Ellsworth American., 1904-05-25

tousideF clandestlne marriage. Philip
Cropped wearily into the chair once
more. Some children, dressed In red.
white and blue bunting were singing
America" Cecilia was watching
them. her lips parted In tender smile
The smile sent o sharp pain through
his heart. The lines about his mouth
deepened and his hand went up in
stlnetively TO the spot where the gray
hairs were showing. How often he had
pictured Cecilia smiling thus upon his
children and hersl
Then he glanced at her father. Yes,
he had donned the old gray uniform
Philip smiled bitterly and pulled him
self together. His speech was next on
the programme.
Just then Cecilia looked straight at
him, and with those honest gray eyes
fixed upon him the speech which he
had prepared with such care in Louis
vile seemed crumbling in his memory.
The well rounded periods, glorifylng
the Union cause, sounded empty and
trivial. After all, there was no north,
no south, no cause-just himself, Ce-
ella and love.
He heard the quavering voice of the
master of ceremonies introducing him.
He rose unsteadily to his feet, and his
lips formed the first words of his mem
orlzed address. but the words never
came. Why, he could not explain save
that Cecilia was looking straight into
his eyes. Other words came, however,
musically. simply. sympathizlngly. He
saw the lost cause in new light; he
saw each side In the mighty conflict
fighting not against each other, but for
principle. He told how, when the
god of battle had decided against the
south, its men had nobly accepted the
decision. and how the ex-Confederates
had responded to the call for a nation
al patriotism In the Spanish-American
war, and how the sons of the blue and
the gray had wiped away the old diff
ferences Of opinion by mingling their
blood on the field of San Juan and the
rice swamps OF the Philippines. He
told OF the sons OF Confederate SOL
diers with whom he had marched dur
ing his own campaign, and In his per-
oratlon he pleaded for common Me-
mortal day. when the graves of those
| who wore the blue and those who died
In the gray uniform should be show
cred with blossoms by the same hands.
There were men IN that crowd who
had heard Philip Preston make his
ings. but never had they seen him so
brilliant. so marvellous In his COM
mand over the listening throng. Men
bowed their heads, and women wept
| silently. Cecilia yane's face was hid
den by her hat. and her father was
looking neither to the right nor the
left.
Suddenly Philip looked beyond the
crowd. the cemetery and the town
toward the little schoolhouse where
he and Cecilia had sat side by side.
toward the woods where they had
played in those happy days, and his
voice broke, And may the God who
guided us In battle now give US the
peace which passeth all understanding
his peace. which softens the heart of
men"
A mighty wave OF feeling passed
over the throng. Something like sigh
swept up to the platform. and the
master OF ceremonies, clasping the tri-
color standard. stepped forward.
Ladies and gentlemen. fellow cit-
zens, l move that this here meeting
adjourn to the Confederate burying
ground with the flowers provided by
the women's Relief corps and that
the exercises be concluded at that
| point"
There was a rush for the wagon
| which held the flowers. Some one Of
fered Philip his hat, and he took 1t
mechanically. An old man in gray
uniform was crossing the greensward.
his hand outstretched. Another hand
was thrust forward to meet his. The
| gulf of years and bitterly cherished
| principles was bridged. Colonel Pres
ton of the -th Ohio and Colonel Vane
OF the -th Virginia had spoken for the
first time In thirty years.
Then Philip looked again for Ce-
ella. She was leaning against tree.
| Her hat was pushed back. and the
| sunlight fiickering through the leaves
fell upon her lips. Philip saw them
move. and he caught the word from
sfar. 1t was Come"