The Lamar register., 1893-04-01

Inc utcp$f1tt tfiafEt was o'',N
like the. heroes OF Balaklava- oniy
few returned. Capt. Tom was not
among the numbcr. He lay prostra,.,
ON the blood-s,ained battle nSld' anu
the list Of dead that went up to Ne"
England bore his name. -
In her dcsolatc cottage. MS h'es
mother" read It, with the account ..
the heroic onset. and lnourned TOT iisI
slain soldier rs only Il fond ino''ie'
can.
Meanwhile. in a southern hosptai;
scores OF woun,lcsl sufferers lay, nurn,,
by consuming fevcrs that no skin e"uiu
allay
Cant save theni-uot one, said tne
surgeon on his round. The NhpS
pack were drunk when they went 70
battle. and this is the result. Inc WIS @
ky had fed the fever. you see. ina,
fellow ont there polutlng TO the tail
figure of Capt. Tom. stretched upon
cot. may get up-hc was sober
The summer was wen over. Up
among the. New England Villages ,nc
grain was waving yellow on IN" 'luls' -
and in the orchards the fruit nuns !"
luscious. golden clusters
But hundreds Of homes were hi'i",
desolatc by the loss Of huslands' W.d
sons and brothers: hundrc7is OF h'lft
ached with n sorrow that no car'hi!
remedy could cure.
The little mother of tall Capt, Tom
sat ON the low sill Of the old-tnshiohtu
kitchen. In the shimmerinE bEht OF
the autumn moon.
Out under the tawny chestnut trcVe'
where the brook was habhliug, and lhe
crickefs chirpins amid the yellow grass
es. her husband lay in deaths dream
less sleep. aud the heart Of the WHO"
was sore with her new sorrow.
''Oh. my boy she sobhcI' ',aIS
raining over her cheeks, my .al''
handsome Tom, Never 10 see hiul
as.alu-ueyer to hear his yoicc-neNcF
TO feel the embrace u his strong aIltiS
It.is very bitter, oh. Tom, my boy
The crickets plped out their shr.ll
melody. the autumn wind rustlcd the
tawuy chestnuts. and the noisy brook
habbled. The old cpttare. under the
misty splendor OF the autumn noon
with that bowed hgurc on the door
step. looked uuuttrrably lonely and
deSolatc.
And the mothers poor heart WAS iull
Of wordl,7ss agony. while her sir'in'7i,
tcar-blindcd eyes seemed to see mat
uamelcss grave far down IA a Snnih-
eru vaIley-her sons grave above Whiea
her tcarS could never flow.
\ quick. sharp step crushed The crisp
grass: tall shadow dArkencd The an-
tumn moonlight lying in silver rtfts on
the white boards Of the kitchen roor-
Little mother looked M. There
was a moment of breathlcss silence,
and then a sudden cry-a cry Of such
intense. unutierahlc JOY. that an the
silent took up lhr sound. and hundrecis
NH
hills
~Oh. Tom, my boy, i q youl"
Yes. 1t i I. little mother.
AT his right side an empty sleeve
hung. but with the left arm be clasprd
her close. covering her wet checks with
passionate kiS,s,k
-Oh. Tom. have suffered 80 she
Sobt.sd. at last Il thought you were
dead, my darling. bat you have come
back. my brave. handsome soldier
She raised herself from his embrace,
and. putting her hands on his shoulders,
looked steadily in his eyes
They met her searching Etzr, clear
and fearless
Tom she said. with Httlc laugh.
that WAS half a sob. you've come home
to me pure and true a you went
my good boy has kept his promise.
Yes. thank Hcavcn' ] have Kept
my promise" he answered. with sol
enn tenderness In his handsome eyes
-and II has been my salvation! The
was sorr one and, II I
had yielded. l should have dit-d. Ike
several Of my cemrade-, I-sor fellows,
But the thought OF you saved uie, a
I seemed to see your face between me
and the Turing glass Il Was all Your
work. little mother.
And God has given me my nswnri.
He has given me back my boy, whom
| mourna-I us dead" responded his
mother. with happy tears Emma Gar
rison Jones.