The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-12-12
MY CHRISTMAS EVE.

II was Christmas Eve, and /, Harry
CORTLAND, was walking home through
tho crowded streets. As ! walked, my
mind wandered back through memories
Of the past; back to another Christmas
Eve which / spent, years and years ago,
in one Of the outposts Of the British
army before Sebastopol. am getting
along in years now, but was young. and
full Of life and hope then, and when the
strong voices Of the soldier boys rang
out, on the clear frosty air, the beautiful
refrain,
"And for bonnie Annie Laurie | would lay
me down and die"
My mind wandered back to the bright
spring evening when strolled between
the fragrant hawthorne hedges with
Annie Campbell, and told her that !
loved her. But my reverie was sudden
ly broken by the sharp crack Of the
deadly rifle and the stern command
"Fall in, Forty-eighth." A strong scout.
Ing party OF the enemy was upon us, and
in the brush that followed many brave
voice that had Joined That evening in tho
chorus OF "AnDie Laurie" was silenced
forever. WAS uninjnred, yet how often
since then have ] wished that Russian
bullet had found me in its way. But il
was otherwise written in the book Of
fate.
came through that brush uninjurcd
and through many previous and sub.
Bequent one; and by-and-by the war
came 10 an end and my regiment was
ordered home. Once homo | was to be
discharged from the service. had
run away TO the war;" IN the phras,
goes, and now that the war was over my
father had secured my discharge. What
morning that was when We landed il
Portsmouth. l seemed TO walk upon
air as we marched up TO tho barracks,
through the cheering multitude TO the
tune of "The Girl | Left Behind Me. u
When we "broke of" IN the barrack
yard, was to lay my gun and uniform
aside and resume the habiimcnts and
implements Of peace. Then was going
home Going home to settle down, and,
In little while, to marry Annie. All
1t seems like II dream now, the great
Joy that filed my young heart
Tho old man, ny | called my father,
was there to meet me, and right proud
he seemed, too, of his soldier boy, who
had come home with medals and clasps,
and-that prize Of all-the Victori,
Cross. When had changed my clothes
went uptown with father, and when
we. reached his hotel he handed mo II
letter. From the nervous manner IN
which he did this, fancy that he must
have more than suspected what was in
1t. IL was from Annie, but, instead Of
being joyful greeting. it was care.
fully wordcd apology for having discov
cred that her loving me, "as wife
should love her husband, was all mis-.
take" Had Chesterfield written il. il
could not have been more polite, but
there was no feeling in it-not the
slightest indication of regret for the
man, or boy, rather, into whose heart
she had driven the knife. | read this
precious document through to the end;
once, for II second, il seemed rs though
tho beating of my heart Ind stopped.
but it Immediately resumed and went on
M before. i am of what ia termed
dull phlegmatic temperament.
Once, in tho Crimea, was wounded,
and did not become aware of the fact for
three days. This time II did not take me
but moment to realize that was hurt
and very seriously, too. But struggled
tokeep my disappointment and misery
10 myself. For that cventful day sue.
ceeded, but next morning my bloodshot
eyes and haggard face betrayed me
then for days following I wandered
around dcmenied. ] was like one who
Ind been walking along in the bright
snnligl', of valley where the verdure Of
the fields sank and rose, and the foliage
OF the trees rustled beneath the perfume
iadened breeze, where n flowing stream
danced and rippled on and on. and the
birds sang their mcrriest, sweetest car.
BIS, and, while wandering through this
ALLEY OF delight, the sun had suddenly
zone out, leaving the darkness behind,
he verdure and the trees had disap.
feared, leaving barren sand and rocks in
heir stead the perfume laden breeze
lad given place to the still, thick ntmos.
'here OF the valley Of despair, and the
oyoous carol of the song-bird had been
replaced by the kissing o. reptiles.
AT length this came to an end. All
human suffering, like all human pleas.
IRE, must terminate. The great and nm.
comfortable bitterness of nv ooon,
r"sed away, and in its place came thc,
dnll pain which wears away little by
little and finally disappears altogether
IN the grave, There are, no doubt
'keptics who will laugh at the idea of n
'oung man, or, as they would say, IN
iere boy, feeling a deep.seated love
ke this. But then, skeptics, as a rule,
70 people who know everything and vet
now nothing. There are boys-a few
them only-who are capable of n
eat passion, and there are men-a
eat many Of them who are incapable
q great passion. ,
10 proceed with my recital. however n
hen the sharp. keen agony had passed 4
ny and my brain resumed its func. h
ns. resolved to 20 abroad, Father n