Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-07

tears The wonder of ii left me speech
less She had always been so smiling ana
CHEEKY. and for d grown-up young ladS OF
the great age of nineteen To be crying.
] am not sure. though, that her dry-eyed
grief which | quickly noticed. did not
scare me even more. | was with her
when she got the letter out in the old APP
pie orchard. and she read she trem-
bled in the warm summer sunshine and
gave one frightened look up into the clear
July sky. From that moment she had
hardly spoken. Always | found an eX-
preston in her eyes if she were seeing
something afar on which her thoughts
were fixed and whittier her steps must
follow.
Aunt Esther's crying. and the fact that
We both had on our best clothes on
week day. made me realize that this was
2 very extraordinary occasion She wore
the silk pelisse with the lace pelerine such
as young ladies had in 1862. and | was
dressed in my garnet pardessus. embro!-
dered over the salmon-Colored merfno. OF
which was very proud ! had never be-
fore put on these splendid garments ex
cept on Sunday. and | always felt the
greatness of the event To wear them al
another time was completely bewilderins,
and this. with the rest, left me heipleSsiy
wondering.
All seemed 10 DeSln WIFI Ifdl morning.
How thankful | am that j recOllect so
much of il. I would not lose single
memory of that day. which was destined
10 he the most important one in my life.
though ! had only lived eight years.
did not at all know the meaning of all
which | saw. but I could not help feeling
tile influence of much that was passing
about me and near me. For IA moment.
little girl ! was, | stood in the midst of
great happenings at "a great time. and.
hill 1icyl1- no % M no
impression of it entered into my spirit
and awed me
With ignorant young eyes | beheld
sights did not understand which even in
my ignorance | realized meant much.
With unheeding young ears heard words
often mere chance words-Which at such
a time. implied more than could compre-
bend. but which. even then. I knew bore
terrible significance. Then. with the
great awe from the sOlemnity of what
war so evidently serious. | was brought TO
feel something else and something more.
! did not know that this was. more or
less. what a whole country was feeling
the spell exercised by sincere and
mighty purpose and the reverence insen-
sibly produced by the recognition of deep
suffering-the suffering Of one with
heart brought we'll nigh to breaking with
TIE tr1alS ana perliS OF the hOuf.
Though some things rose dimly before.
the first clear pictures came with this
morning. The kind of day it was l have
not forgotten. As, holding Aunt Esther's
hand tightly. I trotted beside her along
the walk of the broad street, heard
them call it Pennsylvania avenue--the
light fell with pale warmth. casting but
faint shadows before us The sky was a
bright pearly gray. soft. sad sky. Civ
ing suggestions of rain. with the clouds
too thin and light for rain to fall.
the least breeze stirred. All the flags,
and there were hundreds OF them on the
flag poles and at the windows of almost
every building, hung motionless and life
less The tranquility gave an impression
of quietness. though there was noise in
plenty. Yet with all the sounds | fell
something of ominous stiffness and an
oppressive calm. j could not escape the
consciousness OF much afar-off threaten
ing. OF which to be afraid. making me
almost hold my breath and wait, I had
often waited. affrghted. for the lightning
flash and the thunder clap. | cannot say
that ] was frightened. I was more over
powered. however. than ! had ever been
in church a home. In fact. I had some
thing of the feeling of being in our quiet
church. out on that wide. noisy avenue
with the disposition to walk very sedately
and be very good.
Truly there was enough to attract my
attention. Though | had never been in
large city, and had little idea what to ex-