The times., 1897-09-12
seees -SeeoGee@
)sGe9geseeeee~

Between midnight aud the coming OF the
summers morn there had been strange
sounds TO arHuse the man from sleep, aad
as he sat up andIistened, he whispered t.
himself:
1T is che marching of men, the galiop OF
horses, the rumble of cannon wheels, the
gathering of "A host"
When the east began to purple the sounds
were louder aad nearer, but not SO strange
as wheE muffled by the shadows Of night.
A smile formed upon the mans face as ne
listened now, aud there was astrange exui-
tation in his heart as ne hurriedY dressed
himtelf aad called to his daughter:
AYE! Mary have heard those sounds
before ct Manassas, st Fair Oaks, at say
age Station. at Malvern Hill, at Antietam!
Look out and tell me what you see"
Town IN the meadows there are thou
saads OF men" replied the girl, as she
Stood In Che open door; thousands in blue
and thousiinds in gray More are comm & up
from the south more from thenorth. There
are moHnLed men. men afoot, men resting
LII lDilE tlIG1. W Hdt UbEo IL llltdI4 idtlltIs
There's going to be a battle, Mary.
/ knew 1t would come some-day, and I've
prayed tfat l might live To see IT,"
But you are blind, father"
Eyes, blind since Chancellorsville, where
bullet spared my life but took my sight,
but my ears are good, and you shall see
for me. The blue are on the east-the gray
on the west. How much neutral ground
lies between?"
Just that wide field with the creek
flowing through it,"
God! bnt they nearly ran into each other
in ths darkness! Do you see camp fires2f'
Yes hundreds of them"
The men are snatching sip and bite
while yet there is time. Girl. your voice
tiembles. Are you afraid?"
A little"
"A ye. a girl would be- aud many men as
well, hut you must fight it Off. Lead me
down under the big pear tree Yes, you
are afraid but it wiz be glorious sight
a sight YOU viii remember to your dying
day. It is a quiet morning, with no breeze
to blow the Smoke away, and the black
clouds Of powder-smoke add 20 the grim
hess of the battle. hear d confused nur-
mur down there-the neighing OF horses
the blare of bugles the sound OF wheels
on the turnpike no reports Of muskets
That's good The sSirmis hing before
battle is but the scolding Of angry women
There was rain yesterday and there must
he plenty of water in the creek Thank
God for that AT FAIR Oaks and Savage
Station the wounded had to drink the black
waters OF the swanips AT ChauCellOTs-
vile there was not even that, and they
cried out FOR water till the sound rose On
the night air like a wall of agony from
plague stricken city. DO I hear masses
of meIs moving down there?"
| Yes, father The men in blue on foot
are forming in lines across the meadows
two long lines. There are cannon here and
there. and here and there solid masses OF
nell Tire cavalry are riding to right anu
left It is almost the same with the men
in gray"
| Double lines OF battIe-reseryes- cav
/ airy on the wings that is right, Mary
| Godi but 10 he blind when this picture OF
war is about to be hung up for eyes to
| gaze att Don't trembie girl don't be
afraid don't run away from mer'
| "No, father, won't leave you, but I'm
| terribly afraid The men are far away but
! it seems 10 me that their faces are pale
| with Iear, and that they turn their heads
| as they would flee
| "Ayel Most Of them are palefaced
! daughter, and they look TO the right
and left ana mutter both curses and
/ prayers The waiting is eating up their
/ hearts At Fair Oaks we waited for an
nour I tremblcd like "A leaf in the breeze
my teeth clicked together; I wanted &c
/ ours. and scream and pray in the same
breath. I was weeping like rt-bToken
child when the enemy came marching across
| rhe fields and the first order OF our colonel
drove fear from my heart and planted q
! devil of Cerocity there. How quiet it has
grown down there, Mary!"
YES thereiS hush upon the men; there
is no LONGER any m ovement. Why d. they
wait, father?"
They are rawing a long breath before
the rush-Iooking for the weak spots in
! EACH others lines Blindl Blind And
| would give all the rest Of my days If I
could have my sight for two hourSi How
still it isl If l had not heard the old
familiar sounds 1 should believe that II
was vet night and l was dreaming again
| That's it-that's 1.-THE battle has opened
at last and every red flash is the breath
of Deathr'
booml Booml Booml
lyon rnast hear you must Sect shout
ed her father, pulling at her ar n, as il he
! knew the situation. Curses upon the bull
let which blinded me aud the man who
fired it, I saw and heard a hundred guns
at work at the Chickahominy more than
200 at Malvern Hill 200 again as Antie
taJnl Godi but how they roared and crash
! ed aud thunderedl How round shot moaned
aud she'll screamed through the smoke
cloud aud made mangled corpSes of brave
men. Hear it, Mary; near it''
Il am afraid, father terribly afraid
shc sobbe'l, as she cIung to mis- arm.
Afraid! Aye, YOU are but a girl, and
fear a harmless snake in the road. IL l
had my sight-heavensl but If these were
nay eyes of old-I'd rush down there into
the smoke, and help them TO kill-kiIl-
/ kill Now l scent the pow der smoke
now hear the screams of wounded horses
-now--now-bu I am blind blind!'
''Be quiet, father-be quiet! There
the noise is dying away. What are they
going to do now?"
THAT was the prelude, girl-the music
that opens the ball. There is menace
in the roar of cannon and the scream OF
missiles but Death does not reap his harvest
until the musket comes into play. The
smoke must be lifting now-ten me VI hat
you gee"
There is n movement among the cavalry
down on the left OF the blue lines-th
same oil the rightor the gray. The masses
of men separate-the lines break up aud