Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-05-28

AttNoV3 sll40 luOlC
at the table, hastily changed her dress fo
a gay travelling suit, and babe goodbye tx
all, returning once more to give thai
dear mother, whose loving care had watch
ed over her through infancy and youth
another and last kiss.
| How can we describe the parting of the
married lovers, when, Ned's furlough at
end, he was obliged to return to the army
Ny pen fails me. Nelly sat on the sofa in
the parlor. declaring, between sobs, ''that
she knew Ned would be killed, and she
would never see him again!''
Ned wore much the same expression on
his face that ha would have had, if he had
been attending his own funeral.
Last strapping Of trunks! Soothing
Nelly! Misunderstanding and kisses all round.
''God bless you my boy!'' "God-by, my
darling, darling little wife!''
Oh! dismal! leave you to imagine the
rest. When the hand-shake was over, and
the carriage had disappeared down the
street, no one daring to watch it for fear
of i'll luck, Nell went up stairs. Mother
BarloWe sat at the window, staring at the
house opposite, and Father Barlowe
marched up and down the room in solemn
silence for half an hour. Mother BarloWe
then assembled the stairs, with the inten-
ton Of comforting Nelly, if possible, knock
ed unavailingly at her door, alad returned
to assume the same position as before.
Another silence, and Lou went on the
same errand.
said Ma. Barlowe, moving rest tessly about
feeling much, but as incapable of afording
consolation as big brown bean. Another
march, and then Father Barlo,ve walked
with resolute steps into the din ing-roon1,
and up to the. side-board, where he I'M
fastened a bottle of pale ale, and, after
some demonstrations on the part of cork
and foam, he managed to fill a goblet
trimming full. This he carried to Nellie
and commanded her with grim air to
drink, which Nelly did, appreciatiing the
intention.
From this date Nelly lived, tn long
winter through, chiefly on letters. Good,
long letters they were, truly, of twelve
sixteen, and eighteen pages; arriving if
regularly, sometimes three OF four in a
week, at others six together, and an in
terval without any. The closi ng week OF
May came, and Nelly had had no letters
for ten days, but as this had. happened
several times before, she did n ot feel I'M
easy. Six weeks had passed, and still nc
letter, neither had his fam lily received
word from him. Nelly doubl ed the num-
Der of her own, and sent messages by
friends to Ned. At the end two month!
she became seriously alarmt ID. The famil.
read the papers diligently cleaning W
every item concerning the egiment.
One morning a gentleman q called, whom
Nelly remembered as a fri end of Ned IS
She hurried to the parlor W 18th the card il
her hand, inquiring. almost before they hal
exchanged the usual civi titles, whethe
he was direct from the arm y, and il he ha
bought letter from Ned
Mr.. Holcombe regarded her so co mpas
sionately, and hesitated so, long in hi Is an
swer, that Nelly said, with blanched saee
eff you have any ill news to tell me, ia.
tell me it quickly'
Thus pressed, Mr.. 1dolcomb told his
tale, with much decentralization, and sun
dry breaks. He said chat Ned had been
sent with company as guard to wagon
train some miles from Battle Greek, Ten
nessee, and while resting with the men I'M
der the trees of a farm yard, dash had
been made upon them by the enemy. A
fight had ensued, and the enemy proving
victorious, our men fed. Ned had never
turned up, and whether wounded or dead
no one knew.
Nelly listened to this story much reliev-
ed, and turning to her mother, who was
just entering, calmly repeat ted it, evidently
determined to believe that no harm had
happened to- her husband. Now, Mrs.
Barlowe settleil Immediately to the fact
that the worst had come to pass.
MI Holco mbe took his leave, glad that
ne had not been obliged to witness a try
ing scene.
Nell, en- her fathers return home, be-
sought him to let her go to Tennessee to
lind n ed, who was wounded, she was sure,
and leeded her care.
r. Barlowe endeavored to dissuade her
trJm this journey-told her he would go
h imself. and do all that was necessary,
fout to no purpose. Nelly declared her
place was by her suffering husbands side.
Therefore they made ready what little they
needed, and the morning found them on
the train bound for Tennessee. No food
passed Nelly's lips, no sleep came to her
eyes. The train, although moving swiftly,
seemed to her to creep. Hurry! hurry! was
the sole thought of her mind
The locality reached at last, they tried
to find the house themselves from Mr.. Hol-
combe's description, travelled miles in the
wrong direction, listened to story about
an entirely different man, and were oblig-
ed to retrace their steps,
The regiment Ned had belonged to was
encamped, with others, at Battle Greek.
They sought the captain Of his company
there, and he went back with them to the
house where he had last been seen.
The woman who owned the house was
very kind. She told the group that an Of
ticer, answering the description that Nelly
gave, had been wounded on the day Of the
skirmish two months previous and had
died there. That he had been buried with
some dead in d trench. Nelly gave a
groan of anguish. The woman further
said she would show them where, if they
liked; had supposed the gentleman, de
spite his Northern uniform, belonged to the
Southern army. Nelly made move to
wards the door, and the, rest of the , arty
followed.
Their hostess led them across the yard
in front, and to the edge Of cornfield Sc
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