Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-17
he seemed to belong more to the older people

he seemed to belong more to the older people
| than to the young folks.
''Well. the days rolled by and rumors Of war
came thick and fast All the young men in the
county were fred with enthusiasm and has
/ tened TO form various militia companies Fred
was captain of troop Of cavalry and looked
moro handsome than before in his gray uni
| FORM One day there came news that the first
blood had been shed at Bull Run. The call for
/ troops was quickly answered from our county
and the next day was one Of busy preparation,
for on the following day the troopswere to march.
/ That night VIC we're all sitting around the fire
in the hall, the excitement of the hurried prep
| aration was over and we were all sadly think
| ing of the coming parting and hardly daring to
think what might happen before we met
again. Suddenly the silence was broken
by, the sound Of horses hoofs
a AIor t men N.1, step on the porch orch
one accord we rose to our feet und stood look
ing surprised asknnce at the picture framed by
the doorway, against the black night-a tall
nSure in the uniform of a Union officer and
slender girl clinging to him. Allan was the
| nrst to speak, and he answered the inquiry Of
our looks by telling us that his sympathies had
always been with the north and when the call
had come for surgeons he had fastened to
headquarters to respond. 1T was hard, ne
| went Oh, because knew that none OF my old
| friends would stand by me and you. who have
made your home mine and been nearer and
dearer to me than all others, would not ap-
prove Approved cried my father.
struggling between rage and sorrow. These
doors are closed to you forever.
to the lips and turned to Nell as if expecting to
| hear her echo her fathers words. But Nell
| never faltered. She looked straight into our
! eyes and told in her sweet, simple way OF her
love for Allan of her promise to marry him,
and then her voice grew firm and calm as she
said, And will wait for you Arrays, Allan
Then followed a stormy scene, but through it
all Nell was firm and calm and Allan gentle but
resolute. In the end he babe Nell long,
| loving goodbye and rode of into the dark,
| stormy night.
The next day dawned gray and cherries. We
all gathered IN the hall early in the morning
to see Fred start-a sorrowful. heavy-eyed
group. Nell stood tleapart, pale and silent.
When he had bid the rest Of us farewell he
turned to her. Helen said he; Helen, if
you can prove yourself worthy of your blood
by giving up that fellow. tell me goodbye, but
II you do not no longer count you as my sis
ter. Oh, Nell. my beautiful little sister, won't
you give him up for me, your brotherr But
Nell only closed her lips and shook her head.
So our brave boy rode away without one
word from the little sister he loved SO
well. Those were dreary days that fol-
lowed. leaden weight lay on all our
hearts; The only one among the
was Nell. She went about the old rooms hum
ming gay tunes bright a lark. Mothers eyes
grew glad as they followed her 1.-the form, and
fathers face was less anxious as he listened to
her clear young voice. She had 80 entirely
gone back to her old sunny ways that the night
OF Alans departure seemed like dream. But
sometimes l would find her sitting thinking by
herself. with such an expression in
her eyes that for days afterward the
sound of her laugh and her merry songs
l saw the brave little heat, the little
heart SO untried, so tender. battling to be
brave and cheerful, l knew that our Nell had
on that dark night when she babe her lover
goodbye stepped across the line that separates
girlhood from womanhoOd, and knew, too,
that. come what might. she would never give
up Allan.
80 the days passed by and the war that had
at first been far away began to come nearer.
One day We were wakened by the sound OF
cannon that could not be far of. Throughout
the day the sound continued and news came
that great battle was being fought near us.
Later we learned that Freds troops were en-
gagged About sunset the war of the cannons
ceased and the night settled down quietly, save
now and then, when the report of a rifle broke
the stiffness. We had gathered around the
fire and were silently watching the dying en-
bers, when we heard a sharp clatter of hoofs.
and a moment after Fred stood before US pale
and haggard, supporting on his arm young
officer in the federal uniform 1t needed
no second glance for Nell to rec
ognize him, and as Fred gently
laid his burden down she knelt over 1t, softly
calling Allan Mother and nanny hurried
to apply restoratives, while Fred with a broken
voice told the story. The confederates were
slowly retreating. pursued by the federal
troops. Fred had been wounded and lett OH
the field and must shortly have been shot to
death by the bullets of the two comba.ants
1t was then that Allan sighted him with his
glass and brought him of. straight in the face
Of the deadly fire. He dressed his wound.
gave him stimulants and then when he
had finished staggered and fell unconscious
and sorely wounded in several places.
The troops had pressed forward; Fred and
Allan were alone. Fred found horse
picketed, by some chance near by, and as our
house was any other. painfully and
| slowly made his way home. In the mean time
all the restoratives at hand had been tried in
| vain. Allan lay quite still Presently he slowly
opened his eyes. with wistful look that quickly
changed To a glad one as he saw us all bending
over him. For moment his face was illumined
by the sweet. glad smile We knew 30 we'll
Helen he said and that was all
There ism { much more to tell We buried
Allan beneath the trees on the lawn yOnder.
When Fred recovered he went back to his tr COP
but he a changed man, far older and
graver and gentler. Nell tried to be her old
self again, but. though we did all we could for
her 10 make her life bright and happy one
We saw that day by day she grew paler and
thinner. One day l found her fast asleep be-
side Alians grave. She never woke up and
there she sleeps now. That's all, dear