The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-12-06
EXCHANGED GRAVES.
BY BELLE ". CHISHOLM.

halted at well In 1rOnC 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 a new-made grave among the rose
bushes just inside the fence, and, stepping
up to the old farmer leaning over the rough
rails, he asked:
Whose grave is that just dug in your
flower garden, sir!'
at is that of stranger, a 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 or confederate?" asked the cap
tain, briefly.
Confederate" was the reply. cit 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 your retorted the farmer,
shortly.
mo, but was wondering why you dug
his grave in your yard among your roses,
said the captain. Maybe your sympathies
are with the other side"
81 reckon not, when give my only son
to fight ag'inst it, returned the old man.
mo, sir! I'm with the bluecoats, but /
have fellow feelin' for foe as we'll 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 felly" he urged
ut was this way, stranger" said the old
man, huskily. at was the girls who wanted
the grave here. You see, our boy, our
Johnny, was killed at Fredericksburg only
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 a 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
i'm 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
namcess boy we buried under the roses"
Then you were less fortunate than the
southern women in identifying the dead"
said the captain, softly.
Eyes" returned the old man. "There was
nothn' at all in his pockets except the pic
ture of young girl, his sweetheart, maybe,
and there was no address just the name,
Elsie and no more. There was ring on
and that was all. "
"Not much clew, certainly" admitted the
captain "Still, these trifes may some day
lead to his Identification, and so ease some
body's aching heart"
The time passed on-the 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 it's well of sparkling water in front
and it's hower-strewn grave under the rose
bushes in the yard,
| Presently a carriage stopped at the gate
and a gentleman assisted two ladies to
alight The three then entered the yard and
after brief pause by the side of the flower
heane grave came up the path to the porch.
''Mr. Hedge" said the man. offering his
| hand to 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-
claimed the old man. "It was at the fence
out there, while your men was a-helpin'
themselves to water from the WE'LL
"You are right" returned the captain,
''and these ladies have brought to see you
ire 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
1T their door, did associate them with the
pathetic tale you told me nearly % 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
| IF it.
When the ring, picture and lock of hair
were produced there could be no longer any
doubt 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 a 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 L." were those of his name. mark
Laird" and had been engraved by the Sis
ter's own hand on the date given, October
| 10. 1885," that sad day when he went out
from the dear old home to return no more.
eve 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 mingle Elsie's
| lilies and Judith's roses on the brothers
! grave and to arrange for the yearly exchange
f.. of Aouoro fbof baroo flor mo, Ill II,