The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-05-28

nary Washington government clerk
in that he had held his position. secured
soon after the close of the war, until
the year of grace 1891. and had. through
economy and wise investment, amassed
a snug little fortune.
His vacations had beer few and far
between, especially since the death Of
his young wife eight years previous,
and he had devoted his considerable
leisure assiduOusly to the study of law.
But each year he had deferred his resig-
nation and the commencement of prac-
tice.
The spring of 1891, however, found
his little daughter, whose birth had
cost her mothers life, in frail health,
and this determined him to at once take
the long deferred rest. Accordingly he
handed in his resignation. and with his
child took his departure to the south.
As the train whirlcd past the land
scapes which had once been scenes of
weary marches or bloody conflicts his
heart stirred again with the reeollcc-
tions which crowded his brain like the
tread of a marching column. But the
old enmity was entirely gone. He
hailed each sign of prosperous industry
with joy, and while there was a sad
pleasure in reviewing those terrible
days, there was, to him, a deep and
grateful joy in the thought that they
were gone forever, and that peace and
union were now the pride of the once
warning sections of his country. While
engrossed in these reflections he little
dreamed that he was fastening on to
old field, n fateful to him as that which
he had participated in on that I'D of
July so many years ago, when nearly
four thousand of his comrades and
their idolized commander. Mcpherson,
gave mp their lives in the fruitless charge |
upon Kenesaw.
~Contemplativc natures often gain a |
keener pleasure from deferring the ulti-
mate realization of some cherished de
sire, which lies within their reach. than
in at nee g~reedily fastening to its &C
complishment. 1t was thus with Mark
Jennings.
Day after day slipped by in RAM
bling over the quaint old town, be-
fore he visited the battle fields once
familiar to him, but still he delayed his
visit to Kenesaw. After they had
%patrolled the great national cemetery,
with its endless rows of white marble
markers and had ranged the main
highways of Brushy mountain and the
rugged line hills which stretch away
from il to Kenesaw. until the topogra-
ply was more familiar to them than to
the eveuue officers of that moon
sinner section. there remained no
further excuse for deferring the long
anticipated visit to the scene of f~iercest
battle in which he had participated.
They took an early departure, and as
they cantered across the intervening
plain. which mad once been peopled by
the marching and counter-marching
columns of Shcrman's army. it seemed
to the soldier that he could shut his
eyes and see the blinking signals flash
ing their orders from the confederate
f~ortresses upon the submits of Look
out, Lost and Kenesaw mountains
"Ah, what stirring times they were
nv childr- he exclaimed. as he pointed
out to Glee the historic features of the
Are you going to take me to where
you found the locket with the beautiful
face inside?- she questioned
''Yes. Glee, 10 the very spot, if I can
find it,
'-Oh. how splendid. But. papa, whose
do you suppose it is?"
That of some beautiful young girl
lover was among the dead. no
doubt Probably in the struggle of
battle il had been wrenched from its
fastening and fallen upon the ground
where l picked it up, for you see the
slender gold chain that held it is
broken he answered, drawing the
trinket from his pocket and passing it
TO the girl.
Il thought il might bring back the
associations of the spot more wildly
he replied. in answer TO the mute in
quiry of her glance, land so I brought
il along
Al last they reached Kenesaw and
pushed on up the difficult and winding
path. until they found themselves out
side the paling fence which surrounded
the cozy little cabin. They were al
ready sufficiently acelimated TO noun
tain ways to call egt Justify: