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

The May sunshine lay warm and
mellow across the FIRE shly-scoured floor.
Softly it touched the gray hair of the
woman who stood in the door of the old
farmhouse, and fecked the lilac bush
that leaned against the window.
Shading her eyes with her hand, the
woman peered earnestly down the long
country road as the rumble of wheels
caught her ear A wsgon-load of ever
green's, drawn by stout farm horse,
soon came in sight
Hello! Mis- Jacobs, goin' to help
us with the wreaths this year," said he,
with a cheerful wave of his hand toward
the fragrant pile, as he jumped from his
team.
81 s'pose be, SAM" answered the
woman, glar cling with solemn eyes at
the loaded wagon 81 amt never re-
fused to do my duty by the m poor boys
in the old burying-eround, even if my
old man amt among 'em.'
"Tbat's so, Mis- Jacobs, sure enough"
quickly res onded SAM warmly, "you've
allus done the square thing by every
soldier boy that was brought home to
sleep in the old graveyard; and l Jest
uODC lnS Lulu Will pun ~ lutO SOIDG
one's heart to do the same by Zachary
Jacobs.n
an woman sighed.
"Seem's if I'd feel more con tented
like if only jest knowed where Zach
was buried" said she, her eyes wander
ing wistfuliy toward the distant horizon,
as though to pierce the veil that hid
that far. off Southern grave.
Sam balanced himself uneasily first
on one foot and then on the other.
"'Twould be sort of comfortih', Mis-
Jacobs, sure" he said slowly, but
after the boys saw him fall at Antietam
they marry one en- 'em heard of him
again"
" know it, Sam, an that makes me
feel SON etimes g if t'wan't true that he
was Dead" said Nancy Jacobs, eagerly.
"Why, some days l gets to thinkin' ont
till l can't rest easy nohow; Vt seems if
/ could almost see him a'comin' in the
door," and she gazed earnestly down
the road as if her longing eyes could
see her husbands tall form in the dis
lance.
Now, Mis- Jacobs, doL't ye 60 to
feelin' that way, for if Zach was alive,
ye'd a known ont afore this time.
Why, It's ten year or more since he was
left ON that battle field for dead, an
there amt the smallest chance he'll
turn up alive" said he, earnestly. Then
lifting out big armful of sweet.smell-
ing green's he threw them down beside
the door.
Well, | must be a-gettin' on; so
here's few greens an ye can make as
many wreaths as We like, an I'll call an
get 'em in few days"
"S'pose can keep one on 'em to hang
on Zach's peg, over his old coat that's
hung there ever since he went away?"
ques toned Nancy.
Certain, certain" answered Sam,
his voice little husky at the woman g
pathetic manner. "None on em de-
serves TO be remembered more'n Zach
Jacobs, sure.' Then with loud $50
'longl" to his horse, he was soon out of
sight down the shady country road.
Gathering up the evergreens in her
apron, Nancy Jacobs turned and went
into the house, and, after spreading
down an old sheet to protect her clean
floor from the litter, she began her
humble task.
Deity her fingers wove the long
strands together, while her thoughts
travelled back over the years of heI
lonely widowhood. Ten long years had
passed since that never-to- be-forgotter
day, when, in the columns of the village
newspaper, she read her husbands name
among the list of those who were "miss
ing" after the battle of Antietam. Oh
the agony of the days and weeks thai
followed, when with mingled feelings
of hope and despair she had watched
and waited for further news of hel
loved one. Yet the days came anC
went, bringing Daught but silence tC
her longing heart. Then had come the
return of the soldiers who were left
from her husbands regiment, anG
among them those who had seen him
fall on the fatal battle field. Then the
hope that she might gaze once more or
his dear face, though asleep in the
Eternal Arms, was taken from her, anC
the longing to see the spot of grounc
that held his poor remains took its place
in her heart. Day by day, year after
year, this thought grew aud strength
ened, till it had become the one wish o.
her lonely life.
In giving her husband to the service
of his country, Nancy Jacobs had eiver
her all. Two small graves in the village
burying ground held the disappointed
hopes of a mothers love; vet, with tn,
martyrdom of our brave New Englant
women, she had sent her last home til
to fight in that noble cause, and finally
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