the field. 1t was
really aggravating, for exchanges had
almost ceased, and 1t looked as If the
lovers would have to wait until this
cruel war was over before they could
be united" ...