The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-05-25

t~+@t@tI "~@ - Ht@t0II AWE0kIruII Year,
before the father, Holroyd Graham, had
been the pctted son Of wealthy father In
Northern State; sisters there were
also, but the son was the idol Of the
fathers heart. He was q most In
dulgcnt parent when his prejudices
were not disturbed. but he was man
Of violent and unreasonable prcjudices.
and when the war broke out, his wrath
against the Southern people was % vindic-
tive and harsh that he could see no good In
them collectively or individually, and he
was eagerly ready 70 give up his only and
weli-beloved son 70 90 and fight the hated
rebels, since he himself was physically
incapacitated from doing 20 It the time,
and the son went out from his native town
81 the head Of his company, followed by the
benediction OF his father, and with the
echo Of his parting words In his ear: slick
'cm, boy. Thrash EN- out Of their boots for
me, since ! can not 90 myself" A much
more characteristic leave-taking than .
more sentimental one would have been.
The young man rode away with share
OF his fathers vindictive spirit infused
into his own gentler nature, but Is the war
progressed he saw % many touches Of .
kindred nature among the people he had
come 70 conquer that he came TO pity a.
well ~ blame, and culminated his soft
heartedness by falling desperately In love
with the fair and gentle girl who afterward
became his wife and the mother az his
children.
He had found her in an old mansion
which the Union forces had taken posses
sion Of, caring for an invalid mother, and
covering and trembling with fear, with no
one beside to protect her but an old negro
nanny and her decrepit husband, and his
chivalric heart went out 70 her ct once =
he treasured and claimed her fears, and
made the invasion Is pleasant g possible
under the circumstances. The troops were
CHARTERED in the vicinity for fortnight,
and, when they were ordered on, Holroyd
Graham carried the heart Of the fair
Southern girl away with him and left his
own in her keeping.
The fathers wrath may be imagined
when, upon his sons return from the war,
Scared from honorable service, he learned
that he was determined to make the penni-
less Southern girl his wife; but the son had
his share Of his fathers nrmness, and, after
fierce quarrel, they parted, the son leav-
ing wealth and home for the sake Of her
whom he loved.
The breach had never been healed, and
married life, died lingering and painful
| during his army life, leaving his heart
| broken wife with Grace, mere child, and
| the twins, helpless infants, upon her hands
| to rear and educate
! The widows pension. which fortunately
| was liberal one, sufliced with the little
| which they had accumulated to keep actual
| want from the door, and the delicate hands,
| which had never been brought up to labor,
| performed many an unwonted task for pay
| and she had managed TO struggle along un.
| til the children were able to assist her in
small ways; but the memory Of her soldier
husband was ever kept green in her loyAl
heart, and, though she had received advan
| tageous offers, she had refused them q
| for his sake.
She had only written once to the grand
father Of her children, telling him wheI
and where his son was buried, and openinf
! the way for reconciliation IL he wished Il
| but he did not reply, and Grace, too, under
| the pressure Of actual need when she saw
her beloved mother failing under her bur
| dens. had ventured little pleading letter,
which also went out upon it, way, but
brought no response.
.
II was evening. and the lamps cast . soft
glow over the elegant room which Wa
| fitted up for library in . luxurious home
many miles from the widow and her chill
dren. One side was filled with valuable
collection Of choice books, the other was
devoted 70 rare specimens OF art in paint
ing and sculpture, while in . corner niche
stood grand piano, bearing mute testi-
mony to the fact that the room had echoed
to music in other days.
The owner Of all this luxury sat BY cen
ter table, his face buried In his hands, and
his eyes fixed upon letter which lay BE-
fore him, accompanied BY picture upon
which he looked with moistened eyes. IL
was the widows letter. and Holroyd Gra-
ham looked upon II = one in . dream "All
alone. All alone" he said aloud, at last,
"and he whom l relied upon - star for
my declining years il buried far away from
me, and l have never ever seen the spot
where he lies. or the faces Of those whom
he loved most"
He looked sadly about him. IAN this
wealth and luxury II ~ empty huslks TO
me In my loneliness, and would give u all
for one look into the honest blue eyes Of
my boy, one grasp Of his warm hand, but
have nothing but his distant grave which
other hands than mine will decorate on
Memorial Day; others will honor the brave
boy whom I sent out from my heart and
home for his country's sake"
An indescribable longing came into his
heart TO see for himself the spot where his
son lay, II no more, and tonight, In his
eoftencd mood, there was no hardness In
his heart toward the widow and the father
less children Of his son. Il was not large
town where the widow Graham lived, 90 Il
was not large or imposing procession
which filed away 70 the cemetery on Ne
mortal Day. II had been patriotic town,
- the number Of little hags flying above
the graves testified.
Il was always . sad day for the widow,
and to-day she shed bitter tears - the mar
tial music announced that the procession
had started for the cemetery
These sounds always smote upon her ear
like xnell, reminding her Of tho dreadful
war times, when father, brother and loved
ones were every day adding their names 70
the roll-call Of regiment and companies q
the recruiting ofIiccs. True, she had been
more fortunate than many, being more
nearly alone il the world, but even she had
seen . beloved father brought home
70 die, and an invalid mother fade away
like shadow under the afliction, and the
ife and drum had weird, dark memory In
its notes for her which time could never
efYace.
The flowers were lavishly scattered, the