Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-02-03

A. ~.
this is one of the times. / shall ION
You most heartily" 800
At the close of my speech the old gen.
tieman gave place to his wife. who adj
vanced and filed the goblets To the
brlm, while Lillian handed them aronnd
When each of the gentlemen had been
supplied with full and foaming beakers
and the ladies WITH smaller glasses only
part full, the father said to the son,
"Giye toast, Walter-one suited to
the occasion"
The doctor complied by saving
May the acquaintance beoun to-
night ripen into friendship before
which all sectional and political preju-
dices shall dissolve and disappear and
may that friendship live and flourish in
the hearts of all present when this cruel
war shall exist only as a sad and sorrow
ful "Reminiscences.
most heartily indorse the senti-
ment you have so beautifully expressed y
!! responded. and beg leave to quote
from Northland poet in reply:
May the song birds Of peace aeon revisit or e,ade.
ana our children clasp hands where their fathers
| crossed blades.n
reverent and feryent Amen hurst
from the lips of the old gentleman as
ne touched my glass with his and raised
IL TO his lips; tears rolled down the fur
rowed feattfes of his good wife. and
tears stood IN the blue eyes of the beauti
III Lillian, and. the long silken lashes
shat curtalned those heavenly orbs
drooped and quivered like the dew
laden willow fringe that hides from
sight the crystal waters of a spring ia
the valley OF Eden-the Eden of my
| childhood.
Supper being announced at this mo-
ment, the old folks led the way, and the
doctor, taking my arm, followed them
INTO large, old-fashioned room, which
served as both kitchen ard dining-room.
IL was a most cheerful and home-like
place; the table, which stood in the
4 center of the uncarpeted floor, presented
q neat, inviting appearance to a soldier
who had been on short rations for some
days, and who had eaten nothing for
twelve hours. Ham and eggs, and de-
hcious corn cakes, done to turn. with
sweet country butter, and coffee with
real cream, constituted the bill of fare.
1t was ample. and did full justice to it.
The evening hours few rapidly past
on downy wings of friendly converse.
till the old clock in the corner announced
the hour of IL, when the thoughtful
mother muddy suggested that the Major
Was doubtless tired and would like to
retire. / disclaimed any thought of
WEAKNESS, and indeed | uttered but the
simple truth in saying that / had not
been so entirely refreshed for weeks. 1t
is passing strange what power there is
In good-fellowship to restore the wasted
energies of the body as well as the
spirit. So we sat another brief. q
delicious hour--and then the good
nights We're said, and retired to sleep
and dream. The blue. eyed Lillian
formed the web, and horrid battle-scenes
the wool of my visions. The beautiful
| girl had scarcely uttered dozen words
during the evening, but she had been a
most eloquent auditor. She had sat al
most directly opposite me, and my ewes
rested upon her face as / addressed 9TH
er members of the group, and they did
not fail at any time to meet sympa-
thetic response from her heaven-tinted
orbs; nor was there the least embar-
rassment IN this, for her countenance
bore such perfect expression of inno-
cent interest as to reveal spirit at once
modest and pure as an angel.
In my dream a bloody battle was
raging. My ears were filed with the
boom of cannon, the crash of small arms.
the scream of shell, and the shrieks
and groans of dying men. The scene
changed. wandered over the fields of
carnage. The dead We're thick about
me. A groan reached my ear, and
bent my steps in the direction whence
the sound came. A soldier, in gray uni
form, with L;eutenants strap upon his
shoulders, lay upon the ground, with
his head resting upon the lap of a
woman. / said, eff car be of any
service, please command" A pair Of
blue eyes were lifted toward my face,
and voice, sad but musical, said, F" Oh I
/ am so glad it is you you are sur
geon as well as friend, and my brother
is dangerously wounded" Those eyes,
that voice could be mistaken? No, it
was Lillian, and the wounded young
officer her brother. What Joy, what
happiness to be able to serve her aye,
perhaps SAVE the life of her brother
the son of my friend.
A rap on my chamber door dispelled
the vision, and the pleasant greeting of
Dr. Jewell restored me to my normal
state. But my dreams remained as
vivid memory Of startling reality I
could not but believe that it was O pre-
4 settlement, and, although kept itlocked
in my heart as sad, though cherished
secret, / resolved to ask Lillian for a
picture Of her brother which she had
shown me the evening before. So, just
as was on the point of leaving, / said,
Miss Lillian, wish you would give
me a photograph of your brother. 1t is
possible Imay meet him. and if | should
it wonid prove my passport to his friend
ship" 81 WILL" she replied, ''for YOU
may be Of service to him, and / know
you would do him kindness if you
could" "NIost gladly would ], both
for his own sake and as a reward, in
part, for the great kindness / have ex-
perienced at the generous hands of his
family"
The young Lieutenants handsome face
bore striking likeness to that Of his
sister. and for that / priced it and cher
ished it. I wore it constantly in an
inner pocket of my vest. The stirring
scenes intervening dimmed somewhat
the memories of my vision as time
passed, but could not blot it from my
mind.
i The battle OF Shiloh had been fought,
and during the whole of it my mind
reverted to the dream. 1t seemed but q
repetition of tragedy of which had
witnessed the rehearsal. Impelled by
some strange impulse could not resist,
wandered out upon the battlefield ut
midnight. Every spot seemed familiar.
The dead faces were those that L had
seen in my dream. A groan-aye, the
same groan / had heard on that ever
memorable night of January, 1862. ]
hurried to the side of the poor fellow
frer whose agonized lips it came. he
was prone upon the cold earth, with his
head resting upon his left arm, while
with his right hand he was striving Is
check the flow of blood from gunshoi
wound in his left breast.
A glance told me / had found the son
of nv friend--the brother OF Lillian.
Fortunately, had with me the means
Of stopping the flow Of blood also a
canteen Of water and flask of brandy.
No word was spoken until had done all
that could be done ut once. when. with
a faint voice and difficult articulation, he
said lyon have saved my life, and |
thank you.
lyon owe me no thanks, Lieutenant ;
I should be an migrate did not serve,
to the utmost Of my ability, the son Of
my friend, DIR. Jewell, the brother OF his
precious daughter, Lillian. =,