, 1889-05-07
THE W
Peculiar circumstances Under Which They
Several Times Met

Peculiar circumstance Under Which They
Several Times Met
Among the many interesting pieces
OF personal history which, one by one,
are coming to light as local episodesof
the civil war, few are more striking
than the story of two young men,
who, shortly before the war broke
out, were fellow students and room
mates at a college in Pennsylvania,
one of them a southerner.
Both were hard students, and as
pired to be leaders of their class, and
in time the sharp rivalry between
enmity. Mutual charges were made,
and the hostile feeling finally culmi-
mated in q challenge from the south
errer, which the other treated with
contempt.
After graduation the young duelist
went home, and in the cares and ex-
elements of the following years his
college quarrel was forgotten. The
memory of it suddenly came back to
him one day, after he had become a
Christian, and shocked him with the
discovery of q surviving hatred.
II was at the battle of Stone River.
Our student, now a Confederate Off
GER, was riding across the battlefield,
when his horse nearly trod upon a
wounded Union soldier. He dis
mounted, with the humane intention
of giving some assistance, but when
he looked the soldier in the face he
recognized his old college enemy. He
turned quickly TO remount his horse,
but better thoughts and feelings
checked his first cruel impulse, and
Sin Christ's name" he caused the sol
der to he removed to a place of re
fuge, and procured for him the ser
vices of n surgeon and a chaplain.
The wounded man knew his deliv-
erer, but was too weak TO utter in
quiries or thanks. Informed that his
wound was fatal, he could only re-
quest that his mother be written to,
and assured that he ''died like n true
SOLDIER" and this kind service also the
southern officer faithfully performed,
as Don as the battle was over.
BE had nc suspicion that the are
he had secured for the sufferer would
prove the means of saving his former
enemy's life.
After tho war the northern man
wrote to thank his forgiving enemy;
but no answer was received, and fur
Their inquiry brought the information
that he had been killed.
Twenty-one years passed; thenorth-
erner was n physician in prosperous
practice, when business called him to
Charleston, s. @. In a street rof that
city, then partly in ruins, the two men
who had twice been dcadt to each other
met again.
The startled doctor saw the class
mate who had once been willing to
take his life, and once had saved it.
Tho man had lost his all in the great
earthquake; and his old enemy and
grateful friend took him and his needy
family back with him to his own city,
and established him in a good situa-
ton.
Not often does the chance of shift
ing events enable penitent foes to for
give and repaye each other after this
romantic fashion; but the Christian
spirit may always be exercised, and
may be all the more praiseworthy, be-
cause all the more difficult, if main
tanned in the midst of commonplace
and every day surroundings.
And even il there be no opportunity
for its display, if tho old enemy be
dead, or his whereabouts unknown,
we may still cherish the kindly feel
ing, and be sure hat the will is count
ed for the deed.-Youth's Companion.