Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-06-06
without quailing among the wagons

"iehout qudlllDR among the wagons
where the wounded lay groaning.
With these rode Brother Paul, look
Ing haggard. as one who had not slept.
de stopped wagon In front OF Center
House and bade me make his room
ready for his friend. Henry Pendleton.
HowT l exclaimed i'm sudden dis
may. lis he hurtT'
Yea; shot through the breast" he
answered
cynthia paled as one suddenly dizzy.
and L, too. felt sick at heart.
isn't II horrible, Sister Gardiner
she said as we went in to.fx the bed.
Ihen with her usual thOughtfulness
she offered to give up her room to the
young soldier. for II was larger and
lighter.
SO they carried him in and laid him
on the little bed in Cynthia's room.
II was Brother Paul himself though.
who left her to nurse his friend and
joined me In caring for the hungry SOL
diers The young man slept when the
doctors left him. and, sitting there with
her sewing, she looked up from time to
uihe AT his pale face. Her tender
heart was touched as she watched him
lying there wounded unto death.
SO young" she thought, "and SO
sorely wounded. Yea. and l will pray
Tor him" And she went down on her
knees 10y the bed-hcr own bed-an her
guileless heart going out in n plea for
mercy. Then the young soldier opened
his eyes and. dazed with sleep. thought
the kneeling figure his sister.
SO you have come. Alice?" he said.
putting his arm around her neck.
Nay. she exclaimed. starting up in
alright. 1t is l. Sister Cynthia"
When | went in the next afternoon.
he was lying with his eyes closed.
smiling To- himself sometimes as one
IN reveric. Cynthia was bending
over her sewing and did not look up
when he greeted me. God forgive me
FOR II. but could never look on Henry
Pendeton without wishing he had
been born my son. There was n TAX
Ing way about everything that he did.
just the way he wished you good morn
ing was enough to put you in a good
humor all day
We had 80 many wounded soldiers
left with Us that could not let Cyn-
thia be long out but she came back
evea before finished a little sewing.
Sister Cynthia" he said as she en-
tered. Il am going to ask you to do me
a little favor. want you to write n
letter TO my mother FOR me-"
Yea" she said. half breathless from
her walking.
1t was brave letter, making light
of his wound and full Of CHEEKY plans
Tor getting a leave of absence. l lis
tened To his comforting love words as
he urged her not 10 come back into the
enemy's country, where il was danger
Gus. 1t sounded new and strange to
me, too and did not wonder that
Cynthia's hand shook Poor lad. how
pale he looked as he lay there, l could
not help smoothing his pillow as 1
went out.
Cynthia came down after awhile to
mail his letter. and hunted me out.
SISTER Caroline" she said seriously.
did YOU ever see my motherT"
mo. child" | answered. little hurt.
for had | not been a mother to her
these 20 years. and loved her more
than il had begotten her in iniQuity?
She turned away few steps and
then came back.
"SiSter Caroline" she said. you
have been mother to me, and I
haven't loved YOU half enough" And
she put her arms around my neck and
kissed me. | suppose l was foolish
old woman to fold her in my arms
and weep over her as l did.
She went back up stairs to the
wounded man. but Brother Paul had
in nd 90 L.
Cynthia walked slowly on to my room.
Paul she heard him say, play for
me; l am sad lying here"
did not know then that music was
the tie of friendship between them. 1
had never seen the violin, for Brother
Paul had played in secret the beautiful
but ungodly songs, and as for Cynthia
she had heard only the little organ In
the meeting house that Paul said was
cracked. and, poor child, It was no
wonder that she fell now under the
spell of that ungodly music and heard
things she had never dreamed Of. Ii
was like getting glimpses into a new
world, where all the beautiful things
We're you had ever heard or seen. But
there was pain mixed with the pleas
oANs anu IL saw y Ou Il SUI VI y
as he changed to a song to somebody
he called Annie Laurie. l am an old
woman and hate ungodly music. but L
stood there with one foot on the step
and listened like one in n spell How
much more il must have meant to Gym
thia! 1t isn't strange the idea came to
her that in some way she had missed
something in life, n beautiful and spir-
itual something altogether desirable
She sat there with her eyes fixed ON
one cloud that was golden still in the
gray twilight and prayed to God FOR
the unknown something. SO l found
her when | came to see why she was
late to supper-Cynthia, who was ever
prompt in the least of her duties.
The next afternoon we were in the
workroom down stairs when l heard
Brother Pauls step. Cynthia looked up
at the door twice. then, after he was
outside, got up suddenly and ran after
him. | wondered much, for among us
men and women have no needless com
munication with each other. l heard