Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-08-18
BY SARAH b. HOLLY.

=
that is piece Of the very gown | wore
the day Abiel Whee er went to fight so
gayiy. ard came back"
Well, but grandmother, being at the
Uery beginning, won't you ?'
Aye-patience, patience, children.
An old woman must cen tell a story her
own way. This was how it all came
about:
John Wheeler-Abiel's father, thee
knows-was a hard mnn and gra>ping.
His land. joined ours, and he was forev
er finding some matter to make Il law
suit abogt, forever throwing hard word
Mt my father and doing all he could to
trouble and annoy bin. His sons, too,
We're always provoking my brothers,
Luke und Mathew, till it was all the
dear, patient lads could do to forbear
smiling them. So thee may believe
when we grew up, and Abiel all at once
took to joining me on the way home
from meeting. aud leaning over the
fence to talk while | MIXED my cows,
was stirred to anger against him, and
turned him off pretty shortly, | promise
thee.
II was sixteen when the war broke
out, and it was not many months before
there was fighting all around us. J"na-
than Shubritk, the Squire, as the worlds
pc Ile called him, of our township, rals
ed a troop that carried off half the young
men of the neighburhood, and scarcely Il
month alterwud, one bright August
morning, Abiel Wheeler gaIioped up to
our gate waving his baudanna, his hand
some face all ia II glow. Luke and |
were standing in the yard talking for a
few moments before he started for the
rye EeId where my father and Mathew
we G already ut work.
"G.eat news, Luke !" Abiel shouted.
"The redcoats are within six miles Jt Us
at. Major Shubrick expects them
to attack every hour. We got The news
by sure hand, and and bali n dozen
Others are going 10 have II crack at them,
toJ. Cne, will you join? I've II fowl.
ing piece I'll lend ye. Spar up your
courage, man, now's your time to show
yourself brave fellow, Quaker, Or no
Quaker.
" For shame, Abiel Wheeler = [
cried. L wonder thee dares taunt my
brother like that. He is doing his count
ry US much good, maybe, staying quietly
a. home 20 garner up the food for the
fighting men, rs with sword and gun in
hand taking the lives G ID gave aud do
ing the work of Be ia in the name Of
liberty = And here | stopped to draw
breath, and | know my eyes flashed with
anger, for he laughed outiight--that
merry, provoking laugh Of his.
49, Well done, pretty Ruth = he ex
cmimcd. You have spirit enough hid
der away under that plain little ker-
chIef and cap of yours But | like ye
none the worse for it, aud So fare ye we'll.
Shall | bring ye home the gayest llrg
the redcoats are sporting now fora First
Day handkerchief Here, I'll give you II
token that I'll Keep my word and 50
saying the saucy fellow leaned from his
horse q was standing close By the gatr)
a I'd kissed me F! could have killed him!
AID Luke darted forword with furious
look, but he had galoped OFF, waving his
three cOrnered hat as he glanced gailv
back at us. Twas like Abel. | had
known him since we were babies, to be
sure-but to dare !
49, Well, all the long, hot, bright day,
mother and were alone, for father and
the boys took their dinner with them %
the fields. Toward evening, II neighbor
came and carried mOlher off. There
was sick child needing to be doctured,
and all the country round knew of
mothers herbs and simples. She was II
born doctor, and has cured many II one
in her day. 50 | was left all by myself
in the house, and sat lonesome enough
at my spinning, while far of over the
hills / could hear the dull, ominous,
booming sound of cannon, that told the
fight wns raging six miles away. God
help the mothers and wives now, whose
sons and husbands were in the midst of
the fray
"' 1t was growing late, the short Au-
gust twilight coming on, and the iroad
harvest moon rising behind tho quiet
mills, and still was alone The distant
sound Of battle still rose and fell, max
ing my heart throb with the thoughts of
what was going ON, when suddenly II
strange figure, rs / thought, came up the
garden path, with hasty and yet talterng
steps. | started up, n scream just breal;
ing from my lips, when | saw it was
Abiel Wheeler! But how changed
from the morning ! Covered with dust,
his clothes torn, his brown curls all
tangled and matted with the blood that
had soaked through handkerchief
bound round his head, and one arm in Il
sling. l wouldn't have known him
And when he spoke, his voice sounded
hUarse and broken.
"' Ruth, he said, I insulted you this
morning, and nsulted your brother.-
My father has wronged yours III thou
sand ways, | know. ! never thought
one Of our family would have entered
your doors again, yet now | come to you
to help me in nay sore need. Our forces
are benten and flying; the enemy are in
hot chase: l have dragged myself away
W tn my life only | can 20 no further
in Gods name shelter me till the pursuit
Is overt for my mothers sake, Ruth /!
"a | held my breath at his words. Il
one fla hing moment the memory of al
we had suffered at his fathers hands, hi