Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-05-01

H6uVn OOAOiO1 uuV VuCy WOlO III ClIn-
dren's pass-time compared with that
of yesterday. No sooner had we come
in sight Of the enemy, than the ring
ing voice Of the General was heard,
"'At them my boys, and do your
duty !" what happened after that l
know not. know not do say7 Oh,
would it were true that l knew not |!
Begrimed with dust, each man was
confronted with his individual foe,
and if there be fighting among fiends,
then surely did our fighting resemble
theirs. was myself wounded when
a fair haired man bore down upon me
from the opposing line, ifline it could
then be called, and l received his
head-long onset with terrific bayo-
net thrust, and as he fell, l thought
of Cain, and of that deed which has
made Cain a name Of malediction for
ever. know not why, but felt my
self compelled to halt in the midst of
the melee and kneel beside that fair
haired man and look at him. turned
him over and looked upon his face
his dear, dead face. All mother, it
vast was-it was my brothers face
and my own arm had slain limw
The scene at that moment, it would
not be easy to describe. In an instant
the weeping mothers tears were dry,
and her face became passionless as
marble. N.Y. own emotion which |
have already acknowledged, / took
no pains to conceal. Rough, hard
featured soldiers standing by listened
with abated breath to this more than
tragic narrative, while big tear-drops
welled from their eyes unchecked and
undisguised.
eyes," he continued soliloquizing,
"my own arm had slain him. Dear,
darling brother Fred! laid my face
upon his and it was cold-that face
which in my boyhood seemed but the
mirror of my Own-ever near meat
home, at school, at meal, at play
which laughed when l was glad and
wept when l was sorrowful. Oh,
would we both had died in those fresh
bright days of innocence. | kissed
his pallid lips, | looked into his eyes,
but in them was no responsive glance.
He was dead had slain him! The
very thought was q burning madness
in my brain. needed not the car
mage around me. | thought not of
my own wounds. | even knew not
when my arm was gone. Oh, the
arm that done the deed deserved to
perish Forgive me, oh, my brother!
How gladly would l give my life to
bring bring back thine again! Stay,
friends to do not shut out the blessed
light. Let in the light. cannot see
mother. Erred, sweet Fred, put up
your sword, and let us play with flow
ers once more upon this pleasant
grass"
And so he passed away to join his
brother, let lis hope in Il land where
flowers bloom that never fade, where
strife and wars arc unknown, and
where the mysteries and misunder-
standings of our present state are dis
PEELED by the light that never dies.
Reverence for the childless mothers
grief, as well as the many-voiccd call
of duty, prevented my making at that
moment the inquiries which thronged
my mind, both as to the history of
this strangely -smittel family;
and the means by which the poor
mother had come to know of her sons
condition and whereabouts. l have
often since tried to trace her; but the
search has always been fruitless.
They certainly belonged to the bet
ter class Of society, and ! think it
likewise certain that they were South
erners. Theyounger brother-which
| took him to be-whosc sad narrative
is here given, had probably resided
for a time in the North, and becoming
imbued with the sentiments and op,n-
ions that charge the atmosphere
around him, found himself eventually
in the ranks. In a word, look upon
the whole episode as one of those aw-
fnl condolences of fate which are
generally thought to take place only
in the pages of romance, but which a
wide experience has taught me to be-
lieve are by no means unfrequent
among the unrecordcd realities of
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