The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-01-06

one another. Sometimes | WINGED
at seeing him made free at the home
from which | was shut out then l
would open the grammar at the leaf
where Dear John was written up In
the corner, and my trouble was
gone. Mary was sorrowful and
pale these days, and think her peo-
pie were worrying her.
1T was one evening two or three
days before we got the news of Bull
Run. | had gone down to the cem-
etery to trim the spruce hedge set
around the old mans lot, and was
just stepping into the enclosure,
when | heard voices from the oppo-
site side. One was Mary's, and the
other | knew to be young Marston's,
the ministers son, | didn't mean
to listen, but what Mary was saying
struck me DUMB. we must never
meet again, she was saying III q
wild way. we must say good-by
here, forever good-by, good-by 7
and | could hear her sobbing. Then,
presently she Sid, hurriedly, No,
no i; my hand, not my lips Then
it seemed be kissed her hand, and
the two parted, one going toward
the parsonage, and the other out by
the gate near where | stood.
81 don't know how long stood
there, but the night dews had wet
me to the skin when | stole out of
the graveyard and across the road to
the schoolhouse. | unlocked the
door, and took the Latin grammar
from the desk and hid it in my bos-
ON. There was not a sound nor
light anywhere as | walked out of
the village. And now," said Blad-
burn, rising suddenly from the tree
trunk, at the little book eyer falls
in your way, won't you see that 1t
comes to no harm, for my sake. and
for the sake of the little woman who
was true to me and didn't love me?
Wherever she is tonight, God bless
her,"
As we descended to camp with
our arms resting on each others
shoulders the watch fires were burn
ing low in the valleys and along the
hillsides, and as far as the eye could
reach the silent tents lay bleaching
in the moonlight.
III.
We imagined that the throwing
forward of our brigade was the ini-
tial movement Of a general advance
of the army; but that as the reader
will remember, did not take place
until the following March. The
C0nfederates had fallen back to Cen
treville without firing shot, and
the National troops were in pOzses-
sion of Lewinsville, Vienna, and
Fairfax Court House. Our new posi-
ton was nearly identical with that
which we had occupied on the night
previous to the battle OF Bull Run
-on the old turnpike road to Man
assa, where the enemy was suppos-
ed to be in great force With field
glass we could see the Rebel pickets
moving in strip of woodland on
our right, and morning and evening
we heard the spiteful roll of their
snare drums.
These pickets soon became null
sance to us. Hardly night passed
but they fred upon our outposts, SO
far with no harmful result but after
while it grew to be serious mat
ter. The rebels would crawl out on
all-fours from the wood into a field
covered with underbrush, and lie
there in the dark for hours, Whiting
for shot. Then our men took to
the rifle-pi,s-pits ten or twelve feet
long by four or five deep, with the
loose earth banked up few inches
high on the exposed sides. All the
pits bore names more or less f,llci-
tous, by which they were known to
their transient talents. One was
called THE Pepper-Box," another
"Uncle Sans Well, another "Tbe
Red-Trap," and another, | am con-
strained to say, was named after a
not to be mentioned tropical local;-
ty. Though this rude sort of no
menclature predominated, there was
no lack of softer titles,such as Fort
ress Matilda and "Castle Mary"
and one had, though unintentiOnal-
ly, a literary flavor to it, "Blair's
Grave" which was not properly con-
sidered as rejecting unpleasantly on
Nat Blair, who bad assisted in max
ing the excavation.
Some of the regiment he'd dis
coveIed field of late corn in the
neighborhood, and used to boil a
few ears every day, while 1t lasted,
for the boys detailed on the night
picket. The corn cobs were always
scrupulously preserved and mounted
on the parapets of the pits. When
ever Rebel shot carried away one
of these barbettes guns, there was
swearing In that particular trench.
Strong, who was very sensitive to
this kind of disaster, was complain
ing bitterly one morning, because ne
had lost three pieces" the night be-
fore.
There's Quite So, now" said
Strong, when a Minie-ball comes
pingl and knocks one of his guns to
flinders, he merely smiles, and
doesn't at all see the degradation OF
the thing"
Poor Bladburn As | watched
him day by day going about his
duties, in bis shy, cherry way, with
smile for every one and not an ex-
ira word for anybody, it was hard
to believe he was the same man who
that night before we broke camp by
the Potomac, had poured out to me
the story Of his love and sorrow in
words that burned to my memory.
While Strong was speaking, Blake
ly lifted aside the flop of the tent
and lookee in on us.