Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-01-03
A W0MAN'S PERIL,

OOl. halpn was hardly moro than q
boy when he marlied-in fact, only
nineteen. Looking at the portrait of
him painted Of that time (l777)-it still
hangs in the Cuttance manSion-, on the
Eastern ohore-it seems funny to call
him colonel a mere STRIPPING, with
light hair colored almost like the young
shoots of certain spring leaves before
thay have even become green land the
colonel, as we know, was green enough
in those days. youth with fine old
fashioned sanguine complexion, and
something unsophisticatcd about his
we'll formed lips, full of sensitive affsc-
tion. That is all there is OF it; q boy,
yet one Of those Revolutionary boys
who somewhat accomplished things far
greater than many of cur full-grown men
now succeed in doing.
He was simply Capt. Cuttance then,
put promotion was rapid in the field,
and enc day, when his regiment had
been nearly cut to pieces, he found him.
self at the head OF it. All the higher
officers mad been killed.
Then came Monmouth, and transfer
to another command, followed BY a
brief furlough.
81 understand, colonel" Lafayette
said 10 him as they parted, "that you
are going home to welcome o new re.
cruit."
Col. Ralph smiled, yet with ananx;ous
mieu. 81 hope so, general" he replied.
81 hope it will be q boy"
And it wasa boy. How furiously The
colonel had posted all the way from
camp! He passed straight from the
saddle into the hushed bedroom of his
wife in the old mansion, with the spring
mud splashed all over his boots; yet his
steps were as light as woman's He
did not disturb the baby that had inst
arrived, nor the proud and placid mother
his girl wife Margaret.
All, how happy l ami" exclaimed
the colonel to his sister Sally, as they
walked the veranda together few days
later. "If it were only not for this
gtastly war, should have nothing to
pain me. Dosen't it seem strange, dear
Sally, that men should go butchering
each other, when We see all the trouble
it is to bring one human being into the
world, and the joy. that his coming
gives?'
Sally clasped her hands. "Ah, yes"
she sighed, ''if it were not for the war!"
She sazed out over the serene. land
scape in front of them. 1t was May,
time, and the tints OF early summer
enriched the whole scene. The treos
around the house were in full, fresh
leaf; the lawns looked fair; the sea, dim
and blue, was soft and beautiful as the
eye Of maiden when the first sweet
sorrow OF love imbues it; and far out
from the beach silent white breakers
fringed Assateague and Chincoteague,
where the colonel and his sister could
discern at times the herds OF island
ponies scurrying along the low shore,
In another direction lay the small
family cemetery of the Cuttanccs, the
occupants OF which no roar of battle nor
fear of marGuders could disturb.
Miss Cuttances brother regarded her
more carefully. Glad in her long, high
wasted white dress, with single gold
ornament on tho front, at her bosom,
she was singularly graceful. She was
beautiful, he well knew; and he saw in her
face also q peculiar sadness. "But the
war;" he said, gently, "brings no such
perils and anxieties to you as to me-
"You forget the danger on this ex.
posed coast, Ralph"
"Not l." he replied; 81 would 'twere
possible to forget. But l suffer trebly
for Margaret and the baby and you;
while at the worst you can suffer only
in your own person" &,
You do wrong to my heart, brother.
But, | allow you, your ties are deeper
and more than mine."
Col. Ralph laid his hand on her arm.
"Do you really fear the enemy land
ing" he asked, his half.boyish face grow.
ing stern and cloudy.
Miss Cuttance turned her eyes toward
the timid blue of the Atlantic. "The
house, you surely know, can be seen for
miles on the water. Some cruiser"
Wait Sally he cried. "You, at
least, must not stay here. Margaret
will soon be aboutagair. Why shouldn't
YOU cross the bay and go to Cousin
Dinsmore's, at Culpeppel?'
ooh, alph! Leave them all here?'
But you could do no good if party
landed. Ny two little brothers know
how to use their pistols; and Margaret,
too, on an emergency, might perl aps-
Listen to me, Sally; I should be easier
to have you out OF danger. That's one
less. Dye hear?'
Sally became piteous. "Don't, don't
send me" she begged. ooh, indeed,
I'd rather not co." She clasped her
hands to him. Then she turned away
suddenly, and looked wistiully at the
ocean.
A change came over the colonel.
"Sally," said he, very gravely, "what
does this meanP You are still thinking
Of SeatonP' She hung her head, and
was silent. "Have You been in core.
spondence with him?' continued her
brother.
IA th;a cbo 0lo nond M ooo;p bolf 10