The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-07-16
A TALE OF BAUCIS
AND PHILEMON
sEIHG A SOLDIERS LOVE STORY


The snow was falling thick and fast
and to him who sat by the fire within
within that lonely room, every flake
was hurrying relentlessly down to
cover a new-made grave. 1t was
twilight, the hour when she was ever
wont to sit beside him, in summer
upon the porch, and in this sort OF
weather, on the other side of the open
CRATE where the empty chair stood
now. The funeral had taken place
that afternoon; friends were kind,
very kind; old comrades had pleaded
with him to come to their homes or to
let one of them stay with him. But
with gentle resistance, he had refused
all their well-meant companionship
| What his plans for the future might
be did not matter; for tonight no
| one should intrude upon his sacred
communing. 1t had happened. Hard.
| ly did he realize it yet, and, being a
man of slow perception and deliberate
action, he needed time and solitude to
adjust himself to changed circum
| stances.
Besides, he was not lonely; no
| storm of grief had as yet rent his
| being. It may be that he had not felt
| Alright but true it was that not even
when they brought her in from the
! street dead, had a tear rolled down
his cheek Dead Why should he say
that word? Why, there she was IN
her chair on the other side of the
blazing logs; he could see her knit
ting in the dusk and hear her say
Yes, John dear, l think it is time
to make tea" Was not that she now
moving about in the next room, tink-
ling china? The kettle was singing
upon the stove; was it not awaiting
her too? Yes, and she was coming;
he could tell her step in a million; II
Forty years ago! The half-burnt log
gave a sudden lurch and he stopped
to fix it. Forty years ago! Why,
that was way back before the war
yes, he remembered now. 1t was
when she wore that lilac dimity, when
slip of a girl she was then, and slen-
der and frail always. And his daily
prayer had even been, that he should
be spared to protect her, that Martha
might never be left alone. Plants are
different; some stand strongly by
themselves, others are of a twining
nature. She was of the clinging kind
always Yes, he had prayed that
Martha be never left alone-without
him. That was the way he had put
the request, but what the granting of
it might mean to him, he had never
dared formulate. And he never sus-
pected that her secret suppliCatiOn
was similar concern for him.
Never uverstrong, for some time
back, Martha's heart had fiuttered like
a frightened bird, too much and too
frequently. Still, only three days ago,
in the afternoon, seemingly as well
as ever, she had put on her little
bonnet with the soft lavender velvet
bow, and fur coat, preparatory to go
ing down town. He had protested,
for it was bitter cold and a wind was
coming up. But Martha was laugh
ingly rebelliOus and would have her
own sweet way, refusing even to let
him accompany her.
why I'm so years young" she ex-
claimed, with an echo of the old
youthful ring to her voice. Cant
go down street alone and do a little
shopping?"
And she kissed him and called him
a great followcat, and was off. He
could see her now as she went
through the doorway; he had watched
her admiringly and anXiously to the
end of the street where she stepped
upon the car. Why had he let her
go? Why had he not kept her with
him while he could? Perhaps it was
better not-he would try to think so
lest Martha should some day be left
| alone. And having seen her take the
car safely, he returned to his chair
by the fire, wondering what her little
surprise was now He had forgotten
that it was his birthday, and did not
think Of it even now. 1t was not un-
til they brought her hack through the
| same doorway and laid her upon the
old hOrse-hair sofa-dead. Dead!
Was it really so? Martha dead and
he alone by the fire?
He could not remember his birth
day then, but they gave him a small
parcel that had been clasped in her
arms when she fell. 1t was a daintily
colored photograph in a gilt frame,
the picture of a sweet-faced girl in a
lilac dimity, laughing girl with sun
| ny brown hair! 1t must have been
made from that old daguerreotype of
| her, taken a few years before the
war, likeness that they had some
how mislaid and had not been able to
| find for many years back She must
have come upon it recently and kept
the discovery a secret to have this
done as birthday surprise.
Then many things happened In
which he had no part. People came
and went, did things and said things;
| but he only knew that she lay there
cold and still with her pale face gen
| tie as ever, her hair soft and silvery,
wearing the black satin dress that he
| had bought her for their silVer-Wed.