Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1904-05-27

thing for long time, but 1 don't know
that l ought"
Certainly you may. What is it?"'
will you tell me whose grave yol
visit so much, and on which you al
ways put such lovely flowers Decora
ton day?"
You will be surprised, my dear
when l tell you that 1 do not know
1t is an unknown grave, but all /
needed to know was that he was 4
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, 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 sc
happy and light-hearted, my thoughti
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 wai
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 '63, but when the
war broke out his country's call ap
pealed to his noblest manhood. H.
didn't say much at first, but l knew
that the only obstacle in the way oi
his enlisting was the pain it would
give me. He was perfectly we'll and
strong, an added reason for his go.
ing. All, we'll do 1 remember the
night we settled it! How earnestly
and tenderly he talked about it! In
few days he was gone. 1t took more
courage than l then thought to make
that sacrifice, but my sense of duty -te
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 an6
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 anc
told the story l so much feared. They
thought he as killed in the battle OF
Gettysburg, in the desperate charge
at the Bloody Angle where so MANY
brave men on both sides gave up theil
lives, but Ciligent search brought
nothing more definite. sometime!
wonder how l have lived through al
these long 80 years, but you know
we poor mortals can endure NOR,
than We think. have much that /.
pleasant TO look back upon, and much
in the future to dream of. And now
about that lonely grave. He was a sol
der. too, and there was no one tc
care for him, so love to place my
flowers there, and cannot help feelint
that perhaps another is doing tn,
same for Ralph"
l A whistle interrupted the story. ant
Antoinette stopped to kiss the dea
old lady, and in moment was gone
Late that afternoon, after Antoin
ette's class had gone and the cemeter,
was quite deserted, Ralph and An
toinette fingered at a little distanc,
from that grave. quite unobserve6 hi
Aunt Ruth, and watched her arrang,
the flowers.
do you know?" said Ralph, "
never saw anything more pathetic
The men who enlisted and tough
with courage and fearlessness wer,
indeed brave heroes, but not an atom
more heroic than the women who CAV,
their husbands and sons and lovers I,
die for their country. and have livet
on, year after year. bravely and cheer
fully hiding their loneliness and heart
ache behind a happy face. All honol
to them!"-Farmers' Review.