The Irish standard., 1891-05-09
cspyigbt. 1891, y 4. n. Kellogg Nevsp.p.t c..
CHAPTER XIX.
HOME, SWEET HOME.


Whenever a railroad train rolled ur
to the station at Melsonburg its passen
gers were accustomed to smilinrly re-
mark that every man, woman and child
~ the place was loafing on its platform
TO gaze at the arrivals and departures.
What, then. must they have thought
when one bright August morning the
express from Columbus dashed up to
the little depot with series of iubilant
shriei1s that showed that the engineer
was III sympathy with some unwonted
excitement, and they saw the depot
draped Ia futtering bunting and alive
with hundreds Of country folks arrayed
IN their best, while local band, with
more energy than harmony, brayed the
air Of See, the Conquering Hero
Gomes!h
And the conqnering hero who came
~ Meltonburg on that sunny morning
was none other than Frank Resant
who was dulnfounded at his noisy re-
cePtion, which was really due to the
energy of the editor of the Weekly Ad-
vertiser, who had reused the honest
rnstics to what he afterwards described
In the columns Of his journal as "a red
hot burst of enthusiasm And. when
the village president an aged and es-
tirnabie hardware merchant, stepped
forward and fired an oration at him.
which was little.personal at FIRST, but
soon drlfted into d Fourth of July
sereed that Frank thought he had
heard before, the young soldier felt
that he would rather endure another
Ghickanauga than 60 through the or
deal. But he had I'd face the music--to
hear Rev. Lubin Ferry compare him in
dulcet& tones with every Biblical hero
from David downwards, and declare
that his ma thought this day that the
Melt0nbnrgers would forever be proud
of--and 10 accept at the hands Of q com
mittee, of which the Advertiser man
was spokesman the presentation of 4
sword, on which was engraved a list of
the battles II which lie had--or ought
tO have-talSen. part As the Adyer
tlser said, ''it was i high old time, and
the Weiltin rang with the plaudits of
thousands, when the youthful hero, iii
few but appropriate words, gracefully
acknowledged the tribute to his BRAY.
cry
But they III hlrn 90 at last. Even the
little boys, who had shouted themselves
lloarse, had sense to leave him, when
he opened the garden gate and turned
upthe avenue of walnuts To his home
'.Mother!N
My boyp
draw the curtain over the tender
scene and leave them To their bliss.
And Grace came, too, blushing and
trembling, and OH! ID glad, that Frank
took her III his arms and stroked her
hair and fained kisses upon her uplifted /
face, just as though liz had right toi
do il and she was his afianced bride. /
not ~ ali II the subdued, yet affection
ate manner IN which he greeted cousin
Kate Why, the two receptions would
not bear comparison; and was she not a
happy girl? But she was happier when
that night the young soldier told her
the old, old tale of hove, which Ill her
ears sounded ais sweet and fresh -
though icons Of ages ago it had not
called the blush to the daInasls cheek az
woman
And when on Sunday MIR Brentwood
preached to \ crowded congregation a
memorial sermon, ia which. after
touching tribute To the Meltonbnro
boys who had died ID action, he remind
81 his hearers of the DEBT of gratit,,de
they owed the brave survivors of tbat
awful. struggle, you should have seen
the widows eyes blaze with triumph.
She did not now look down lii trembling
confusion, nor did her boy hide his face
or sieken with shame at the words Of