The Sunday morning news., 1891-11-22
Love and War Figures in This
Story-AlI 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 the 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 geniuses of commerce are to the
markets, and even when he was child
they said Of him, HE will do wonderful
things with the soil, and win 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 he
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, and he taught her to love the
soil and to feel the majestic mystery which
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:
Anna, sometimes / think even if had
no Bible should know God, for seem to
realize his power in the life that is hidden
+},ao a ,frfb -
and ain very sure | sometimes hear the
music OF its growth; and it is sweet
music, Anna, but there are no words to de-
scribe it,
The gentle maid heard these strange ut
teranees, which were not like the common
conversation Of the other youth, and they
gaze her joy, for she said to herself: my
hetrothed has great soul, that sees some
things the rest of us cannot see. So he
viii 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 babe 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 shrubs and flowers, and to the
fields where it sometimes seemed to him
that the earth recognized and greeted him,
for he thought these things might make
him seem nearer to her.
AS for me, Anna, wherever am wheth-
In battle or in camp, it is Of you that I
shall always think, and it viii 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 have 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
rhan that sweet mysterious music of which
be once spoke, dearer than all other joys
be ever knew was that smile, and he said,
There Is ons 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 4 tender embrace Abner parted
from his betrothed, and two weeks later
was with General McCleIlan's army by the
Potomac.
It had always been Abner's purpose to
make Thanksgiving day his wedding day
II was the day Of the year for him.
Perhaps It was his fondness for the culti-
vation Of the fruits Of the earth, the inspira-
tion be always received from contemplation
of the mystery Of the seed time apd harvest
1