The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-10-27

She had soft, dreamy black eyes. and,
when excited. they were brighter than
the deyvdrop on the rose,
visited her heihe often and was al.
ways welcomed with a sunny smile;
but time passed rapidly and soon orders
came for us to prepare to march-t,.e
very thing dreaded.
left camp and went TO pay my last
visit to er with a heavy heart.
Sitting in the shadow of q large ar.
Dor Vita tree. with her hands in mine,
told her of my love. 1t was needless,
though. for me to have spoken one
word of that love, for she knew it long
be fore.
For a moment she ted, and
I then told her OF our orders to move
and possibly this would be our last
meeting until the strife was over.
That seemed to decide it, for; look
ing up into my face, she said: 1T is
useless tc tell you OF my love for you,
for YOU must know that it is as true
and pu. = as ever a woman gave to
man.
Reaching up to a branch of the tree
under which We were sitting, she
pulled a tiny spfig and gave it to me;
saying: ''That tree is green as long as
God permits it to live. It is green for
ever; and so shall my love for you be.
Only be as true to me as shall be to
yo,, and when this cruel war is over
hasten back to mesand then there shall
be no more parting. My prayers shall
be for you and my darling brother;
for, next to you, I love him. Should
you ever meet him again and he should
in any way need Assistance, be good to
him for tho love give you. Take this
sprig to remind you, if need be, Of my
love. I shall wear one like it every
day until you RETURN
I could not Sne11x hnf folded her tn
my heart and gave the first golden kiss
of love.
While young Hammond belonged to
the same army rs myself had never
seen him. except once, until the day OF
the execution. when he sent the last
loving message to his sister-ny in
tended bride.
When I saw him standing before me
it was too late, for in a moment the
command: "Ready, aim. fret was
given and Paul Hammond lay d cad be-
fore me, by my comm and.
Who can picture my utter despair at
that moment? AS saw the fire flash
from the muzzle of those muskets I
babe farewell to all hope of happiness
in this life.
Some weeks after the execution re-
ceivcd a letter and I instantly recog-
nizcd Eugenia's writing.
Enclosed was a clipping from Dali
ton newspaper. with my name and her
brothers marked, and a long account
of the affair. There was also a notice
of the death of her old father caused
by the shock of his sons death.
She wrote just a few lines; shall
never forget them: May God forgive
you as do. This gulf can never DO
bridged-not even by an idolatrous
love-"
never wrote to her. for 1 felt it was
useless. So time passed. and in the
summer of 1879 1 went to the Green
Brier white sulphur springs.
The first evening there l saw a mag
nificently-dressed woman wh.rling in
the waltz that somehow attracted my
attention. Nearer and nearer she
came and at last our eyes met.
Instantly she sank to the floor, and
just as quickly was she surror nded by
her friends.
1 saw pinned to her left breast by a
beautiful diamond heart a piece of ar
Dor Vita. and I recognized Eugenia,
my lost love.
l left the place that night and have
never seen her since. I sometimes
hear of her through friends, xnd never
has a December passed since the war
that I did not get a sprig of arbor
vitue-the emblem of our love.
I still have her letters in q little
casket, and sometimes when 1 am
vexed with the cares of this life read
thcm over S.n0 over. In one OF them !
meet the lines:
II have another life long meet.
Without which life. this life is Incomplete
Oh! sweeter self. like me, art thor astray,
Trying with all thy mind to find the way:
Striving with oil thy might to find the breast
On which alone can weary heart q nd rest:''
The mystery of Eugenia's fainting -
told here for the first TIME. Should
she read this, let her know that the
love of 1894 is just strong as that of
1862.
Through tile influence of strong
friends Charley Hudson was pardoned
while at the stake, and he is to-day
leading citizen of our state.
What might have been had 1 not
changed my mum ber?-Robert o. Doug
las, in illustrated American.
Napoleon . harksman.
Although Napoleon was a great gen.
eral, beyond dispute, it appears from
some rece ntly published recollections
of two of his favorites that he was a
very poor marks1nan. Yet he was fond
of hunting, and something had to lie
done to cater to his vanity. 1t seems