The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-04-15
THE ANGEL OF SHILOH.
by An Ex-ARMY SURGEON.

"I oH found the tavern full r
The speaker was handsome, intslli.
gent-looking gentleman of perhaps 40
evidently citizen Of the village, and
resident of the handsome but unprsten-
tious dwelling-heuse ia front OF which
he was standing.
EYES," | replied 81 was too late by
half an hour, 30 the landlord informed
me-"
"Ysu shall be welcome here, II you
will accept of modest quarters Had plain
fare"
The tone OF voice, no less than the
words uttered, assured me that the of.
fer of hospitality was sincere, and with
a grateful heart and q simple expires.
sion of thanks l passed through the
gate and clasped the extended hand Of
the man who, although had not even
known of his existence till this minuts,
and who | had every reason To suppose
was Il foe of the cause / represented
rebel to the Government whose uni
form / wore, yet in whom recognized
friend and brother.
"You are very kind" said, "more
kind than you know. for am not only
weary but i'll, or / should not have
sought lodgings indoors while nay CEN
rades were exposed to the privations Of
camp life"
81 am glad of the opportunity TO Of.
fer hospitality to professional brother, /"
he responded, "for 1 know from the let
ter on your hat-bsnd that yea are q
surgeon, and an physician. This
would have been sufficient to have
prompted me TO invite you in, hut some
thing else, sudden but unsxplzinabls
impulse, which / could not resiat, i'm.
pslled me to do il"
By this time / had been led into lhe
family room-a most cheerful room. A
brentwood fire blAzed and glowed upon
the hearth u bright carpet with ~arIn
colors covered the room aa old-fssh
ioned mahogany sideboard stsod u the
left, and bureau of the same rich
wood faced it on the other side of The
room, and in one corner u clock Of "ye
olden time" and known by the title OF
wall-sweeper, counted off the seconds
with stately precision, and sosnded the
knell of the dying hours in a solemn
monotone. Rasy-chairs stood back
against the farther wall like sentries or
an inner picket line, while the Others
were grouped about the cheerful FIRE
and these, as we entered, were occupied
by persons whose faces / could neyei
have forgotten had ! seen them but fol
moment, and which are nov photo
graphed on my heart forever and aye
There were three persons in this group
venerable old gentleman, . white
haired, matronly and kindly faced ole
lady, and golden-hairsd, blue-eysc
young lady-father, mother and daugh
ter of my friendly host, DIR. Jewell.
There is something in = name, els
how should these people be SO appro
priately named ] wondered and pom
dered the more when learned that th,
brightest and richest and rarest gem il
the group had the beautiful name o
Lillian.
| beg the readers pardon--I hav,
not told him or hs, ), AZ the case may
sa', wto ] an,. "r whee, how, or wher,
NJ this bapPened.
My name is Alden u linsal descend
ant | am from John aAd Priscilla AL
den, whose romantic history yon have
doubtless read in poetry if not in prose
My ancestors had gone West almost
century ago, hence those prsvincia
prejudices so characteristic of those de
scendants of the MayHcwer party VIA
still cling to the crags Of Plymoutl
Rock had been lost in the bread ant
fertile valleys of Ohio, or they ha'
wandered off and found hower-be
spangled grave on the bsundless prai
ries of Illinois. At any rate the
found no place in my heart.
! The time Of which I write was Jan
uary, 1862. Place, outhwestern Ker
tucky. Grants army was making
grand reconnaissance ia force, with
view to feeling of the enemy befor
making an attack upon Fort DonalG
son.
A cold, pitiless rain had pelted as .
day, and was still pouring down upo
soldiers and officers alike. When til
village of B. came in view, 1t
o'clock in the afternoon, I had trudgs
through the mud and waded swolle
streams from early morn, having su
rendered my horse to q sick soldier /.
the brigade 70 which I Was attaahe,