The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-07
The Girl 1 Lett Behind Me. "
in the JOnesDorO (Ga } News.


The Girl I Lett Behind Me"
). NJ. s. in the JonesDoro (Ga News.
In The spring Of 1851 / was a 14-year
old boy. going to school in the town Of
Fayetteville. The war bugle had beer
sounded. and every one-galused lawyer
Of that town was blowing off his elo
luence telling rs what a noble thing il
would be for fellow to go to the from,
and be shot down on the alter of his coun
try; how his name would be printed in
history, and what a hero he would be-
though dead, and If he should stay al
home, when the boys came back he would
be called q traitor and coward. After
four years experience, / have decided
that had rather be living coward than
dead hero. But their eloquence had
the desired effect on me. wanted to
die for something, did not know what,
so enrolled my name on the list of the
Fayette Grays. OF coursa, I like ALL oys
OF my age. had sweetheart. a hazel
eyed, brown-haired beauty. If there is
anything have weakness for, it is
brown hair. All MY sweethearts have
had brown hair, and do not know a
black haired woman on earth that has
any use for me. To say loved that girl
does not express it. actually loved all
relations, all the negroes on her fathers
place, all on account OF her. fused to go
berry hunting. and would walk up and
down the brooks with her gathering flow
ers. In fact was all the time with her,
and how she did sing and play for me
every night. and would generally close
BY singing ''No One to Love, No One to
Caress." That would get next to me ev-
cry time. Then would move up to her
and explain. When / told her had JOIN
ed the army, we both cried, but she said
she knew had done right, but it would
break her heart to see me go, and made
promise to come home often. We prom
issd to be true to each other, and when
the war was over we would get married
and be happy the rest OF our lives. She
helped me to make my uniform and get
me ready for the front. The day came
for our company to leave-the saddest
hour Of my life had arrived, I went to
her to bid her good bye. As took her
BY the hand she fell on my manly bosom
and wept. also wept. The scene was
a very affecting one. Some of the oldest
Inhabitants who witnessed it shed tears,
also. She said she loved me. and she did
not care who knew it. kissed her good
bye and tore myself away. Ut was no
harm 70 Hiss a girl during the war.
sometimes wish the war was going on
now Twice a week the mail man would
hand me o nice little white envelope, and
in it l would find written on perfumed
gilt edge paper words Of love. After
reading. I would place them next to my
Eeart. and at night dream Of her and the
happy meeting that was to come; but the
coursa Of true love never did run smooth.
One G'y the usliest and LATEST man in
our company was discharged, for what |
never knew, unless it was for ugliness.
lie went home. He lived on an adjoin-
ing fam, where my ideal lived. Soon
the letters began to get scarce, then they
cease i altogether. This could not I'M
'erstand. But one Of the boys who came
from home explained the mystery. She
had married the fellow who had been dis
charS I'd! This was an awful blow 10 me,
but mustered up courage, got rad,
burned her letters in the camp fire, threw
her picture in the creek and said things
of ''ths girl left behind NO." did not
comniit suicide, as many would have
done but consoled myself with the idea
that there was as good fish in the sea as
was ever caught out of it. When re-
membered that the sea was full of fish Of
all kinds, 1 remembered there was star
fish. mullet, shad, whale, big fish, little
fish, electric fish-she was of the electric
sort, at least she gave me an awful shock.
She is now the happy mother of eight
boys, and her husband is
oliliff OF his district.