The Yale expositor., 1902-03-28

Joseph Major" said the little man
In the gray serge suit. 10 the clerk In
side the postofilce window. who, TAX
ing second glance OF kindly inquisi-
tiveness at the gentle face outside.
handed him several letters.
The little man hustled away handling
over the letters until one OF them
caused him to stop I'm his steps. II was
a scared and yellow envelope, bearing
in its whole appearance. In the eramp-
ed handwriting and In the stamp up
I'm the corner. a look OF years. as IL IL
had dropped, meteor-llke. from the
far-away past.
The man stood. turning II over In
his hand. regardless OF those passing
and repassing him. many OF whom
turned curious chances toward him.
On his face expressions OF amazement.
pleasure. sadness and conformation
succeeded each other with n kaleido-
scopie rapidity. A moment afterward
he walked away from the postofiice,
and. crossing the street. To a small
triangle OF grass adorned with shrub
berry and seats and decorously named
park, he seated himself I'm a retired
spot, and with trembling fingers and
fast-going breath. opened tho envelope.
AS he glanced at the first lines his
face grew white and drawn and he
stared at the contents rs II he we're
looking at ghost lie leaned back
and his hand sought his forehead as
II seeking to brush away cobwebs from
his brain This was what the letter
was. written in an Uniformed and
girlish hand;
CalroyIlie. o.. April . 1917,
Dear Ioseph;-I cannot tell you how bad frlt
when l came home and found that ycn had gone
TO the war aud I had not seen yon To- say
even ono word TO you bcforc yen went Int
found your letter waiting foF mo aud explaining
~ all, and that something. though don'
Why you should have started before the
other ones. OF course you did right TO enlist
and I am proud 90 you for a.
Bat chi Joseph. when ! think that may
never you again. that at any mumrut. eycn
now you may b. wounded and suffering. aud l
am here heipess. Il seems a. u cannot icat
time feel NJ II had no cue 20 turn 70 hat
yon, and you hundreds OF miles away. A.
you know, mamma died and they brought her
home and laid her 10 rest In the little cemetery
CA the hill. OF course. Jpaeph, YOU can rely
upon me- You need never have doubted u. but
everything ~ uncertain while malnn.- was
III and ! felt that my nrst duty was to her
and could not say anything more definite then.
htt now that she IL goue ! belong Wholly 10
you
whea shan sre you again. and when viii
these terrible troubles ends when I rad ~
che dreadful battles and. particularly when
read the long lists 81 dead. wounded and miss.
ms my heart beats 10 that IL seems that t
Goodbye my dear Joseph. and nay Ood pro.
toct aud Aeeg yoa from harm.
hour loving sweetheart, ,......
His eyes fingered over the signature.
All those gentle. loving words he had
so longed TO hear ana never had they
reached him during all the weary
years. The words rang In his ears.
His heart beat them out Ia It's pulsa-
tons. and his eyes saw them wherever
he looked. The bitterness and sad
ness OF II all filled his heart with ach-
ing. and seemed TO crush his very soul.
He sat gazing at the green grass.
the trees. tho singing birds and the
children playing about him. but he
saw none OF these-only the tragedy
OF his lifel
Thirty years before he reflected and
saw himself boy. Just entering man
hood. hard at work on the farm with
n stcp-father who had little use for
him except as working machine.
with no mother. sister or close kin to
look TO In those years OF longing for
companionship: but with one friend
the sweet. black-eyed girl. 20 whom
his sensitive nature had turned for
sympathy.
Again he heard the roll of the drums
and felt the thrills that went through
him when. as a boy. he heard OF tho
country's danger and the call for men
and yet more men. Again he drilled
as a raw recruit and marched away
10 the war; the ono pang at his heart
being that The girl he left behind
him" was not there TO listen 20 his
last goodbye She had gone with
her mother In search by the latter for
relief from the dread disease which
had blighted her life and In the hur-
rying changes from one place TO an
other he did not knowwhere 10 address
her. And so he had left n letter for
her nj her home. 10 which she was
soon 10 return.
lie recalled the weary weeks and
months OF war and OF waiting for tho