The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-04-04
THE DEAD MARCH.
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From Household Words.

From Household Words.
The roll of the muffied drum, the wall
of the Dead March, and the slow, measured
tramp of many feet vibrated the balmy
August air, and, even while they spoke of
DEATH brought life into the usually silent
street.
A rabble of idle youths and children
followed the long procession as it moved
slowly by, while womens faces appeared at
almost every window. In an upper bed
room of one of the houses two persons were
sitting. The elder one was very old lady,
whosay back in large arm chair, apparently
asleep. The other was a young girl, who
was sitting on the floor playing with a kit
ten.
When the sound of music made itself
heard the girl looked up and listened. She
glanced anxiously at her companion, and,
after moments thought, put down the
kitten, rose, and, softly crossing the room,
proceeded to close the window as noiselessly
as possible. Inspite, however, of her care,
her movements reused the old lady, who
looked round and said
w httO 10 OllO hAttCOSAJ SilAo
Il was trying to close the window, Aunt
Hester" the child answered; II was afraid
the noise would wake you"
Aunt Hester made no reply, but suddenly
sat up and listened intently, raising her
hand to enforce silence on her niece
"Ah yes. 1t is-it p she said at last,
clasping her withered hands, while her
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for moment. recalled look of youth to
her pale, old, wrinkled face. 'Don't shut
the window, Lila. I love to hear it. The
Dead March in Saul-the Dead March in
Saulr'
Her trembling voice died away in sigh;
the flush on her cheek faded, but she con-
tinued to lean forward and listen eagerly
Lila looked at her with a curiosity which
was only restrained by respect from finding
vent in questions.
''Give me your arm, Lila, and help me
to the window" her aunt said, as the
sounds came nearer.
Lila ran to her, helped her to rise,
guided her feeble steps across the room,
and continued to support her as they stood
at the window looking down on the melan-
choly procession that was passing below.
Lilla's eyes wandered from the gun-car-
riage, on which the coffin lay, covered with
flag, and surmounted by shake, a sword
belt and a sword, to the long files of sol
diers, who marched, with reversed arms
and solemn step, behind, while their officers
walked with lowered sword points behind
them, till, in her youthful impatience of
sorrow, she grew tired of the tokens Of
death, and her attention was attracted and
retained by handsome, fair-haired lad,
who looked the very personifcation of life.
The unstained freshness of his scarlet coat,
the untarnished gloss of his gold lace, the
uncrumpled width of his woven crimson
! sash, all indicated the newly Joined sub
! altern-an indication which was fully borne
out by the conscious pride of his demeanor,
and the involuntary side glances he threw
around in search of admiration, even while
he conscientiously tried to compose his
bright, mobile face into what he deemed
an expression suitable to che solemn pageant
in which he was, for the first time, per-
haps, bearing part
His wandering glances met Lilla's inno-
Gently admiring gaze, and the two young
creatures, who were little more than child
ren, moved by some electric current of SYM
pathy that was engendered by their common
want of harmony with the scene, exchanged
something that was as near smile as the
proprieties permitted. Then the boy held
his head little higher, and grasped his
sword little more proudly. But the girl,
suddenly touched with vague sense of the
fneness of the line between life and death,
heard, for the first time, the wall in the
music, and'was seized with an underlined
feeling of sadness, which comes SO readily,
though so transiently, to the young, and
which
Is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.
But this little bit of by-play passed un-
noticed by the elder lady She looked
down on the procession with gaze which,
rapt as it was, evidently saw none of its
details. The tears gathered in her eyes,
and rolled unheeded down her cheeks, but
she never stirred till the street was empty,
and the last faint sound of the band had
died away in the distance. Then she drew
long breath, aud intimated by silent ges-
ture that she wished to return to her chair.
Lila conducted her back, and taking a
seat near her, occupied herself with some
knitting After long silence Aunt Hes
ter spoke, but dreamily, as if more to her.
self than to her companion:
"Fifty years ago-ifty years ago. 1t
seems like yesterday. thought then |
must die, and here | am"
She smiled with a touch of self-mockery,
but the smile ended in sigh.
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