The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-06-27
into which you arc going, Sincerely your

iHe ietter itli from my MINUS my hoa'i
dropped upon the table beside me, The
worst had comet All the hopes and fears,
the sweet dreams of lifetime were over,
Carl had won her, and had lost all that
made life endurable.
The memory of every hour of sweet
companionship-every gracious smile she
had ever given me-every kindly word,
came back with redoubled sweetness, now
that she was lost to me forever, Through
all the years of youth and manhood, she
had been interviewer with every hope
and plan; it seemed like giving up life
itself to lose her. But it was over now,
over forever! If met her again it must
be as the betrothed, or the wife of an
other.
Could | live and bear that! Thank
God, could so away in few hours,
and perhaps death on the battlefield
would end all this dreary heartlone-
illness.
On the morrow Irejoined my regiment,
and within twenty -four hours we were
marched to the front.
In the change from home to the stir
ring scenes of army life tried to forget;
but by the campfire, on lonely picket
duty, or in the rush and roar of battle,
thoughts of Mildred would intrude,
I shrank from no exposure, feared no
danger. Men called me brave; l was
simply reckless, 1had no dread of death
why should I havcl Life had lost all
charm for me.
Months rolled away, one, two, nearly
three years passed. never heard from
Mildred, except an occasional word in my
mothers letters. She was still un-
married l did not wonder at this for |
knew Carl was in the army, and fire.
quently near me. But never sought
him, even when our regiments were side
by side. no longer felt hatred toward
him-I could not do that, if Mildred
loved him; but l had not reached point
where l could meet him calmly, and l
preferred not to see him at all; and,
strange as it seemed to me at times, he
never sought me.
Step by step I advanced in rank, until,
when the battle of Drury's Bluff was
fought, l held Captains commission.
All night we had lain on our arms, and
with the first gray dawn the enemy were
upon us. Our regiment was in the thick
est of the fight.
Again and again the Confederates
hurled their forces against us and were
met by the tiercest resistance of our men.
Charge succeeded charge, volley returned
volley, repulse followed repulse; back
ward and forward surged the huge col
umns of men; broken, rallying, retreat
ing, advancing, cheering for victory one
moment, and beaten back by the foe the
next.
The dead, the wounded, the dying lay
in heaps. The wheels of the guns could
not be moved until the windows of dead
were removed. There were few wounded,
nearly all were killed outright. Carefully
we removed those few and bore them to
the hospital tent in the rear. I was di-
recting my men in the work, when sud-
denly from among the piles of dead, a
face was upturned, a face l knew only
too we'll. Carl Maxam and l had met at
last.
He was horribly mangled, and l saw
could only live few moments unless the
flow of blood was checked. For an in
slant the thought flashed across my brain,
eff he died Mile would be free!" But
| crushed back the traitorous thought,
and hastily improvising torniquets
stopped the bleeding arteries as best l
could, and, with the help of one of my
men, bore him to the hospital tent.
He opened his eyes as we laid him
down. One glance and l knew I was
recognized. He raised his hand feebly,
and tried to reach his breast pocket.
"a package-my pocket" he gasped.
l slipped my hand into an inside
breast pocket and drew forth small
package, carefully enclosed.
Mildred" he said, with great effort,
looking at me wistfully, and vainly try.
ing to say more. His lips moved for g
moment but no sound came from them
then the jaws relaxed, an ashen pallor
spread over his face, and with few short
gasps he was dead.
placed the package in my breast
pocket, and just at that moment the cal
sounded to reform in line of battle, and
we were hurried away to another part Of
the field. In half an hour we were again
in the thickest of the fight.
At the first charge a ball passed
through my leg, and the battle of Dru.
rvs Bluff was over for me, and the war,
also, it proved, for after several weeks in
the hospstal was discharged from the
service and returned home.
All this time had carefully kept the
package Carl had given me. 1 had 6
morbid desire to give it to Mildred in
person, and waited my return home, which
/ knew from the first must soon come.
The day after my return l lay on the
large, old fashioned lounge in the living
room of my fathers house when Mildred
came to me. Wan and wasted with suf
fering, with one leg gone, was scarcely
more than the wreck of my former self.
She had changed almost as much as /
all the girlish freshness and bloom hat
faded, and the grave, quiet name
seemed more beftting woman of fit,
than girl of twenty three; yet to m,
she seemed dearer and sweeter than ever
~ am so glad to see you home one,
more!" she said, as she grasped my out
stretched hand
There were tears in her eyes, and he
voice trembled.
How good it seemed to look into hel
face to hear the sound of her voice, ant
feel the pressure of her hand once more
Could she-could she care for me, nov
Carl was dead found myself so eager
even now, for her love, that would b.
only too thankful for even small part sh
had given him.
But Carl's letter must be delivered first
thought it might be the means of separat
ing us still more widely.
After few mutual inquiries and re
plies, drew the package from mypocket
~ found Carl on the battle field O
Drury's Bluff, and he gave me this TO
you as he was dying" l said, holding j
out to her, and Immediately turning
away my head that | might not see he