Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-03-08
EllIo's SoldIor.

y
ilaxon-hairod girl nnmed lillio lived
III II lttlo cottage among tho hills of
Now Hampshire. Sho WIS vcry happy
with hor father and mother, her one
sister, hcr big gray cat "Fromont," aud
her dear rag dolly named Ida Boil. Sho
had big brother, too, but ho was not
ut homo: he was soldier.
Tho big brothers. numo was Hurry.
lilo had como ono day in IL blue coat,
with brass buttons, thnt mado him look
tailor and grnndor thnn cvor, Ellie
Thought, and when ho went away again
no hnd takon hcr up in his arms and
kissed her Very tcndcrly, and Ellie no
ticed that her r..,thcr's sweet fncc was
very pale, and t.iat her father had to
cicar his tlront n good dcal when ho
said, "Good-by, and God bless YOU.
my boy.'
But little Ellie folt worry proud to
hayc u soldicr-brother, md when long
letters came from him, telling funny
Stories of living in II tcnt, with mnny
hundreds of othcr soldiers all in trnts.
nnd of cooking his dinner over little
liro out OF doors, and of marching 10
the sound Of music, tho little girl
Thought it must bc all like grcat, big.
picnic, and that il was IL fine thing To
go tn war;"
But there came snd time in tho
llttio cottage when tho merry lottcrs
lid not como, md father and mother
snid thorc had boon II great bnitle, and
That Harry WAS "missing." Ellie did
not know very well what thut moant;
mt she know that weeks and weeks
went by, md still iltarc wns no letter
And ut Inst ahe know, by Tho things
Hho heard her father and mother any
when they Thought her busy nj plny,
and hy their sober faces, that they
wore afraid hor big, strong, beautiful
brother would never como homo any
more.
But little Ellie mover believed that,
and oyory morning slio hoped he would
come home That very day, and looked
many times down tho road, thinking
perhaps she should scc him; and slo
mover lay down in her little bed ut
night without ndding to her prayer
And please bless my aoldicr, and lot
him come home tomorrow"
She slept with hor sister in littlo
room right OF tho sitting-room, and
The door was always left II littlo way
open Ono night, after sho hnd bcon
nsloep long timo, sha nwolse sud
denly, thinking sho heard voices. Her
father often sat up long after tho
Others wcro in bed, and shc thought ho
must bo speaking TO aomo one. Ihon
she hoard another voice that sent II,
thrill NIL through hor liftlc body. She
could not SEQ anything from tho corner
whore her little bod stood, but she snt
mp and listened.
a bright light was shining through
from the sitingroom, and slio heard n
strong nnd gentle voice say No, don't
disturb them tonight. I'll lie right
down here on the floor" IIllo'B heart
beat 10 hard that sho could not honr
what her fathor said in reply; but sud-
donly tho light went out and all wns
still.
Who could it havo boon? Was it,
conld it be, tho darling brother? 1t
was his voice surely, but nobody soem-
ed to DO awake now. Her sister,
was sound asleep by her. Could she
have dreamed it, after nll?
She was only little girl, md she
soon grew sleepy while trying to think
if anything 40 beautiful could bo true;
and soon she was really dreaming.
But she woke worry carly IN the morn
ing, before any one else In the house;
and her first thought WAS of what she
had heard in tho night Was it o.
dream? 1t was just growing light.
She would get right up and find out
Ont of bed she softly crcpt, and
through tho door into the sitting-room.
The rosy dawn was jnst coming in at
the cast window. There on the floor
lay somebody wrapped in big blue
soldiers overcoat Ellies little bare
feet mndc no noise rs she stole along
the floor apd knelt down by the tail
figure. The head rested OH n soldiers
kDnpsack, and tho close brown curls
were the same she remembered so well.
The face was brown and very thin, and
tho eyes closed in sleep; but it was the
dear kind face of her big brother Har-
ry. But it all seemed so strange:
could it be real? She put out one lit,
tic finger and timidly touched his fore
head.
1t was enough The eyes flashed
wide open, and the big strong arms
clasped the little white night-gowned
girl in n big bear hug. No doubt now
whether ho is real or whether she is
awake. Her shouts of Joy rouse MI tho
rest of the household, and out they
come, without waiting for clothes, that
small matter, like everything else, be-
ing forgotten in the wonderful 10y that
had come Only the father, who had
known it all night, could get Ills wits
together enough to go about the rogu-
lar morning duties, for long time.
AS for little Ellie, the big brother
himself dressed her; and then she sat
OH his knee and heard his wonderful
story of escape from prison and long
sickness, and how at last he had got
back to his old regiment and straight
way been given furlough to come
home and rest and gain strength. And,
in the happy days that followed in the
cottage, little Ellie at least forgot all
tho pain that had gone before.
God often sends us Trials and griefs.