Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-08-05

no love to give him. 1t was all for Rob
bic
There began to be signs in the heavens
of coming storm. But | was so happy
that | could not, or did not, see them al
first.
One day Robbie came home from the
village, with pale, excited face.
'-Oh, Ruth he cried, ''you won't be
lievc it, but it's true. They've fired on
the flag down South, and there's going to
be war;
l cried out sharply, and then sat down
on the door-stone, white and faint. | shut
my eyes, and saw a grave, a low, green
grave under pine tree, on hillside
sloping to the sun.
Then he sat down beside me, and |
drew his brown head down into my lap,
and smoothed the soft locks over my fin
gers, thinking in a slow dreamy way of
what | felt was coming. | think knew
how it would be from the first
Ruth" he said suddenly, lifting his
face to mine. You wouldn't have me stay
at home if-if felt ought to CO.
"Oh, Robert you're all | have" |
cried. and all my heart was in the cry,
land l cannot let YOU go" All, me !
from how many other hearts, North and
South, that same cry went up in those
long sunny days when the nation seemed
to hold It's breath in SuSpcnSe-cditUg! !
While we sat there, John Earle came
up the path. We made room for him on
the doorstep, and he sat down beside Us.
Before dozen words had been spoken, |
knew that he was in the right mood to
svmpathize with Robbic'S excitement,
and | got up and left them to talk 1t over
together. did not care to listen. 1t
would come soon enough.
shall never forget the day when they
enlisted sat in the garden alone, listen
ing to the bees in the cherry blossoms
overhead, and waiting, hardly knew for
what. The hlacs were bloSsoming out
and thought of Johns fancy about them
and h;s mothers soul, and broke off a
bunch and held it up against my eyes
hardly comprehending what | was doing.
By-and-by heard q sound that sent a
shiycr all over me, and l think cried out
as if some one had struck me. Oh, that
wild war music, The drum-beat came
on the wind like knel covered my
face and tried to shu; out the sounds from
my ears, but they were ringing IN my
rbrain as if they meant to stay there for
ever.
It was night when Robbie came.
81 know it ALL" cried, reaching out
my hand and drawing him to me. You
are going away
"Ycs, I'm going away he answered,
with a kiss. Il am needed, and You
would not have me stay, know, if YOU
felt that it was my dnty to 90. And
John is going too
Then a silence came. Neither Of us
could talk much that night.
You ought TO have heard John, to-
day." he said, by-and-by "How they
cheered him. He was the first one to
put his name down on the enhsting roll,
and I couldn't help putting mine under
it. You don't blamc,-Ruth-you un-
derstand-:'
',Yes l understand, and don't blame
YOU, | said, and then tears came and
hid his face from me. | could not see
the hills for many moments.
Then We heard steps on the path.
John Earle came up and held out
handful of pansies to me.
thought you would like them, he
said, in his grave tender way. "Her
grave is beautiful with them now.
took them, and answered not word.
But he understood Then l went away
and left them together. could not list
en- to their eager talk Every word
stabbed me like knife
By-and-by heard Johns step coming
down the path to the gate. lie came
and stood beside me.
you re going away, too, said, after
little silence "Oh, John, hope you
and Robbie will come back; but I'm
afraid" and then | stopped, for dared
not speak the thought that was upper
most.
God knows" and from the way in
which he said it, | knew that he put the
matter in His hands, willing to accept it
as it came
Ruth, he said at last, Il have some
thing to say to you. Can you guess
what it is: | love you. | would like to
take away with me the memory of just
such a sweet faced woman as you are,
who will be my wife when l come home.
May |, Ruth
Il am sorry for your sake, John, |
answered as gently as could; "but |
don't love any one but Robbie" "
Think it over, and tell me what you
have thought before 60 he said. Il
dont't want your answer now.
did think it over. | made myself
believe that it would be untrue to my
brother if | tried to love another. l
was not capable of loving two.
The shadow of parting hung over every
thing 1t filled the hours with that
pathos always clinging to the end of
summer, or the face of friend drifting
slowly out of life knew, when saw
Robbie looking at the old places where
we had played when we were children,
at the peaceful hills, and the old river,
with that look of wistfulness in his eyes,
that he was thinking perhaps it was for