Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-11-21
mGOD KNOW S.

We had been riding for two long
days over the dreary plains-the same
monotonous scenery always in view
rough, sterile ground-outcroppin
of rock-a lone tree or bush at long
intervals the ground baked and
cracked under the summer sun. The
prairies were made to enrich the
farmer-the plains to revenge on man
and bird and beast. Only the serpent
can live there. Over these barren
stretches no bird flies-on them no
wolf can find living. The monotony
is maddening-th sterility appalling.
The sun was only an hour high as
the column obliqued more to the left
in search Of a camping ground. Those
of us in advance we're just ascending
a swell covered with large powders
when Il trooper suddenly cried out in
alarm and pointed to something on
the ground at his horses feet. We
gathered around him, and for n min
ute no one spoke. There, cuddIed
against the rock, was a skeleton-a
clean picked, bleaching skeleton,
with never u bone missing from its
place. 1t was, as all saw at a glance,
the skeleton of n child not over 6 or
years of age. The shoes, which had
rotted from the feet, the few bits of
cloth. the buttons lying about, proved
it to be the skeleton of little girl. 1t
had sought what little shelter the
rock afforded, and it had died there
died as if the grim messenger had
come in its dreams. 1t lay on its side,
the head resting on the right arm,
and the limbs were as composed as if
death had brought no pain.
Whose child?'' asked a sergeant,
whose child, and when?'
All who could answer Fifty miles
away was the immigrant trail. One
-twc-three-perhaps five years be-
fore, a wagon had left the convoy for
some reason and became lost in this
desolate expanse. A child had wan
dered away from camp in search OF
flowers-had fallen from a wagon and
been stunned-had been left sleeping
in the grass by accident. No one
could tell how it happened, but every
one could imagine what followed.
child Of seven left alone in this awful
region, where the voice Of bird is
never heard-where rattlesnakes sun
themselves on every ledge-where the
starving wolf fits by like a shadow as
he hastens to other fields. The very
terror of it would strike her dumb.
She would stare about her with an
awful wildness in her eyes-her face
would be whittier than snow-her lips
would part, but no word could pass
them. Then she would flee, attempt
to run away from loneliness and desc
lation. She might live two days
three-four. Then hunger and thirst
and mental torture would overcome
UeT. dllu size NOlid bO"ii oAANA NV
Whose child, and when 2 asked
the sergeant, as others came TO look
down on the bleaching skeleton.
This time a captain answered-a
bronzed- faced, gray.haired man who
had seen many mysteries of the kind.
Removing his cap he turned his face
toward Heaven and answered
God only knows
Hearts had ached-hearts may have
broken-hearts might be aching then
and for long years to come.
We sent to the wagon for spades
and a head-board A few feet from
the rock we dug little grave and the
skeleton was tenderly lifted up and
deposited therein. and as the earth
covered them up score Of men un-
covered their heads and the captain
said
Earth to earth-ashes to ashes
dust to dust The mystery is with
Thee, o Lord y
And on the head-board we carved
the legend which men may read to-
day: