Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-05-29
ONE MEMORIAL DAY.

o, Aunt Elaine, Aunt Elaine! Please
tell us more about Memorial Day."
The basket of flowers on the low table
was threatened with total annihilatior
by the extravagant gyrations of the lit
tie Beckwiths, as they burst into hel
presence, and Miss Russell sighed audi
bly,.
But she did not scold she never
scolded when she made memorial wreaths
for down deep in her loudly heart
dwelt precious, sad memory.
Ned and Nell knew that auntie al
ways grew sadder as the last of May
drew near; they observed, too, that on
Decoration Day she went away to the
cemetery carrying beautiful roses, MUIR
muring, as he went, something about
"Jack" and forgiveness. At these
times, too, there was ever such strange,
far-away look in her brown eyes.
Mamma had been interrogated in re-
gard to the mystery; but she invariably
answered: "Never mind, dears; it is
Memorial Day"
Aunt Elaine gathered up the scatter
ed flowers, righted the basket, took up a
spray of roses and asked: "What is it,
children?"
Memorial Day; tell us about it,"
chorused the twain.
at is the Both day of May, dears," !"
began Miss Russell, "a day set apart for
putting flowers ON the soldiers graves.
We put flowers on their graves, to show
our loving remembrance"
"Do they put flowers on all the graves?"
asked Ned. "Don't they ever miss any?"
sometimes" Aunt Elaine's voice
was very low now; "some are buried so
far away. But we can remember them" !"
"Do you remember any?" asked Nell,
curiously. For great tear fell on Nell's
golden curls, and the children felt that,
somehow, they had touched forbidden
chords.
Slipping quietly out of the half-open
door, they tip-toed away, leaving her
alone, and she went back to her flowers.
"'Tis years and years" she murmur-
ed. "Poor Jack, poor Jack!" And
there was, on her face, such sOrrowful
look as she bent above the fragrant
Mater Dolores.
"Do you remember any?" Nell's un-
lucky question re-opened the fountain
of tears, and they consecrated the i'm
growing beneath her trembling
fingers.
Away back in the sixties, when the
roll of the drum and the call of the bu-
gle were answered by thousands of
young men, Jack Forester went away
with the volunteers.
And Elaine remembered. Why should
she not, when he was all the world to
her in those days? But their love-dream
had such sad and sorrowful ending.
The ebb-tide of a certain dark winter
bore upon its bosom day of estrange-
ment. The love grew warped and
worthless; and they separated. each
blaming the other, and concluding that
the whole world was false and tickle.
But after time the great loving heart
of handsome Jack Forester beat Loyalty
again in deep affection for the fair
Elaine. He was ready for reconciliation,
and made advances in that direction;
but it seemed to him that she grew far
ther and farther away from him. When
the time drew near for him to join his
regiment, he felt that it would be i'm
possible to 60 without becoming recon-
ciled to her whom he loved best. So he
made last effort to win her back.
"For Miss Russell" the bearer said, as
he handed bouquet of roses in at the
Elaine knew that it was from Jack be-
fore she read the penciled lines hidden
among the fragrant petals.
81 beg of you," ran the words, "to for
give all My life is worth nothing to
me if you put me away from you; 1
think it will kill me if am obliged to |
90 away without bidding you goodbye.
Bid me come to you for the sake of the
Did love at least. Your own Jack"
But Miss Russell made no sign, and
Jack Forester marched away without
,he craved goodbye"
In the dreary days which followed,
,he war cloud grew heavier and more
Then came the battle of
Stone River, and Jacks regiment was in
he thickest of the fight.
Pale and stricken Elaine read his
name among the 'missing."
Then her great love, held so long in
abeyance by stubborn pride, surged over
is barriers, and she knew that he had
Ill the time, been "all the world to her."
People watched her white face, with
and pity in their hearts. "She
S broken hearted" they said.
But Elaine said nothing; she only
yrieved and remembered"