The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-03-15
A GRATEFUL ENEMY.

Eopyright. 1873, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
On Memorial day in 1895 Mrs.
Barah Bowen of Hoboken paid her an
nual visit to Cypress Hills cemetery to
decorate her husbands grave. Mrs
Bowen was in such poor, almost indi.
gent, circumstances that even the trip
TO Brooklyn, not reckoning the money
expended for flowers, was strain on
her slender resources. She was a veter-
ans widow, and the IS month pen
sion allowed her on that account by the
national government was all she had to
support herself and an invalid daughter.
Nevertheless, she had performed her OBJ
legations to the memory of the brave for
ID consecutive years with religious de-
votion.
When she arrived ON the ground on
this occasion, her nervous system re-
oeived such shock that she was obliged
to lean against a railing adjacent to
save herself from falling.
"What is the meaning of this?" she
murmured, closing her eyes and open
ing them again in the expectation that
she was laboring under an optical delu-
sion.
The cause of the widows astonish.
ment was change that had taken place
In the grave since her last visit. 1t was
covered with flowers, it was bordered
with evergreen plants and handsome
granite column rose at its head, with
the subjoined inscription engraved in
deep black letters:
Sacred to the Memory of Edward G.
Bowen, Brave Soldier aud Loyal
Friend -
The widow glanced wonderingly to
the right and left She looked up and
down, but there was no mistake. The
grave was that of her husband But
what metamorphosis had been effected
since 1894
While celebrating as to what she
would do in the premises tall, mill
tary looking gentleman of aristocratic
bearing and with an empty sleeve
alighted from carriage near by and,
taking wreath from under its seat,
approached the grave He hesitated
when he saw the widow, and their eyes
met. Hers had questioning look in
them; his one of depreciation, as if he
were trespasser.
Madam, he said, placing the
wreath on the grave and lifting his hat
as he would to duchess. "haye | the
honor
This is my husband s grave, " she re-
piled. with An almost imperceptible
strain Of jealousy in her voice.
"Then l must offer an apology and
an explanation. should have consulted
you before etfecting alterations here,
and so, in fact I would, only l could
not find you, though l tried hard"
1t was very kind of you, sir, ;" said
Mrs. Bowen. lyon would find it hard.
for no one in Brooklyn knew that had
moved to Hoboken."
"This is my explanation, said the
gentleman after pause. "My name is
Charles j. Gray-Judge Gray I am
called in South Carolina-and am an
Confederate soldier. l belonged to
the Montgomery guards and served in
che Army of Northern Virginia the last
two years OF the war. You must know
though perhaps you don THAT some
times Federal and Confederate soldiers
In the field were excellent friends, es
peclally when doing outpost duty to.
gether, If l may use such word. 1t Of
ten occurred that nothing but fence
separated our sentinels and that, instead
OF nrlng at each other, we chatted SO.
oiably and exchanged views on the stu
alton. Our superiors did not sanction
this, but they oonnived at it. On the
night OF the fourth days battle of the
| NA1
the extreme front of our lines. On the
other side of picket fence was young
man OF the One Hundred and Forty.
fourth New York regiment, his name
we'll, there it is engraved on that stone.
We entered into conversation. | gave
him plug OF tobacco, he gave me some
coffee, and we became quite friendly.
l had not closed my eyes in two days. /
was utterly exhausted and would have
given the whole world for one hours
sleep"
Poor fellow, said the widow, com.
miserating not the elegant gentleman
in front of her, but the ragged, war
worn soldier of one and thirty years
ago; cit was terrible. "
"It was, madam l told my Yankee
enemy that | was ready to drop and
begged him not to take advantage of
me. He laughed.
sit down on that stone, he said,
lean your back against the fence and
sleep. I'll wake you up when your re-
lief comes along.
at may seem incredible, but took
his advice, thus placing my life in the
hands Of foe and stranger. slept,