The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1888-05-24

rise now and to walk little, and passed
| much of the pleasant morning upon the
| cool shady veranda, upon which her win
| dows opened. There, among the climbing
| roses, the color came back to her cheeks
| and the brightness to her eyes. She began
! to talk of the time of her return to the
| North, From the edge of the veranda the
| large garden stretched away, as yet unex-
! plored for her, save only when she had taken
| brief tour among the flowers leaning
| on the Coloners arm. do You know what
| day this is2n said the Colonel one day,
when Kate was beginning to feel that no
| excuse was left her for the Incidence OF
| invalidism. at is the thirtieth, isn't itP,
| she said. A flush eame. to her face II was
Memorial Day and she had forgotten, The ne
grave in the village graveyard in the North
rose up before her; ''and l." she thought,
| % sit in the house of the enemy Yet she
| felt the thought was foolish; there was no
enemy. Come with me- said the Colonel,
! presently, you have never been to the end
! of the laurel walk and / have some thing
| there to show you There was certain
| seriousness in his manner, and he was UNI
| usually silent as they walked slowly down
! between the laurels. They paused at
| the end of the walk, where was an
| open space bordered about with low shrubs.
| In the center of this Enclosure two graves
lay close together, the narrow path that led
between alone dividing them. She looked
at them in surprise, and then glanced ques.
| tioningly at her companion.
| "You wonder" he said, what these
| graves are and why ! brought you heret
| Sit down moment on this bench and
will tell you. l had a brother, an only
| brother. who fell at my side at Petersburg.
| M. - 1fal,. 70
were driven back by an impetuous rush of
| the soldiers of the Union. At night we
sought him, | and faithful negro servant.
When we found him he was dead, and by
his side, hand clasped in hand, was fair
haired soldier of the North. What passed
| between them none may know, but
| they went out into new life smiling, and,
hand in hand, as little children
| might wander into the strange world OF the
meadow, beyond the pasture bars. And
we brought them here and laid them side
| by side, the unknown stranger and the
| loved son; the boy in blue and the boy in
! gray. Never an anniversary of their death
| day has passed but we have. covered the
| graves with flowers. But, since the Gus
| tom of Memorial Day has obtained, we have
| always remembered 10 deck this soldier s
tomb for those who mourn him as sleeping
4 III an unknown grave. 4 DTDuRut gOu hciS
| thinking that it might seem sweet to you
| that Northern hands should deck the
| graves that holds Northern soldier S
dust" Tears came to her eyes; Not
alone,n she said let me but share this
| task, or if you would show me favor, pray
| you let me lay my flowers on the grave
| of the soldier of the SOUTH And so,
| together, they laid their flowers on the
| two graves. That evening when all the
| garden was bathed in moonlight, they sat
| together on the veranda; mother, son and
| guest. Presently Mrs. Gardiner with
| drew and the two sat some moments in 81
| lence. Come said the Colonel, at length,
! ''let us take a turn in the garden before we
| say good night She rose, and, bare
headed, they walked slowly down the laurel
bordered path They came to the end and
stood gazing in silence upon the graves.
! Some of the flowers had become disar-
| ranged and Kate moved TO the path between
the graves and stopped TO rearrarge them.
| When she rose, Colonel Gardiner was
standing facing her She saw his face
| working with the strong emotion he felt as
he said, slowly, solemnly: Dear, there is
that drawing us together that is stronger
! than death and the grave Will you trust
me with your life, as / would gladly lay
mine down 10 pave your way TO happinessin
and for answer she clasped the hand that
was stretched TO her across the grave.
f. G. CHEvERTos.