The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-11-22
Love and War Figures in This
Story-All Right in the End.


by name and farmer he is by nature;'' that
was what they said of him. And the old
men said to one another that some of the
young fellows should remain to till the
fields, for the soldiers must eat and the old
men could not raise the crops that would
be surely needed to feed them.
They looked upon Abner as a marvel.
They did not wholly understand him, and
they thought Che minister had spoken with
the truth when he once said that when
Abner smiles upon the growing grain or
passes by the meadows, it is worth more to
the crops even than sunshine and showers"
This Abner Farmer was to the fields
what the geuiuses of commerce are to the
markets, and even when he was a child
they said of him, "He will do wonderful
things with the soil, and will teach the
world lessons about the fruits Of the earth
some day."
After Abner had said his goodby to all
his friends, one summer day in 1861, as ne
was leaving to join his regiment, he went
to say farewell to his betrothed, sweet
Anna Williams. He had not wooed her,
as the other youth of that vicinity had
been used to do. He went with her here
and there among his crops and through
his fields, md he taught her to love the
soil duu u lecl buc iudJtSblC AIySbOAy WhlCh
hides the secret which from the seed brings
forth the harvest.
Once when he was walking with Anna,
and was looking at the field of growing
grain just touched with the first golden
promise Of the harvest, he said to her:
Gamma, sometimes / think even if l had
no Bible l should know God, for | seem to
realize his power in the life that is hidden
in the seed until the earth gives birth to it,
and | am very sure l sometimes hear the
music of it's growth; and it is Il sweet
music, Anna, but there are no words to de-
scribe it,"
The gentle maid heard these strange ut
terances, which were not like the common
conversation of the other youth, and they
gaze her joy, for she said to herself: "My
betrothed has a great soul, that sees some
things the rest of us cannot see. So he
will love me with a greater love than even
] can understand"
Abner led Anna by the fields on this day
of parting wherever his grain and fruits
were growing, and he bade her not to be
sad while he was away, but ever to have
hope of his return. And if she would think
of him he said that she might go where he
had planted silrubs and flowers, and to the
fields where it sometimes seemed to him
&LnaU bne edrLH TGcOSHlLtu dnu SlccUSu nllu,
for he thought these things might make
him seem nearer to her.
..As for me-, Anna, wherever l am, wheth-
in battle or in camp, it is of you that |
shall always think, and it will be my de-
light to Gallup all the hours we have passed
together-to see you in my minds eye. to
say over the things we AVE said and to
look for the day when / can come back to
you"
The maiden by his side smiled as he said
these words, though tears gathered in her
eyes, and it seemed to him that sweeter
than that sweet mysterious music of which
he once spoke, dearer than all other joys
he ever knew was that smile, and he said,
.'rhere is one better revelation of Gods
kindness to us even than he gives us in
the harvest, and that is the love which
brings you and me together"
Then with a tender embrace Abner parted
from his betrothed, and two weeks later
was with General McClellan's army by the
Potomac.
1t had always been Abner's purpose to
make Thanksgiving day his wedding day.
It was the day of the year for him.
Perhaps it was his fondness for the culti-
walton of the fruits of the earth, the inspira-
ton he always received from contemplation
of the mystery Of the seed time and harvest