Evening star., 1902-08-23

the family tradition by electing to serve I'm
the marine corps. as his father and grand
father before him had done. He had risen
to the grade Of first lieutenant, and was
one Of the officers of the little band of
United States marines who formed the le-
cation guard IN Pekin during the terrible
summer Of 1900. l well remember the fear
ful anxiety and yet the superhuman reso-
luton with which Mrs. Allen confronted
those days of silence and suspense.
Sadly enough, among the first messages
which got through from the besieged min
isterS was one announcing the death Of her
son. l was with her of course, immediate
ly upon the receipt of the news. Her grief
was as silent as II was terrible. She made
no complaint. The blow just struck her
down. Her heart was affected IN some
way, and DR.. Taylor informed me, and I, In
turn. told her. that her days were num-
bered. l felt that it was best that she
should know 1t. Now that her son had
been taken the desire to live left her, and
che was almost happy In the thought that
a short time-a month or two at most, the
doctor said-wOuld unite them again.
A few days after the receipt Of the first
bad news. freedom of communication hav
ing been restored meanwhile, the report of
Georges death was contradicted. Some one
had blundered IN the first message, and
things We're in such state We could never
find out who. He had been desperately
wounded, they said. but would recover.
His mother frightened under this en-
couraging news There was a faint rally
and some Improvement in her condition,
but nothing Of a permanent character. She
realized the situation fully, but she sum-
mOned all her resolution and determination
to her assistance and told me that she could
not die until she had seen her son again.
DR.. Taylor thought that probably she might
survive under the inspiration of her devo-
tion until the boy, about whom We con-
tinued to receive favorable reports, should
come home again.
So she fingered through the summer
struggling. anxious. hopeful, determined. l
happened to be with her on the eventful day
when she received his first letter The joy
with which she took It from me and tore ii
open with her white, feeble, trembling
hands was alost painful to witness-I Felt
as II l were intruding upon meetinS-but
her blank look of astonishment, changing to
regret, and then to bitter appointment
even anguish-as she mastered its contents,
was surprising.
Il have lost my boy" she said with trem-
bling lips after awhile, as she handed me
the letter.
WHAT I cried.
'Oh no. he is getting better and Is coming
back / did not mean that. but-but-he is
going to be married. Read it yourself
why. II was letter to make any wo-
mans heart proud, l thought. and / said
so There were sober words OF thanksgiv-
ing to God that his life had been spared:
modest expression of satisfaction in the pro-
motion 10 captaincy which had come to
MIN for his splendid courage during the
sandbag fort on the wall, where he was
wounded. and lots of love for his mother
That was not all. though He had been A
administrative boy always. l suppose He
had layished afYectionate endearments upon
her and she had been first In his heart but
nOw-ah. there was the rub.
L realized, as / reflected on the situation
that was only man.a and that no man had
ever fathomed the subtle depths of a wo-
mans, a mothers heart. 1t was as she had
said, he was going to be married. | must
admit that nine-tenths OF the letter was
filled with descriptions of the young wo-
man 20 whom he had plighted his troth. He
sang her praises with the blindness of
youth and the ardor OF manhood
They had met for the first time during the
Siege She had been belated traveller who
had been caught In the Boxer uprising. and
legation. She had shown herself to be a
heroine. OF course. Everybody was heroic
IN those days. We all expected they would
De, and they were After George had been
wounded she had nursed him back to life
and won her way into his heart in the
process IL was all quite natural. certainly.
and very romantic. She was coming back
with him. They were to be married by one
OF ths miss sonaries In the legation where
the romance had begun as soon as he was
able to stand It. and he hoped soon to pre-
sent to his mother q new daughter who
was the best the sweetest, the noblest lit
tie woman IN the world" and whom II love
and adore with all my heart" and so on un-
III the end of the letter
] thought myself that re might have
4pared her little OF that; and as watched
Mrs. Aliens face and tr!sd to talk 70 her.