The daily Cairo bulletin., 1884-10-24


In just one week from that time Ed
ward Dorrance was In full uniform,
with his captains commission in his
pocket.
People gazed in surprise. 1t seemed
TO them strange and unnatural, He
was so necessary to the life OF the viii
lage, and his little family was such a
picture Of comfort and happiness.
What need was there? There were
enough without him. How could Rachel
endure itP
How they pitied her how they pitied
her! But he was going, and Rachel
smiled when she last held his hand and
chearily bade him Godspeed.
They saw all that, but they did not
see her afterwards, alone in the cham
ber, upon her bended knees by her bed
side, sobbing and praying, and weep
ing, as though her heart was breaking.
All, they would have pitied her then
had they seen, and they would have
pitied with cause.
But she rose bravely after time,
and when the first ordeal was passed
she resumed her household duties, and
sought relief from painful thought by
mingling in society, and giving her aid
wherever it could be of benefit as of
old.
At length came word Of battle in
which she knew her husbands regi-
ment was engaged. She fastened for
the newspaper, eager for the true in
telligence. That harm had befallen
Edward did not enter her mind.
She found the paper and carried it
home. Little Eddie was old enough to
understand and possessed understand
ing enough to be anxious for news of
papa.
'Oh, Eddie! Eddie! Papa is ma
jor! There has been great battle.
Listen: Captain Edward Dorrance, by
his own personal bravery, and marvel
lous daring, saved Hungerman's Divi-
sion from rout, and so, in fact, saved
the day for us. And here is the last
line: He was made major on the
field Alas! how many brave men
fell"
"But papa is safe?"
eyes, papa is safe" ;"
"Oh, l am SO glad! Do you think,
mamma, that he will be safe always?"
What pang shot through her heart
as the eager boy asked the childish
question. She could not answer.
The weeks and the months passed |
on, and other battles were fought; and
when the news of the battle came, Ra-
chel could find no peace till she had |
obtained the paper and read the full
account.
At the end of six months letter
came from her husband that made her
proud and happy.
"My darling" he wrote, "give me
JOY. And yet alas! how many others
must find misery instead Of Joy. /
have been promoted again. | am now
colonel of my regiment, and it is one
OF the very best in the army. And |
am proud to know that Ihave the credit
of having done much towards bringing
il to its present high standard of ex-
cellence. Colonel Tapley died last
week in hospital at Harrisburg. Oh,
how | pity his family"
The days and the weeks passed on
into history, as before, until at length
the very air quaked with rumors OF
battle more terrible in its results of |
mortality than any which had preceded
it.
Rachel heard the rumors in the air,
as she sat in her quiet little drawing
room, but she did not, as before, hasten
away for the paper. Something whis-
pered to her Of dark and dismal fore
Dodings. She felt as she had never
felt before.
Heretofore she had been eager to as
sure herself of her husbands safety,
but now the feeling came to her that
she did not dare to know.
But little Eddie was moved by no
such dark foreboding.
When he heard them talking of
great battle, in which he knew his papa
must have taken part, he ran away
to the post-oilice where there was
stand for the sale of papers and per-
iodicals, and he got a paper, telling
the man, Mamma will pay you for it."
And away he went to his home.
Mamma! Mamma! Another big bat
tle. Read to us about papa"
b With trembling hands, she took the
sheet, and opened it.
She saw the wilderness Of flaming
lead lines, and she allowed her eyes to
follow them down.
A few seconds, and then, with q low
stiiled cry, and catching of her hand
over her heart, she let the paper fall
and sank senseless upon the floor.
Eddie caught up the sheet, and
looked where his mothers eye had
rested. He had learned to read easy
words, and those bold headlines he
could make out, every one. Presently,
lwo-thirds of the way down, he found
il.
Colonel Edward Dorrancc among
the killed"
For days and weeks Rachel Dorrance
lay lowering between life and death.
But for her children, she would have
given up and passed over to join her
husband; but the thought Of her little
ones left all alone to battle for their
weak young lives turned the scale, and
she lived.
When the warm springtimc had come
again. and the birds sang in the great
trees near her door, her eyes brighten
ed, her face took on something of its
old color, and she went once moro