River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-03-04

"Hush,-wait, she answered. MY
4 father You and he are enemies.
! And with ha.d-clasp she was gone.
With a heavy heart he turned away,
! and ere many hours had elapsed he,
with his troops. was with the main di-
vision of the Union army But as the
! DAYS passed lie did not cease 10
/ think of the dauntless little Virginia
maiden. The episode, he felt, was one
I of the might have beens in his event
/ full life. And Catherine Wood. when
/ she saw the Confederate gray in place
Of the blue coats, felt Kind of fierce
pang which was not from l)yalty To her
I cause, whereupon, as penance, she set
herself rcSOlutely about preparing the
I best her domestic skill could offer for
/ the officers whom her father insisted
I on quartering in his own HOUSEHOLD.
/ But when one. the most eligible from
7 her father point of view, succumbed
/ to her charms and urged an acceptance
of his suit. she fatty refused acquies-
cense, much to her parent 5 displeasure.
/ The war with its varying fortunes
dragged To a close. At the downfall
of the Confederacy Mr.. Wood was as
one stunned; never for a moment had
he admitted the possibility of failure
of the cause he loved SO well The
shock proved too much for his extreme
" nervous organization, and though
watched over with the tenderest care,
ne was soon laid 10y the wife of his
youth.
Fortunately, the clergyman ample
property had been invested in such a
way that the war had not materially
diminished it, aud he felt the satsfac-
tion of leaving his daughter well pro-
vided for.
As time passed, and her loneliness
grew greater each day, she yearned
for the companionship of a true friend;
accordingly. at the urgent request of a
married schoolmate. Catherine resolved
on visit to her home in Philadelphia.
The six years that had interviewed
since the beginning of the war had ma
tured the girl of twenty into grace
full. self-possessed woman; a woman to
whom the unfortunate instinctively
turned, and never in vain. Entirely
without kindred. a disposition that
chung to a few firm friends, conscious
that the one chance Of n happy home
life for her had been forfeited, she re-
solved to live for those less fortunate,
from a worldly point of view, than her
self.
One day, at her request, her friend
accompanied her to a certain hospital
on 49, street. Oh, the pitiable wrecks
of humanity lying there. cared for
through charity! Catherine, whose
quiet village home had never afforded
such a scene. paused, sick and faint.
A man upturned face on the cot by
which they stood met her gaze. The
great Slue cyes-they were a dark.
beautiful blue-were eagerly scanning
her every movement The thin white
/ lips trambled perceptibly beneath the
I heavy muStache. while the unshaven
beard rendered more pallid the already
4 bloodle>s complexion.
Catherine caught the fixed, eager
I look he bent upon her.
What is it. my poor fellow she
said, answering the mute appeal in his
eyes.
You are sorry for us?" ne replied
/ in a weak voice. Your face has the
/ pity of an angel You are the same As
/ Of OH.
He is wandering. She thought;
4 but she was not prepared for the
change that swept over him.
''Oh. my God. that / should have
/ fallen so low, he groaned. Home
/ less, friendlcSs, drunkard sustained
/ by charity! Oh, Catherine Wood. that
YOU should come here to witness my
great degradation.
He seized her hand.
Have Won no remembrance of me?
Have YOU quite forgotten Harry Latti-
mer, from whom you parted six years
agO?'
She sat down in a chair by the bed,
while her friend aud thc nurse consid-
erately withdrew. Arush of old mem
cries came over her This poor. for
saken fellow the handsome young cav
1 airy officer she had never ceased to
remember!
Il did not know YOU" she began
gently. "You are indeed changed,
4 but your kindness in the past | have
never forgotten.
/ Il would not have spoken, he said
wistfully, "but a longing for human
F ~ mpathy / could not resist seized me,
aud ! read pity in your face for us ALL
4 But there i none now so low as to call
me friend.
DO not say so, she urged But
/ tell me of your life since we parted. >
1t is but a short story. Soon after
/ that was made prisoner, and held
till the close Of the war My health
broNen. I sought my Northern home.
/ only to find death had claimed my only
relatives. Friends had grown cold.
Homeless. almost an invalid, | sought
for employment suited to my strength,
but in vain. | fell in with evil com
pamons. for they at least did not pass
me by on the other side. Like cow
ard Icrank TO drown trouble. Helpless
at last, was picked upon the street and
brought here, a pauper. Now YOU
know all, you cannot but despise me
Thank YOU for listening to the com.
plants OF a sick man. | will keep YOU
no longer, he concluded, turning away
his face and closing his eyes.
Catherine laid her cool hand on his
throbbing temples.
Il will be your friend always" she
whispered softly.
To the poor heart sick man it cam,
as a benediction. The excitement haC
told on him. and he was too weak for fur
Their conversation. Delirium set in, anc
for time his life was despaired of. AnC
Catherine Wood kept her word. Al
that friendship could suggest ant
money execute was done for his comfort
When the danger was past and {
slow copvaleScence began, he remOn
strated with her.
Il am your friend she pleaded
lido not deny me the privilege of civ
ing you a new start in the world. /
costs me no sacrifice; YOU will not re
fuse?"
Your trust in me shallnot be misplac
ed - he answered humbly, and b,
could but accept the profferef aid il
the spirit gwen. while the a~oeptanc,
was his salvation.
The hardships he had endured. re
morse for his degradation. has trans
formed him. but with The return
of health be was still a fine look
ing man; many times Catherine caugh
now look, now a gesture. that recall
ed the light-hearted boy Of yore.
Never word of love was spoken; h,
felt his position too kenny; bet there
was an undeclared bond between then
! that each felt. and that rendered thei
hours together very sweet.
At length the time OF h:s complet,
recovery came, and as they had plann
! ed he babe her good-by and starte.