Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-09
CHAPTER /.
A DEcLARATIoN.

On the afternoon of a perfect June day
Rachel Bond sat beneath an apple tree at the
crest of moderate hill and looked dreamily
away to where, beyond the village of Sardis
at the foot of the hill the Miami river marked
the beautiful valley like silver ribbon care
lessly flung upon web of green velvet
Rather she seemed to be looking there, for
the light that usually shone outward in those
luminous eyes was turned inward. The little
volume of poems had dropped UNDECIDED from
the white hand. 1t had done its office; the
passion of its lines had keyed her thoughts to
harmony that suffused her whole being,
until all seemed as naturally part of the
glorious day as the fleecy clouds in the sap
phire sky, the cheerful hum of the bees, and
the apple blossoms luxurious scent
Her love, and quite as much her girlish
ambition, had been crowned with violets and
bays some weeks before, when the fever heat
OF patriotism seemed to bring another passion
in Harry Glen's bosom to the eruptive point,
and there came the long-waited-for avowal
of his love, which was made on the evening
before his company departed to respond to
the call for troops which followed the fall of
Fort Sumter
After the meeting at which Harry had
signed the recruiting roll, he had taken her
home up the long, sloping hill, through moon
light as soft, as inspiring, as clarifying as
that which had melted even the frosty God
dess of Maidenhood, so that she stopped from
her heavenly napproachableness and kissed
the handsome Endymion as he slept
Though little, and that commonplace, was
said as they walked, subtle womanly instinct
prepared Rachel's mind for what was coming
and her grasp upon Harry's arm assumed
They stopped beneath the old apple tree, at
the crest of the hill, and in front of the house.
Its gnarled and twisted limbs had been but
freshly clothed in suit of fragrant green
leaves.
The ruddy bonfires, lighted for the war
meeting, still burned in the village below.
The hum of supplementary speeches
to the excited crowds that still lin
gered about came to their ears, mingled
with cheers from Threats rapidly grow
ing hoarse and the throb and wall of fife and
drum. Then, uplifted on the voices of hun
dreds who sang it as only men, and men
swayed by powerful emotions can, rose the
ever-glorious "Star Spangled Banner, loftiest
and most inspiring of national hymns.
Through its long, forceful measures, which
have the sweep and ring of marching bat
talions, swung the singers, with a passionate
earnestness that made every note and word
glow with meaning The swelling paan told
of the heroism and sacrifice with which the
foundations of the nation were laid, of the
glory to which the land had risen, and then
its mood changing to ono of direness and
wrath, 1t foretold the just punishment of
those who broke the peace of happy land
The mood of the Sardis people was that
patriotic exaltation which reigned in every
city and village of the north on that memoir
able night of April, 1861.
But Rachel and Harry had left far behind
them this passion of the multitude, which had
set their own to throbbing even as the roar
of cannon will waken the vibrations of
harp strings. Around where they stood was
the peace of the night and Sleep The per-
fume of violets and hyacinths, and of myriads
of opening buds seemed shed by the moon
with her silvery rays through the soft, dewy
air; a few nocturnal insects droned hither and
thither, and "drowsy tinklings Iulled the
distant folds
As their steps were arrested Rachel released
her grasp from Hnrry's arm, but he caught
her hand before it fell to her side, and held it
fast. She turned her face frankly toward
him, and he looked down with anxious eyes
upon the broad white forehead, framed in
silken black hair, upon great eyes, flaming
with meaning that he feared to interpret
upon the eloquent lines about the mobile, sem
sitive mouth, all now lifted into almost SUI
pernatural beauty by the moonlight's spirit
ualizing magic.
What he said he could never afterward
recall. His first memory was that of a pause
In his speech, when he saw the ripe, red lips
turned toward him with a gesture of the
proud head that was both an assent and invi-
tation. The kiss that he pressed there thrilled
him with the intoxication of Unexpectedly
rewarded. love, and Rachel with the gladness
of triumph