The National tribune., 1881-10-08

DE as an angel OF g0Od, helplng ner nuSDanu oVet
life's rugged places, and kindly, hopefully, and
lovingly plotting him toward God
In imagination we each built castles of unri-
vailed magniicence for our loved ones to dwell
in. we accumulated wealth for their enjoyment,
we achieved positions of high respect, and good
name among men for them to share; In fact,
fame honors riches, everything we placed upon
the altar of our love, each doing homage to his
own hearts queen. All, those were happy days
those DAYS before the great storm which was
so soon to sweep over our land, shattering our
idols. dissipating our bright dreams, and chang
ING the whole atter-currents of our lives
The momentous news but three days old
when the offer of our services was accepted and
within short space we were on our way to the
scene of the impending strife
Well do | remember when we left our native
village. 1t was in the merry springtime, just as
the tender buds and early flowers began to show
themselves. The air was heavy with fragrance
and the pink and snowy blossoms of plum, peach,
and apple trees-ah, can see them, smell them
even now, it seems, as | write. Our company,
nearly one hundred men, marched down the street
to stirring music and beneath waving banners;
but, now that the hour of departure had arrived,
the lively strains could not altogether quiet our
thought of the loved ones we were leaving behind
We left her, our gentle, gray-haired, widowed
mother standing at the gate-oh, so sad, and pale
and fearful!
Down TO the fields of destiny we went, the
youngest among a thousand who were our COM
rades. We were only seventeen; and yet, we felt
like men.
In camp and on the lonely picket post, and on
the field of battle were ever side by side. We
shared each others blankets and each others food.
War did not change the temper of our twin hearts,
except TO weld them into a closer union.
On that sad, Hateful day when deaths messen-
ger came to him, we were breasting the leaden
and iron storm together. | saw him fall, and
bending above him as he lay prone on the ground,
dyeing the scanty heritage with his blood, listened
to his family whispered words-his last on earth.
did not heed the roar of battle surging about
me nor the deadly missiles hurting through the
air-I only thought of him. and how one moth
er's heart would bleed and bleed by and by but
when / saw the light 60 out from those kindly
eyes, and knew that for him eternity had opened
up its great secrets, my own heart seemed cleft
in twain.
1t was October then, and the foliage of the trees
was crimson, like his blood. In October, the fruit
is ready to be garnered; and, though young in
years, his spirit was ripe and ready for the hus-
bandman.
All, Tom, dear Tom Friend of my early days,
thee now-God only knows. Thine was loyal
Il, c1,;
and God-loyal to love- Spirits such as thine
are rarely met with in this world of ours, and
miss thy kindly presence, thy frank, winning
ways, and thine answering fealty to all things
good and pure. The accumulated dust Of years
has not effaced, nor can it ever hide thy memory
from my heart; and / hope, sometime, when the
Good Master calls, to find thee waiting for me as
l reach the other shore of the sea which now lies
between us, and to feel once more the warm pres
sure of hand that never did me wrong; and, if
such things may be- hope over yonder, to look
once more into thine eyes and hear again thy
well-remembered voice Just as | used to look and
listen when thou vert here upon the earth
The curling clouds of vapor have disappeared
my pipe is no longer alight memory's
magic volume yet lies open before me, it's pages
Hall UNREAL luIu Itdl alteT lec1, anu Huu, DIS
many others have before me, that man may WILL
but Greater than he dsposes the results. l find
that since / built my fairy castles in the air so
long ago, l have battled, but not always for the
right against the wrong; that l have had con-
ficts in behalf of the weak against the strong
and often been overcome with sore defeat. [
have wearied in well doing, and, as with Others
so with myself, the world has too often proved
to be the victor.
Dear ones have persisted by the way, the record
tells me- and others have drifted from my side
and left me to float on upon the sea of life with
out their cheering presence. But one remains
my chosen one-my bride. She is bending over
me even as l write. Side by side we have walked
through the years together-side by side we have
if it be possible, it may be granted us, when our
wearied hearts cease to throb with the pleasures
and the pains, the joys and the sorrows of life,
together to slip our mOorings, and, each by the
others side, go sailing out over the heaving tide
to explore the mysteries of that unknown sea
whose farthest boundary is eternity. There are
dear loved features, sweet baby faces waiting for
US somewhere-O, that we may find them, by
and by. GRIF
THE STARS AND STRIPES AT NASHVILLE.
The first Union flag hosted over captured
Confederate Capitol by Union troops, is the one