Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-06-28
THE BELATED MESSAGE.
"A Memorial Day Incident.
RY vELMA acknowledgements

BY vELMA CALDWELL-MELyIL
One could scarcely imagine more
striking contrast than that presented by
Che two ladies in the Thornton carriage
rs it rolled along in the procession,
heading toward the cemetery, on Sol
dieE's Memorial Day. The one was
snsall and dark-very dark-and the
s,eauty, which had evidently once be-
lcnged to her face, seemed to have been
consumed by some inward fire, the dy-
sng Goals of which still flashed titfully
into life in the dark eyes. She wore a
gray cloth ulster, unfastened at the
fsont revealing a black silk dress of
suspicious newness. A tiny gray bonnet
surmounted by black tips and ornaments
OF jet rested, rather among than above,
Che puf1s of soft white hair. All together
hsfs was striking face and figure; but
one from which the casual observer
sszxned and almost drew sigh of relief
~ his eye rested on the other occupant
of the seat. The latter had every adj
vantage however as the light blue trap
pings of the carriage had been ordered
expressly to set off the blonde beauty
of Paul Thornton's bride; and then to
i1er belonged youth, hope, and love.
Hex costume was of pale pink flannel
Will, facings, trimmings, and other ac-
1cessories Of white.
They were nearing the entrance to
che Union Cemetery, when the elder
woman spoke in low passionate voice {:
GLADYS, I cannot 60 in there; tell
you, [ cannot. hate them all, the
living and the dead. Do you think I
car listen while one foe eulogizes
another. and not cry out and tell them
&kssS they are thieves and murderers q"
Hush, mother, oh, do hush! some
ono will hear you. Don't feel like that !;
these people are not our foes, but friends;
and presently they will go over there, "
<and Paul Thornton's wife pointed to
another enclosure few rods distant
and do honor to our dead. I am sure
at shows that they are good, when they
save some of their beautiful flowers for
the graves of their enemies. We have
never done such thing See! there is
Paul; don't he play nicely, mother?"
During this speech Gladys had taken
one of her mothers hands in her own,
and now smiled proudly into her stormy
face.
I suppose so; but you have eyes and
ears for no one else. Paul Thornton
may be we'll enough, but it does not
make me love him thathe has robbed me
of the one thing had left on earth
my child. But it is as I have always
said, I am bound to lose all have for
the sake OF the North. Even you,
Gladys, are changed, grown cold
blooded since you left the Sunny South.
almost wish had neverlet you come. "
Their carriage had driven to posi-
ton that made further conversation out
of taste, and saved the daughter the
pain of replying.
While the services, to the one so dis
.gnsting and irritating, to the other so
Gull of soul and beauty, are in progress,
We will glance briefly at the past history
sof the two.
Helen Glenly had had lovely home,
u fond husband, and q charming baby
girl at the time of the war; at it's close
she had nothing save the last named.
'Stae had been twice the rebel her hus-
hand was, and had urged him into the
service; and when marauding party
Inllaged her goods, drove off her stock,
and burned her home, she had defended
her rights to the last with brace of
pistols. Hers was deep passionate ma
ture full of Southern fire and heat. Not
long after she had been forced to seek
shelter with her only sister, she found
her husbands name among the missing
and later friend wrote her that they
had buried what they supposed to be
his body, his face being burned by what
seemed to have been powder ex-
-plosion, beyond recognition.
It seemed to her friends that she
must surely die too, so wildly did she
best against the bars of. the cage fate
<in a measure assisted by herselD had
built about her. She would listen to
no sympathy, and unreasoningly in
sisted that no ones grief ard loss was
equal to her own.
To what extremity her abandonment
of self-control, and indulgence in de-
sire for revenge might have carried her,