The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-09-09


thought, then shook himself together and
continued: II cannot describe her to you.
i can only say Mary of Scots always came
to my thoughts as gazed into her beautiful
eyes and face; her features were finely cut,
her eve roguishly, laughingly beautiful.
Her hair of golden brown, worn
long, tied with blue ribbon, her
form fully developed, willowy, and
graceful, Edith Warren was as beau
tiful as woman could be. She was,
/ believed, frank, truthful, and unaffected.
You know, boys, when love first sets in We
see as through glass, darkly. The tide is
strong, it is passion that rules supreme,
and demands sacrifices complete, and they
are given. Tom and Frank and loved her.
We became jealous, cold toward each other.
Frank, poor boy, fell first and fled home
ward. Tom and / talked the matter over
together, confessed our love for Edith,
shook hands, swearing friendship, and to
use all honorable means and endeavors to
win her. As Edith's father was lumber
man. like my own, thought my chances
were better, as was her equal in all except
education. Tom had the advantage of me
in that; he could recite Moore, Burns, and
Meredith; besides he had wealth. Edith's
time did not hang heavy for lack of sweet
hearts. We filled her pink ears full of
danced like the stars; she was full of life
and fun, surely tantalizing with her be-
witching laugh and ambiguous replies and
saucy looks from her sparkling eyes. can
see her plainly now just as she stood at the
little ashwood gate. With sad, mournful
nook and voice she babe me goodnight and
good-by. Well, boys, Tom, poor Tom;
he staked all on his good looks and money;
on a word; he never told me anything, but 1
guessed it by his looks and silence. His
eyes, great heaven! What despairing
look beheld in them! as for me, we'll, AZ
she babe me good-by at the gate she said
she would write me, and l might guess her
meaning. As the stage started | cast one
backward look. My heart seemed to die
within me. A groan came to my ear. L
looked around and saw Toms white
face and glaring eyes; he saw
and heard what l did-a loud call of
Edith, darling! Over the low. small
wood hedge sprang tall form, clothed in
blue and brass. With one glad, happy cry
of Robert Edith flew to him. was clasped
in his arms, her golden head pillowed upon
his breast.
Arriving at Montpelier, we found fu-
ror of excitement. War, war was heard on
every hand. We found the old laughing
Frank with soldiers clothes on, and SER
geants chevrons upon his arms. He was
pale and naughty, not like the dear, old
time Frank.
well. BOYS, Tom and / received letter
the same day. Both were from Edith. The
next day Tom enlisted. / started for home.
Boys, you know the rest. For two years
We have stood elbow to elbow. Tom, he
is just across the road there, in that Ver-
mont regiment. His Captain-Robert,
Edith's soldier brother-is buried at bloody
Antetam's field. Frank, poor, misguided
boy, sleeps at Maryland Heights.
"Ah! here comes the salt horse-last
nights supper, to-day's breakfast, dinner,
and supper; four in one, at the same price
as one. Charge, boys, CHARGE"
Hold on, Charley" exclaimed Dick,
hurt at this extraordinarily abrupt levity
breaking in on a story which had, for some
cause, thrown a spell on u.s. finish your
story. You said We should know all.
Edith"
Fall in fall in, boys! Lively, now!
Trouble on the left" came the stern COM
mand from our Captain.
We grabbed handfuls of "hard tack, and
fell into line, and in five minutes were rap
| idly on the march. All night we tramped,
tramped through mud and rain, hungry
and silent. At daybreak we formed our
selves in line of battle, facing a desperate
| foe. glanced at Sergeant Charley. His
| face was set and determined / Won
dered how the story was TO end; but stories
and hunger were forgotten in the terrible
struggle that followed; for four long hours
we battled against odds; the cannonading
was fierce and awful. Hand-to hand en-
counters were desperate, cannoneers were
dubbed and bayoneted at their guns, which
they obstinately defended and would rather
Il tha,, Il W, e..
endorsements, which came at last. Death
indeed was triumphant and reaped a rich
harvest.
A few of the many stood there to answer
"Here!"
We stood among the dismounted guns
where dead men were four and five deep.
Tears came to our eyes as we looked upon
the awful scene. A groan came from n
heap of men at the left. We FASTENED to
give aid to the sufferer. We came t. the
broken cannons; we started back with
cry of horror, for on top of the heap of
dead by the gun lay Charley's friend Tom;
his blouse showed many bayonet thrusts,
one completely through his neck. He had
partly drawn from his bosom fine white
handkerchief bloody and full of holes in
| the corner worked in silk was a letter "E. "
Fallen upon the trunnons of the cannon
as if in the act of embracing its still warm
body lay Charley dead, crooked saber
bayonet stuck into his body Just above the
belt; an ugly wound on the side of his
head from which the blood still tricbled
and mingled with the golden hair of ring
let pressed to his lips. The golden curl
was tied with a blue ribbon; the long end
had rested upon his breast, but now was
driven into his heart by the leaden messen-
ger of death The short end fiuttered in
the light breeze. Upon it in neat, round
letters was written Edith"
Inflammation in Eggs.