Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-10-02
in that first agonized moment I be-
lieved my husbands ghost.

lieved my husbands ghost.
| started with a wild cry, and
would have fallen but that bis arms
caught and held me, and then /
knew that il was no spirit, but liv-
ing flesh which 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 light
" talked of sacrifice shared with
him must meet a greater sacrifice
than any be had pictured, and meet
it alone
All this I endured while / lay
seemingly in outward calm, and lis.
tened TO my husbands story, how
he had been left, as his friends sup
posed, dead upon the field i; but, how
the Indians, strangely moved to
pity, bound up the wounds they
themselves had caused, and held
him for six months captive. Then,
procuring his release, and learning 1
thought him dead, he determined to
leave me in that belief, but that how
his life had grown purposeless, and
he grew to feel vain yearning for
home and wife.
"Had / found you married !,
Madge," he ended, II would have
gone away and made no sign, but in
stead you still wear the badge Of
widowhood, and though little
dreamed, my darling, that you
should have mourned my loss, may
not by that sign plead for pardon?
Will you not give me the hope of
casting some sunshine on the life |
have so cruelty dsrkened ~
That night Edward and l parted
forever.
/ sent for him and told him all,
and watched his face blench while /
sat outwardly calm and unmoved.
Goods ways are not our ways"
he said at last. HE has shown US
how purposeless were the sacrifices
we had planned, and He had greater
ends in view. May He give US
strength to BEAR
The months which followed pass
ed as in a dream, but my hands
found plenty to fill them. My hus-
band had come home to me brok-
en- man, and | saw day by day that
his strength was falling.
Oh, how glad I was in those long
vigils by his bedside that had not
faltercd. A love as of q mother for
her child grew in my breast as |
watched his remorseful care, his
earnest solicitude in my behalf, as
his life ebbed away.
1t was inner as we'll as outer
mourning I now wore, and for q
year | lived on alone in my home,
with no particular event 10 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 few lines in strange
writing. Edward's-for it was from
him-ran thus:
"When l learned you were free,
Madge, the wild, sweet hope rose in
my breast that when l could / should
como to claim my wife, but it was
not to be. l have been stricken
with a contagious fever, and my life
is rapidly ebbing away. The yer.
dict has gone forth and / must die.
1t is but for little while. / await
you in better world. God bless
you forever and forever
The other was penned after his
death, but told what be had with
held, that no life lost on the battle
field showed greater heroism or
truer glory.
It is little wonder that / recall
that bright joyous girl who once
bore my name, as another being, as
with folded hands sit and wait.
Sometimes my watch grows heavy
but my courage fails not. / wait on
with at least contentment to the
end.-N. Y. Ledger.
-~~uaEn-
How much business can man do
| whose system is in n state of dia.