The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1901-03-15

without quailing among the wagons
where the wounded lay grooming.
With these rode Brother Paul, look
Ing h%aggard, as one who had not slept.
He stopped a wagon In front of Center
House and babe me make his room
ready for his friend. Henry Pendleton.
How | exclaimed in sudden dis.
may. rs he hurt?"
Yea; shot through the breast" he
answered.
Cynthia paled as one suddenly dizzy,
and |, too. felt sick at heart.
isn't II horrible, Sister Caroline"
she said as we went in to fix the bed.
Then with her usual thoughtfulncss
she offered to give up her room to the
young soldier, for 1t was larger and
lighter.
So they carried him in and laid him
OH the little bed In Cynthia's room.
1t was Brother Paul himself, though,
who left her to nurse his friend and
Joined me In caring for the hungry sol.
dicrs. The young man slept when the
doctors left him, and, sitting there with
her sewing, she looked up from time to
time ut his pale face. Her tender
heart vas touched as she watched him
lying there wounded unto death.
80 young" she thought, land so
soreiy wounded. Yea, and I will pray
for him." And she went down on her
knees by the bed-hcr own bed-all her
guileless heart going out in a plea for
mercy. Then the young soldier opened
his eyes and, dazed with sleep, thought
the knecling figure his sister.
$50 you have come, Alice?" he said,
putting his arm around her neck.
"Nay!' she exclaimed, starting up in
alright. at is l, Sister Cynthia"
When | went In the next afternoon,
he was lying with his eyes closed,
smiling to himself sometimes as one
In a reverie. Cynthia was bending
yer her sewing and did not look up
when he greeted me. God forgive me
for it, but I could never look on Henry
Pendleton without wishing he had
been born my son. There was a 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 so many wounded soldiers
left with us that l could not let Gym
thia be long out. but she came back
wen before | finished a little sewing.
"Sister Cynthia" he said as she Ell.
tered, 81 am going to ask you to do me
a little favor. l want you to write a
letter to my mother for me-"
Yea" she said, half breathless from
her walking.
1t was a brave letter, making light
Of his wound and full of CHEEKY plans
for getting a leave of absence. | lis
tened to his comforting love words as
he urged her not to come back into the
enemy's country, where 1t was danger
Gus. 1t sounded new and strange to
me, too, and l 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 l
wen out.
Cynthia came down after awhile to
mail his letter. and hunted me out.
"Sister Caroline" she said seriously
did you ever see my mother?"
mo. child" 1 answered, a little hurt,
for had | not been a mother to her
these 20 years, and loved her more
than il l had begotten her in iniquity
She turned away a few steps and
then came back.
"Sister Caroline" she said, "you
have been a mother to me, and I
haven't loved you half enough" And
she put her arms around my neck and
kissed me. l suppose l was n foolish
old woman to fold her in my arms
and weep over her as l did.
She went back up stairs to the
come In and was talking to his friend.
Cynthia walked slowly on to my room.
Paul" she heard him say, play for
me; l am sad lying here"
l did not know then that music was
the tie of friendship between them. I
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, 1t was nc
wonder that she fell now under the
spell Of that ungodly music and heard
things she had never dreamed of. 1t
was like getting glimpses into a new
world, where all the beautiful things
were you had ever heard or seen. But
there was pain mixed with the pleas.
ure, and it gave you a sort Of yearning
as he changed to a song to somebody
he called Annie Laurie. am an old
woman and hate ungodly music, but 1
stood there with one foot on the step
and listened like n In a spell. How
much more 1t 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, a 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 l came to see why she vas
late to supper-Cynthia, who was eve
prompt in the least of her duties.
The next afternoon we were In the