The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1880-06-02

pause, 'now-Snall tell her the nor
Tibie tale2 How can / smite her
down with such a blow, at such an
shous2p and he fell back exhausted
upon his pillow. The effort has
been too much for him, and for some
moments we doubted if the spirit
had not fed. 1t was only a passing
weakness, however, and before long
he rallied again. Again he spoke.
but with kind of dreamy half con.
Esciousness, at one moment gazing in
TO his mothers eyes, at another seem.
Iingly forgetful Of her presence.
"Truly it was bloody field" he
said. II had been in several hard
fought fights before, but they were
~ cbildren's pastirne compared with
that Of yesterday. No sooner had
we come in sight Of the enemy than
the ringing voice of the general was
heard:
"At them, my boys, and do your
dutyln
"What happened after that, ] know
not. Know not, dol say? Oh,would
it were true that / knew notl Be-
grimed with dust, each man was
confronted with his own individual
foe, and if there be fighting among
iends, then surely did our fighting
resemble theirs. l wasmyself wound
ed when a fair-haired man bore down
upon me from the opposing line, if
line it could then be called, and re-
ceived his headlong onset with a
terrific bayonet thrust, and as he
fell l thought of Cain, and of that
deed which has made the name of
Cain name Of malediction forever.
| know not why, but | felt myself
compelled to halt in the midst of the
melee to kneel beside that fair.haired
man and look at him. turned him
over, and looked upon his face-his
dear, dead face. Ali mother, it was
it vast was my brothers face
and my own arm had slain him!"
The scene at that moment would
not be easy to describe. In an in
slant the weeping mothers tears
were dry and her face became pas
sionless as marble, My own emo
tion, which I have already acknowl-
edged, | took no pains to conceal
Rough, hard,favored soldiers stand
ing BY listened with bated breath to
this more than tragic narrative,
while big tear-drops welled from
their eyes unchecked and undis-
gnised.
"Yes,p he continued, soliloquizing,
"my own arm had slain him. Dear,
darling brother Fredl 1 laid my face
upon his and it was cold-that face
which in our boyhood seemed but
the mirror of my own; ever near me
at home, at school, at meal, at play
which laughed when 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; l looked into
his eyes, but in them was no respon-
sive glance. He was dead. had
slain him! The very thought was a
burning madness in my brain. l
needed not the carnage around me.
| thought not of my own Wounds
| even knew not when my arm was
gone. Oh, the arm that had done
such deed deserved to perish. For
give me, 0 my brotherl How gladly
would give my life to bring back
thine again! Stay, friends; do not
shut out the blessed light. Let in,
the light. | cannot see my brother.
Fred, sweet brother, put up your
sword, and let US play with flowers
orce more upon this pleasant grass.
And so he passed away-Lto join
his brother, let us hope in a land
where bloom the flowers that never
fade, where strifes and wars are un.
known, and where the mysteries and
misunderstanding of our present
state are dispelled by the light that
never dies.
Reverence for the childiess moth
er's grief, as we'll as the many-yoiced
call of duty, prevented my making
at that moment the inquiries which
thronged my mind both as TO the
1 g