Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-05-26

thing for long time, but l don't know
that | ought"
Certainly you may. What is it?"
will you tell me whose grave you
visit so much, and on which you al.
ways put such lovely flowers Decora.
tion day?"
You will be surprised, my dear
when | tell you that l do not know
1t is an unknown grave, but all
needed to know was that he was 1:
soldier. When did you say Ralph wal
coming?"
Not till eleven"
Then come into the sitting-room
where it is cool, and let me tell you /
bit of my own life. Somehow, l fee
just like it this morning"
They laid down their flowers ant
enjoyed the restfulness of the COZ,
room.
I'm going to lie down." said Aun'
Ruth, "and YOU bring the hassock and
sit right beside me, and let me tel
you what is in my heart
when you came in this morning st
happy and light-hearted, my thought.
flew back 80 years, when | wal
about your age, and had just as much
to make me happy as you have now
| was engaged to a noble man, and
strangely enough, his name waf
Ralph, too. He was a lawyer, and hii
fine mind gave promise of a brilliant
career. We were to have been mar.
ried in the spring of SO, but when the
war broke out his country's call ap.
pealed to his noblest manhood. He
didn't say much at first, but | knew
that the only obstacle in the way OF
his enlisting was the pain it would
give me. He was perfectly well and
strong, an added reason for his go.
ing. All, we'll do l remember the
night we settled it! How earnestly
and tenderly he talked about it! In
a few days he was gone. 1t took more
courage than | then thought to make
that sacrifice, but my sense of duty tc
country would not allow me to with.
hold the word. He Joined the Fif.
tieth New York volunteer engineers
company G. and at first had an easy
time. The letters were bright and
CHEEKY and full of enthusiasm, so that
after time | grew less anxious and
more and more glad that he went
But there came a day when the regu.
lar letter failed, and a week passed;
and another, and another, and finally
one came in an unfamiliar hand and
told the story | so much feared. They
thought he V as killed in the battle OF
Gettysburg, in the desperate charge
at the Bloody Angle where so man,
brave men on both sides gave I'D thei1
lives, but Ciligent search brought
nothing more definite. | sometimes
wonder how l have lived through all
these long 80 years, but you know
we poor mortals can endure more
than we think. I have much that IA
pleasant TO look back upon, and much
in the future to dream Of And now
about that lonely grave. He was a sol
dier, too, and there was no one to
care for him, so love to place my
flowers there, and cannot help feeling
that perhaps another is doing the
same for Ralph"
A whistle interrupted the story, and
Antoinette stopped to kiss the dear
old lady, and in a moment was gone.
Late that afternoon, after Antoin-
cites class had gone and the cemetery
was quite deserted, Ralph and An
toinette fingered at little distance
from that grave, quite unobserved by
Aunt Ruth, and watched her arrange
the flowers.
do you know" said Ralph T
never saw anything more pathetic.
The men who enlisted and fought
with courage and fearlessness were
indeed brave heroes, but not an atom
more heroic than the women who gave
their husbands and sons and lovers to
die for their country. and have lived
on, year after year, bravely and cheer
fully hiding their loneliness and heart
ache behind a happy face. All honoi
to them!'-Farmers' Review.