The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-03-27

| Why, yes, a little; but war is m
glory. From battle and BATTLEFIELD
[ expect to gain my happiness upo
earth, my peace in heaven
There was depth to the words bt
yond my ken. Il was intended to b
such. I drew back from the woman
At that moment there came the boor
of a second gun. A sharp cry of pai
escaped my lips. The life-blood surge,
back from my white face to my heart
The nun, too, gave little nervou
| start.
"Come " she exclaimed, and fitting
a heavy roll of white cloth from the ia
BILE, and catching me by the shoulder
she pushed forward let us get out o
here, or it is all lost-all !"
With a frantic gesture, up went the
beautiful white hand and the glorious
eyes, although I could not see them,
felt to be full of imploring. Again
knew her words were full of meaning
but as she dragged me through the darl
storage-Way, could not stand on cere
mony. I rather clung to her, than drew
back.
On reaching the deck, we found the
promise of the evening fulfilled. The
rain came down in fine drizzle. The
decks were wet and slippery.
Standing unmolested upon the deck,
we could not but notice the alacrity and
orderly manner with which the tactics
of war were conducted. Boat after
boat darted like an arrow toward the
shore. The troops were landed in haste,
but without confusion. They formed
into line as orderly as upon dress pa
rade. The next instant we saw the
shadowy column ascending the hillside
on the double quick, and disappearing
over its brow.
A moment after, Wild yell of tri-
umph arose from behind the hill, and
we knew that out soldiers had come up
on the foe, lurking among ma ure's bat
Elements. The cry was taken up by
the soldiers scaling the river side, and
caught, too, by the men still on the
decks of the boats. The noise was sim
ply appalling.
"Isn't this perfectly horrible !" 1
whispered, and at the same time slipped
my hand into that of the nun.
"Horrible? l think it is splendid y
She pressed my fingers till could have
screamed with pain. eff we've man,
could fight tonight ! would cry,
Down With the rebels ! and strike even
unto death with every blow !"
The woman was beside herself.
"For Gods sake, keep still" cried.
" Look, they have set another boat on
fire !'
"Great God, SO they have What
are our men thinking about Are we
never going to set foot upon earth
again?"
Even as she spoke, the Hazel Dell"
grated close to the shore.
The early morning came. The rain
still continued to fall, sullen and slow.
It dripped from the branches mourn
fully, pitifulIy. A cold chill perva-
ded the atmosphere. We were now
on shore.
There had been wild tumult at the
dead hour of night. The morning light
saw it still. Only the dripping of the
rain, the moan of wounded soldier,
the occasional football of friend in
search of a missing comrade, the twit-
ter of birds, frightened from their
nests.
: There had been great tumult at the
dead of night. Still, only a skirmish
had taken place. Only small band of
lawless men had made an attack upon
the feet. They had been driven back
from the river, for mile or two, into
the woods, where, overpowered by num-
bers, they had scattered and dispersed.
Our soldiers, vic orious, had returned
TO the boats, that is, with the exception
Of few left to gather together the
and the dead. The nun and
[, having followed in the wake of the
troops, were doing our utmost to alle-
Tiate the anguish of the sufferers.
"List p said my companion, 81
hought I heard a moan" She bent
Onward and inclined her ear to the
ground.
After pause tcame to us again.
(Which way?" she cried, in a pene-
rating voice.
The moan was repeated. Her expe-
fenced ear instantly detected the direc-
ion from which the sound came.
"Come - said she, Strengthening
herself and stepping bravely through |
he tall, wet grass, her black robes,
leavy with the rain, rustling as they
rallied behind her.
We found a dying officer under a
,ush. He was shot through the breast. |
from his situation and from the black |
rail of blood, we knew that he had |
painfully crawled out of the way of |
arther danger, and had lain down un-
Ter the hazel tree to die. He was al
most gone. He lay partly upon his
ide, with his head thrown back. His
yes we've fixed, and the blood-stained |
and, pressed upon the wound, was
Kueeling beside him, and showing
er strong hand between the massive
houlders and the ground, my compan-
On raised the dying soldier little, and
ressed the mouth of half empty flask
D his lips.
Our supply of liquor was almost gone.
)uring the past two hours we had sue
)red many a man, who otherwise would
ave perished.
For some reason Of her own, my COM
anion would not listen to any soldier
us in our dismal work.
or reasons of her own, she wished to
erform her deeds of mercy in darkness.
or reasons of her own she wished to
ain her happiness upon earth, her
eace in heaven, in mysterious way.
Holding up the dying man, she gen.
y raised the flask. that a few drops
light fall upon the swollen lips. Too
ate! The blood spurted from the
ound afresh, a groan escaped the
lackened lips, and the soldier was
cad.
Laying him down, she closed the
lassy eyes with her beautiful white
ands-the lands that had seen. in
nat weary, early morning, bandage
lany cruel wound, stem the red cur
snts of life flowing swiftly away, wipe
le death damp from the brow5 Of men
,arcely alive, and carefully cover the
ices of the dead-those beautiful
ands that I had seen perform acts that
ould surely bring peace in heaven
loso hands that I had seen do that,
70, which made me shudder Yea,
ley had raised horrible doubt in
V breast They had aroused my
lspicions. I was alert. I watched
lem eagerly, now.
After closing tenderly the eyes, the
hite hands quietly slipped into the
ockets of the dead man. There was
D other way of obtaining clew TO his
Ientity-no other way, perhaps, of ap-
rising the people a. home of his