Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-03-14
"MsUFICe REINFORCEMENT

One cold December evening old victor
MORGAN %, IN bis old arm chair before the
great CID fashioned IRE place pipe in hand
r.zin, a. the cheerful embers and wstch-
ing the pickering hight as it would burn
and de-. Ills eJes would brighten and bis
s,sd wrinkled face tighten up, then again
they would resume their dull accustomed
look His mud wandered back to youth
tul days; TO peaceful days; to wsrlike
DAYS; to DAYS when Louis the XIV. was
L,rr, when be, Victor, fought and marched
to the music of the drum. A long list Of
adventures that had dotted his life wal
deed in shadows through his brain; ad-
Gtures 10 war and peace. The war drum
now yi6rated through France; the battle
fsgs were unfurled. and scsbbardless
swords thirSted for blood,-snd poor old
Victor must stay at home. His arm now
aged and iufrm was not allowed to strike
one blow under the wonderful Napoleon.
His arm was once strong and brave. Whist
better colder than he grsced the French
ranks in the Austrian Succession, when
I rance arraysd herself in arms TO prevent
the iron Lombard crown from srsciug the
tair brows Of Maria Theresa? Vino fought
mora vahsntly than he at Fontenoy, or pre-
served better record through the Seven
Years War But these were school boy
battles compared with the brilliant cam
raigns and victories that now clothed the
French arms A mortal Mars, Napoleon,
was making France glitter in war, and at
the same time drawing her best blood,
The RANKS Of the slain we're reGlled by the
living. The young men had all left aud the
villages were almoss deserted. The young
usu Victor was once young. Young
auc brave like Maurice Rochtort, who was
20 o. his son-in-lsw; who was 70 marry
Marie, Marie the picture OF her mother
wheL Victor Norean woed and we'd her
Her mother, dear woman had LAIN in tie
grsye for years. 4 tear rolled dowa the
old mans wTiuklsd cheeks He arose and
put some fsEotS on tie diving FIRE and
again seated himself What keeps Marie
SO late he unused, here she has been gone
since sunset. An, these girls when they
nee. they will talk aud talk; time 10 moth
ing to them He closed mis- eyes and vas
again drifting back into memories Of the
past when the latch raised, the door opened
and Marie walked in. Her face was IN.
usually pale, indicating some inward agi-
tsiou. She removed her hood, then seated
herself near the FIRE place. She burst into
tears. My dear, my dear, naris, ex.
claimed Victor in establishment, what
hurts nv pretty oneY He arose, walked
10 her side aud bending down kissed her,
"Oh father, father she cried in despair,
Maurice is dead No child, nc" said
Victor os he gaze6 In 5ewilderment at
the weeping girl. mo child, it cannot be
YET" Re slowly added, il may be true.
How aid YOU learn this? She replied In
broken so5s IL heard he was dead. l
dreamed It. Lsouie Yalrine told me and
showed me the paper. saw his name in
the dead lis Maurice Rochtort, dead,
Brian brigade under General MsrmonL
But.-5ut, fsl,ered Marie. CLEAN OF hope
lighting up her face,-'No! no! Ii can
not bs.-he is dead, dead Ga, Maurice!
Maurice" she pressed her pale hands to
her face in anguish. Her long black eurls
hung in tangled masses over her shoulders,
giving her dark, wierd, yet beautiful sp.
0earance. "Wen, well" said Victor, his
voice tiuged with sorrow, weep child,
weepiog viii help you, but not him. Wom-
su must weep, whether in joy or IN sad
rsss. Il is sadness now Marie. feel 1t
myself. Nv ewes feel moist too child. Death
touches q tender chord even in the sternest.
Nanrice was a brave young man: tender
u,suly soul, aud it is meet that We should
weep" Victor paused. He must have
haen killed in a skirmish before Austerlitz
Bat Il cannot be helped now child. 1t was
Gods will, and warrant be dled molly.
IL must have died sometime my child
al must and Why not sooner THAI later.
Sc would escape much suffering. Yes,
vaz-lifs5has many troubles child. Each
TO- hiss its shadowing of sorrow that will
.T-sly follow. Marie it might have been
wei! for him to have died thus, but 1t might
haze bean better for him to have died 81
home Yes, better, but not nohier. a
soldiers death is noble death Marie,
noble death" Thu5 Victor talked ss ne
gazzd abstrsctedly into the Ere. Marie had
raised der head, brushed back her dlsheVe!
ID fsir she sat motiouless with c!ssPed
hands q sad, fearful, and painful look upon
h. f,ce Her ia hers mutterings were
vlo}.v lost 10 her. Her mind wandered
5rcF 70 happier days; to the time she last
saw Maurice. It was on the porch and be
was clad in his gay regimeutsls. Every
tL,ag vas in the quiekness OF HE. Inc
hoaers that grew on the trelilsed porch
We, in bloom. Everything was gay and
rs4;s,. The air was filed with mar
Ill rrr.ic and cheers. The flag OF France
aea.a5 in the streets Waving hsndker'
CHIEFS and cheers greeted the passing sol,
dje-s. .Viye Ia France, Vive lie Napoleon,
rang from thousand throsts: Maurice nSu
s,opped 10 bid Marie good bye. How noble
he looked, with what compassion sut ten,
deraess he looked into Marie fearful tsGe
How ha clasped her trembling toSm IN ms
strong manly grasp and printed kiss after
kiss up77 her red lips Then-goodoye:
and dssning down the path he reached the
gR,a then turned and waved last rare
we'll then hurried on and was soon lost IN
the dus, Of the passing regiment. Long
she stood there; even until me T I;u.aUo u
tie drums had died away II the distance
Maurice was gone. TIE light OF MS rs s oLae
ewes stiIl shown upon her, the thrill from
the last kiss still burned upon heE ups
Brave. gallant, noble, Maurice ana now
oh mus u she believe it,-lay cold, pale;
and ifsless amid the blood and carnage o.
battle field. There in the cold err WIN
bis life blood ebbing out-he died. No
ieDisr hands to pillow his head; no ten
Urr voiceIto soothe hisIdying moments, His
fDs you'd murmur her name. only to be
los, in the empty air or wasted in the dying
groaus Why could she have en-; MOI ILL., UeT hin
nan and fought ike him,-died IKE nlI,
died with him. her blood minglDg with
his? Death would have been supreme hap
pips,s then, But alas, he died alone; Yes; |
DssrR to come to him. it was Gods VIII
surely. She win die. She viii meet hln. |
n