The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-05-31
EXCHANGED GRAVES.
BY BELLE v. CHISHOLM.

halted at a well in front of an old farm
house to wet their burning Threats and rest
awhile. As they crowded around the old
oaken bucket, waiting their turns at the
sparkling water, Capt Lyle's attention was
called to new-Inade grave among the rose
bushes just inside the fence, and, stepping
I'D to the old farmer leaning over the rough
rails he asked:
Whose grave is that just dug in your
flower garden, sir!''
1T is that of a stranger, soldier, left
dead on the ground after the skirmish with
Stuart's cavalry in the woods over there, "
answered the farmer, without changing his
position.
Union confederate!' asked the cap
tain, briefly
Confederate" was the reply. at wasn't
much of fight, nohow, but one poor fellow
had to pass in his checks.
And you buried him. said the captain.
''Sarten! You don't take me for a
heather, do you?" retorted the farmer,
shortly.
NO, but was wondering why you dug
his grave in your yard among your roses, y
said the captain. Maybe your sympathes
are with the other side
Il reckon not, when I give my only son
to fight inst it," returned the old man.
mo, sir! I'm with the bluecoats, but l
have fellow feein' for foe as well as
friend"
THAT'S right 1t is wars only redeem
ing feature" admitted the captain. But
why didn't you bury the poor fellow where
he fell?'' he urged.
1T was this way, stranger" said the old
man, huskily. at was the girls who wanted
hn Hox,
Johnny, was killed at Fredericksburg only
a few months ago. He fell in the street
right in front of little cottage on the edge
of the town. and the two sisters who lived
there carried him in, and that night, with
their own hands, they dug him grave in
their own garden and buried him there.
Then they wrote to us and told us all about
it, and sent back his little Bible and the
letter found in his pocket, in which they
got my address. 1t almost broke our hearts
to lose our Johnny, but it kind of eased the
blow to know that tender hands, even if
they were the hands of foes, laid him away
in the grave. The girls sets great store by
that letter, stranger, and they was so thank
full to them unknown women that when they
heard about the boy dead in the
woods over there they cried and said
he must be buried among the roses
in the yard. So / dug his grave and
the girls almost covered him with posies
before we let the clods down to rattle on
the lid of the coffin had made for him. And
If them southern women let their tears
dampen our Johnny's fair hair they were
paid back when the girls wept over the
nameless boy we buried under the roses"
''Then you were less fortunate than the
southern women in identifying the dead -
said the captain, softly.
Yes" returned the old man. 'There was
nothin' at all in his pockets except the pic
ture of a young girl, his sweetheart, maybe,
and there was no address just the name,
Elsie and no more. There was ring on
his finger marked M. L., October 10, 1861,
and that was all.
Not much clew, certa iny," admitted the
captain. ''Still, these trfes may some day
lead to his Identification, and so ease some
body's aching heart
The time passed on-thes war closed, and
then the years followed one another in quick
succession until full score of them was
added to the past.
Once again the scene is the old farmhouse,
with its well of sparkling water in front
and its fiower-strewn grave under the rose
bushes in the yard.
Presently carriage stopped at the gate
and gentleman assisted two ladies to
alight The three then entered the yard and
after brief pause by the side of the flower
heaped grave came up the path to the porch.
Mr.. Hedge" said the man, Offering his
hand 20 the old farmer 81 am Capt. Lyle,
to whom you once told the story of the
grave among the roses"
'Yes, yes; | mind the time WE'LL" ex-
Il II ~ / r.
out there, while your men was a-helpin
themselves to water from the WE'LL
You are right" returned the captain,
are the Misses Laird, the sisters who dug
your Johnny's grave in their garden"
After the salutations were over and quiet
restored Capt. Lyle said: 81 have known
these ladies for several years, but not until
recent visit to their little home where |
saw the grave in their garden and heard
their story of the fair-haired boy who died
at their door, did | associate them with the
pathetic tale you told me nearly 90 years
ago. Then | told them how you had passed
the kindness on by burying boy foe under
your rose bushes and the moment / men,
toned the ring and the picture they said
you had buried their brother, and we have
come all the long journey to make sure
Of it"
When the ring. picture and lock of hair
were produced there could be no longer any
1oubt on the subject. for the sisters had
with them the mate of the picture-now
yellow with age-and the elsie" inscribed
on both had evidently been written by the
same hand. 1t was the picture of the
younger sister, who, despite the interven-
ing years, still bore striking resemblance
to the pretty elsie" of the long buried
past The ring had been a present from
the elder sister-placed upon his finger the
day he entered the army-and the initials,
IN IT," were those of his name, mark
Laird and had been engraved by the sis
ter's own hand on the date given, October
TO- 1857" that sad day when he went out
from the dear old home to return no more.
1--WE have just exchanged graves" said
Elsie and as we have brought fair lilies to
lay upon the tomb OF the gray we shall
carry back bright roses with which to deck
that of the blue"
Then they went out to minge Elsie S
lilies and Judiths roses on the brothers
grave and to arrange for the yearly exchange
Of flowers that hereafter was to link the
graves together and to keep green the men-
CRY of this happy meeting. South.