The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-12-11


grow radiant, he seemed possessed of a
beauty scarcely earthly.
The noise of the people rising from their
seats as his voice died away recalled
me to the present, but it was with an
effort l reused myself. | reached home
feeling that while such living words could
reach my ear life could not he barren
/ entered my fathers study, treading
softly lest | should disturb the slumber
into which he seemed to have fallen.
Drawing near, l softly laid my hand on
his brow, but its marble Wilderness revealed
to me the awful truth. The desolation
which had lowered DER my spirit all day
had been no idle pre- 'ursor of i'll.
Death had entered my home and snatched
from me the one being left me to love. An
awful calm fell upon me. No tears came
to relieve my burning lids-not even when
heard the dull thud which gave back to
mother earth her own.
1t was then that Edward Feering came to
comfort me. 1t was long ere even his
words penetrated the outer crust Of rebel
lious discomfort; but he probed his way so
skillfully, so tenderly, that ere 1 knew it
the healing waters of comfort rushed in,
and found their vent in outward tears
do not know when learned to love my
teacher. Does one ever measure the hour,
the moment, when love enters their lives?
| could see by this passion which awak ened
in me the meaning of true love and false.
For worldly glitter, no tickle allurements
would be one devoted to the Masters ser
vice, but felt nothing could be sacrifice
shared with him. had told him all my
past one afternoon, when he had Just left
me, and the echo of his words still ringi &
in my ear, when an impatient tread across
the hall, shadow darkened the door of the
room in which | sat.
| looked up, wondering il Edward had
returned with some forgotten word OF fond
ness on his lips, when, standing with pale
face | saw what in that first agOnized
moment | believed my husband ghost.
started with wild cry, and would have
fallen but that his arms caught and held
me, and then | knew that it was no spirit,
but living flesh that bound me.
Oh, the agony OF that awakening, the
torture of the thought which slowly burned
itself upon my brain, that my love for
Edward now was sin, that | who had so
lightly talked of sacrifice shared with him
must meet greater sacrifice than any he
had pictured, and meet it alone.
All this endured while lay seemingly
in outward calm, and listened to my hus-
band s story, how he had been left as his
friends supposed, dead upon the field; but
how the Indians, strangely moved to pity,
bound up the wounds they themselves had
caused, and held him for six months cap.
tive. Then, procuring his release, and
learning thought him dead, he determined
to leave me in that belief, but how his life
'"a Ni'''h Pui p''Ci''o, ohh ~ SshSh W iCCi
vain yearning for home and wife.
"lIad found you married. Madge," he
enddd, 81 would have gone away and made
no sign, but instead you still wear the out
ward badge of widowhood, and though l
little dreamed my darling, that you should
have mourned my loss, may not by that
siup rlaaI for rIn
me the hope of casting some sunshine on
the life have so cruelty darkened?"
That night Edward and parted forever.
| sent for him and told him all, and watched
his face blanch while sat outwardly calm
and unmoved
Gods ways are not our ways, y he said
at last "He has shown US how purpose
less were the sacrifices we had planned, and
He had greater ends in view May he give
us strength to bear"
The months which followed passed as in
a dream, but my hands found plenty to fill
them. My husband had come home to me
a broken man, and l saw day by day that
MS sticiStu was ihlilLS. VII, now SlSu i
was in those long vigis by his bedside that
| had not faltered. A love as OF mother
for her child grew in my breast as watched
his Iemorseful care, his earnest sOlicitude
in my behalf, as his life ebhed away. 1t
was an inner as well as an outer mourning
| now wore, and for year lived on alone
in my home with no particular event to
note the fleeting time.
One day letter was put in my hand.
opened it and out dropped two Enclosures,
one in hand which even then caused my
heart to beat, and one a few lines in a
strange writing. Ed ward s-for it was
from him-ran thus: "When / learned
that you were free, Madge, the wild, sweet
hope rose in my breast that when | could
should come to claim my wife, but it was
not to be. have been stricken with a
contagious fever, and my life is rapidly
ebbing away. The verdict has gone forth,
and must die. 1t is but for little while.
l wait you in better world. God bless
you forever and forever" The other was
penned after his death, but told what he
had withheld, that no life lost on the battle
field showed greater heroism or trues glory.