St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-08-13
The Soldiers Wife.
BY EUGENE FIELD.

BY EUGENE FIELD.
OF the soldiers valOr volumes have
been writ, his patriotism has been ex-
tolled by poets, and IA lustrOus immOr-
tality invests his name and deeds.
Above his bier to-day there is left un
said no word that gratitude or rever-
ence or love inspires. All honor was
his reward and from the long and
dreadful war the soldier came unscath-
ed, the leader of his fellow patriots,
the commander of his cOnntry's armies.
History has told this story, and will
repeat it to all time.
Bat who shall tell of the soldiers
wife, waiting and watching and pray
ing on the hearth stoneP These were
years of martyrdOm to her. What
dreams came to her i'll her restless
SAUNDERS what sound of battle there
was always in her ears what sights
OF death haunted her waking moments !;
what midnight hours she passed upon
her knees in agOnized pletdings with
the God of battles ALI, these are things
we may never know. If tears and
prayers could speak, how would they
tell the glory of her martyrdom The
soldiers wife complained not. The
tient fortitude found only in the lives
of women. But when the soldier came
from the war his gentle wife put away
his sword with IA sense of devOut thank
fitness, for now had he come to share
with her and their little ones that quiet
home life for which her wifely nature
yearned.
NAY, not so" said the people che
I, h. .AI
our flag, he has saved our country.
Our hearts overflow with gratltude--he
must be our ruler"
What cared the soldiers wife for
these things7 TO the wOman's heart
how like empty vanities are the dig
mites and titles of the world when
compared with the holy sweets of
home. But IL divine will directs all
things. The soldier obeyed the voice
of his countrymen and he became their
rnler-ay, and a second time he served
them as their magistrate, so great was
their VeneratiOn and gratitude, and
such was his devotion to his native
land. His fame extended over all the
earth, every nation did him honor,
and when, in search of rest, he went
into far countries, great kings and
princes came ont to meet HIM and do
him reverence. Such and SO great dis
tinction meier before was shown to any
man.
At last, after it all-after all these
wears of war and ceremony-the sol
der said to his wife that they would
give their declining years to that home
life for which she had always hunger
ed. And the wife's heart was glad,
aud she felt that the sacrifices and the
martyrdOm Of the old years were not
in vain. But her happiness was all
too brief: great and crushing grief
came to the soldiers wife. A mortal
disease fell upon the soldier and struck
him down, and held him i'll it's fatal
clutch for weary months. The soldiers
wife saw her beloved dying day by
day, and, struggle as she might, she
had not the power to save him. The
people made a great Outcry. All the
sympathy of the world went out to-
ward the dying soldier, and the world
prayed that he might be spared, but 1T
awaited not.
But when the death dew came upon
the soldiers forehead and the mists of
the dark valley gathered about him,
he beckoned to his wife, and she came
to his side aud held his hand and bent
and kissed his rugged brow. You
would not have recognized in that bag
gard, dying man and white haired wO-
man the little boy and little girl who
played together on the western prairies
in those dear distant years when the
little boy first told his little sweetheart
that he wanted to be a soldier.
The soldier said To his wife. "HOld
my hand and let me feel yOur face
close to mine"
Aud the soldiers wife did as she was
hidden, and she felt that her heart was
breaking.
The soldier said 81 have heard all
my countrymen have said, and it has
soothed my dying agonies. am glad
| am soldier" ....
Then the soldiers wife said "Amen:"
and, as she breathed the word, her
thoughts went back over the troublous
years-ay, even to the peaceful, home
ly days when lie and she were little
sweethearts. Aud she said ''Amen
once again as all the sacred memories
of those years came back to her. /
Bend closer, that you may hear
me-" said the soldier. "My country
men have said that they would give
me a great burial and build a splendid
over my grave. Let 1t not
be So. unless you are with me there.
Let US sleep our last sleep together,
side by side"
Oh, what a sweet .recOmPense this
was for all the years of heaTtache and |
of yearningl And as the soldiers wife
kissed her beloved's eyelids down for
ever, there came into her widowed
heart the peace of a perfect love.-lChi-
cago News.
He Never Took Medicine.