The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-04-22

to be Patience BlackthOrn.. That was
not his dread on that score. She would
be true as he, and wait for him even as
he would have waited for her. That
trust was the one thing that kept him
sane.
No, there could have been no time.
He had reckoned it over and over
again. Indeed, he himself had no more
time tnan to write that one letter, with
q hurried postscript, before the ship
sailed, asking her to let them know at
Millport what had happened. If there
had been a delay in sailing for but three
more days! And Marrish-what devil
could have been in the mans heart, or
rather, in the mans brain, for heart he
could have nonep Marrish was no
mailman; nobody who knew him could
have that in his head long enough for
thinking. Dwelling upon that made
Stephen well nigh think that If madness
there were, it was not in the brain OF
Enoch Marrish, but in his own. What
can seem more true than nightmare
But then n nightmare does not last
through nights and days.
But should think it shame to tell
the tale of lovers who, though parted
by fate or villainy, should let them
selves be sundered by doubt or mystery,
or because there is something they do
not understand. 1t is because these
were true that write Of them, and for
no other cause. Truth is q fixed star, "
says the song, more wise than songs
are wont to be. And there that fixed
star shone over Stephen Harlow-it was
Truth. But he called it Patience Black
thorn. She would not be ashamed OF
him; he would fight his way back, and
win her still.
He was q bad soldier in his heart.
He could not hate the enemy, or catch
the fighting fever. When he first saw
fighting on the Douro, he was sickened
by it; and when he became corporal, he
received the stripe with disgust and
would have refused it could such q
thing have been done. Nobody could
say he ever shirked duty, though no
body could ever praise him for zeal.
He went to work like machine, scorn-
ing himself and pitying others, for be-
ing what he called slaves. But brains
will out; and the deserter was soon
found to be something better than mere
food for powder. Sometimes an acci-
dent, where intelligence was wanted,
would happen to make an officer stare.
A broken gentleman in the ranks, or
even scholar, was by no means un-
known; but paragon of steadiness,
who could make a survey like an engi-
neer, and keep accounts like clerk,
was queer Sergeant Blackthorn had
become marked man; and not with
the lash, as he might have been.
He had not yet seen much fighting,
since the passage of the Douro. But
new, when at the sound Of the bugle
his regiment fell into position near the
center of the line, he and every man
there knew that their day had come.
How great were the odds against them,
none knew; and if they had, three
Frenchmen to one Englishmen would
have been only fair. They were on a
slight ridge, rising towards a hill on
the left. and Stephen with the rest, had
a plain sweep of the plain for their
eyes. And sure enough the Frenchmen
had passed the river in force; the battle
had already begun. Stephen could see
the advanced brigades falling back be-
fore an advancing French column as
steadily as if they were at review,
firing as they retreated, till they fell in
TO the line Of redcoats reaching from
the town to the hill. Then came a
long pause.
But presently two long columns, one
to right and one TO left, crossed the
plain, and, as they neared broke into a
run. One mado to the hill for the left;
the other for the Spanish earthworks
and barricades. The center was let
alone. And then, from both flank and
right, came great fghting-all to hear,
and nothing to see but the smoke that
crossed the din. After while the
noise Of firing ceased on the Spanish
side, but only TO increase sharply from
the British flank on the hill. Surely
something must happen soon. And
something must be happening; for still
column after column Of the French
came to fall upon the left, and still the
fight went on, while the center stood
unattached and unattacking, as II on
endless parade. An aid-de-camp or an
orderly would now and then be seen
galloping from left to rear; but that
was all. Hour after hour passed, and
still the unseen battle ragged, even until
darkness fell.
What had happenedP The firing
ceased, and clold-like masses wert
seen crossing the plain. All sorts Of
rumors came out with the stars. Somt
said the fighting on the right had ceas
ed so soon because the Spaniards had
fled at the first onset in panic; which
was partly true, though their strong do
fence had given them time to recover
Some were assured that the left Aanl
had been turned; but that could not b'
true, or the regiments in the oentel
would not be still left idle where they
were. Some saio that the entire French
force had been driven back and routed
but that was wild. Only they who hat
kept the hill all that long summer day
knew that the sun had set on some
eight hundred fewer lives than he hat
risen upon. ~rf4
It was as sweet and calm night a.
ever was known, and the carnag'
Of that day was unseen save by thos'
who had taken part therein. To Stephei
the battle had been but sound and fury
and he could almost wish, for once