The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-09

Inc feQoral plCketS near Culpeppel
} Court-house. Virginia, were surprised
just after daybreak by the appearance
. OF man staggering along alone, with.
; out rifle or accOutrement. The mud on
J his dress completely hid the color of his
} uniform. His face was bloody and he
reeled like drunken man. There had
been sharp skirmish near there the
evening before, and it was thought the
solitary figure coming through the misty
woods was some Union soldier left on
the field who had recovered sufficiently
to get up. The men went out to meet
him and were surprised to discover that
the unfortunate fellow was Confeder-
ate, and a Captain at that. He had
received a ball in the center of the fore
head which had fractured but had not
penetrated the skull. He could not
talk intelligently. and his movements
showed that his brain lacked co-ordina-
ton. The expression had gone out of
his eyes and his countenance was pale
and wan. He was escorted to the rear
and placed in a hospital in Washington
City, from which he recovered from the
wound, but the pressure of particle of
bone on the brain left him lacking his
memory. He could tell nothing Of his
past. 1t was as if it had never existed,
When the war closed he was released
from prison. He knew not where to
60, for he could not recall from whence
he came. An old gentleman of South
ern proclivitics gave him employment as
a gardener in the neighborhoOd of
Washington, and he brought to his new
position a strong frame. willing heart
| and happy disposition. He was looked
upon with much curiosity by all the
neighborhood. for his bearing and
features showed he came from patrician
1t seemed as if all nature minstrel
sy had joined to greet the beautiful
morning. The tinkling of COW bells in
the pasture behind the convent, usually
the first notes of approaching dawn,
were silenced by the twitter of birds in
the great pecan trees. Mocking bird
and OriOle, the cardinal and pape,
whistled SO cheerily even the blackbirds
half doing on last years cornstalks
out in the fields turned their heads first
on one side and then on ne other medi-
tatively to listen to the joyous outburst.
Inside the chapel of the Ursuline Con-
vent there was gathered silent congre-
CATION, mostly of ladies. The yellow
light of this spring morning poured
through the windows. adding something
OF the supernatural to the appearance
of the interior. The tender, tremulOus
notes of the organ, the almost weeping
voices of the choir and the agitated
tones of the good priest visably affected
all present. In front of the altar krelt |
quecnly figure robed in the habilaments
of bride. From that hour she was to |
become the bride of the Lord, and |
hencefOrth, as nun, to devote herself
to the obligations of q recluse. |
For her the world was to be dead
forever. There is always something in
effably sad in the ceremony of taking
the veil, and in this case circumstances
made it unusually touching. A young
lady endowed with wealth, beauty and
every thing that could make home hap
py passed out the chapel door never
more to look upon worldly life again.
There were few dry eyes in the little
building. and even until to-day many
recall the morning when that beautiful
young woman gave up the name her
family knew her by and was re-christ-
ened Sister Ursule. Hope deferred had
made the heart sick, and the world had
lost its sweetness for her.
That very morning, in the operating
ward of the Charity Hospital. that skill
full surgeon. DIR. Stone. was performing
q most delicate operation. A poor fell
low, shortly before arrived on a New
York steamer. had applied for .admis-
sion to the hospital, suffering from neu.
ralgia. He complained of his head,
and after a careful examination the
cicatrix of wound in the forehead was
discovered. The patient told of his
lack of memory and could not give any
hing of his history. The doctors dag
nosed the case as one of pressure on
the brain by portion of the fronta!
bone. and resolved to trephine and rc-
move the cause of the trouble. Tho !
operation was successful, and the pa
tient was removed to his cot in another !
ward. :
The next morning he had fully re-
covered from the effects of the chloro-
Orm. He called the nurse to him. He
asked where he was and was told. A I
lew light shown in his eyes. He seat I
or the house surgeon. Everything had I
come back to him. The vanished
7ears of obliviousness dawned upon
lis re-awakened memory. He remem.
,ered his parting on that front gallery,
he war. the skirmish, and his affianced .
wife. ,
He begged the doctor to send for his
friends in the city. Surely some of
hem could be found.
On the third day old Zenon Cavillier
'isited the hospital. In the man with a Y
'andage about his head he recognized
me he had known five years before.
The sick man turned over on his bed .
nd looked at the visitor. He raised
himself on his elbow and his lips moved. }
where is Marguerite?" were his first $
vOrds
The old gentleman hesitated. but the .
Invalid begged SO hard. At last. with h
ears in his eyes, the visitor answered.: =
She has taken the veil at the convent
nd has left the world.'' u
The head dropped back, the eyes Q
losed, the hand fell listless on the white .
beet. The nurse hurried to the sur
con. There was a rapid movement of 7?
eet on the sanded floor, and the gray
aired physician appeared. He shook =
is head sadly. Its too bad" said Il
e; "you have spoiled that operation.
[eart disease! That did the work! g
ONE shock to his nerves. eh?'' g
The driftwOod still is carried round
nd round. in the currents of Dead .,