The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-07-17

gress bent over her with an anxious
look on her good-natured face.
I'd jest like to know wharf dat ar
'oman drapt FROM" she muttered.
"Mighty ours how | done cotched her
iest'n time"
Nancy's eyes opened and gazed at
bewidered stare.
How does ye feel now, honeyP'
asked the woman, kindly.
Better, | guess" answered Nancy,
family. "Where am I?''
At the sound of her voice the black
woman smiled broadly.
Wild dem who am de frens oh ebery
Yankee who come dis way" said she
earnestly.
Nancy's tired eyes thanked her as
they once more closed YEARLY and she
slept. TIE loud ticking of timepiece
sounded in her ears, as a little later her
eyes opened again and gazed about + er
with a steady look. Against the wall,
hanging on a stout nail, was huge,
old-fashioned silver watch, merrily tick.
ing away the hours. Strangely familiar
it seemed to the poor homesick woman,
and she gazed at it long and earnestly.
A deep dent in one side caught her eye
at last, and she rose up from her bed =,
pale and trembling.
Taking it down from its place on the
nail, she pressed open the back and
read with swiftly beating heart, the two
letters engraven there, ~. j. With
feeling that she had at last found a
clew, she walked into the next room
and held up the watch before the as
tonished negress, saying in a quiveriEg
voice:
"Tell me, woman, where you got
this watch2"
"Now, Missy, don ye go for to tink
done stole dat ar watch" answered the
woman earnestly. "Mars' Jacobs, a
poor Union soldier what my man Pete
toted off'n the battefie' OBJ Antietam,
be done left it here wild Pete an me
til' some on the folks come long an
claim it, an it done harg on dat ar nail
dis ten year an no one come yet"
I" What became of the soldiel?' said
Nancy, eagerly.
"La, Missy he done die that same
night Pete toted him home," said the
negress. els you from de North,
Missy, and did ye cher know Mars
Jacobs?"
Zachary Jacobs was my husband"
said Nancy, sinking down into chair,
with the watch clasped tightly in her
hand. And have come hundreds of
miles to find the spot where he was
burie d."
The woman's eyes grew big and
round with astonishment, and, throwing
up her two hands, she cried earnestly:
De Lawd's han am in it, Missy
De Lawd's han hab led you to de right
place. Bress de Lawd, oh, my souIln
! Then, taking Nancy's poor trembling
hand In her own strong black one, she
added:
Come, Missy jacobs, an I'll show
you de lobely spot wher' we buried
Mars Jacobs. An Pete, he done ker
twas his own chile" And she led
Nancy out through the door to the
grove beyond.
In the center of a cluster of pine
trees that grew in circle around it,
they had made the grave, and over it
was spread earth's beau iful carpet of
green, starred with lovely blossoms.
Nancy bent over the mound with the
feeling that at last her pilgrimage was
over, and she shed her first tears upon
Ter husbands grave. a few days longer
she remained with the warm-hearted
people in the little log cabin, and
learned from them all there was TO be
known o. Zachary last hours.
Daily she visited the lonely grave, and
spent hours listening to the fragrant
pines, and dreaming of by.gone days.
But there came a day when she failed
to return to the little cabin, and when
they sought her, they found that the
Angel of Peace had touched her and
she bad fallen asleep. Now, indeed,
had Nancy Jacobs found her lost one,
Portland Transcript.