Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-06-02

Every memorial day since [ can ri
nember.my Great-aunt Margsret hi 8
spent III retirement. she does not leave
ner room, and if any one enters she
WI oe found Surrounded in gloom,
men we were little children we used
ask mother what made aunty So
''Scohsoiate on memorial day, but she
Noulu irown on us and caution us moi
say anything about il 10 aunty. add.
Rg that 1t was matter we were too
Young 10 understand When I grew
"oinaahood. while bunting for
omething in the old lady's hurean
fa"er That she had asked me 10 yet
e, opened box Of those little treas.
res hal SO many Of Us keep with in.
ne care and found in it a leadet bul.
I / asked Ter il had history
oae said ii bad andtold me about il
fnis Is her story
u was seventeen when the civil war
n5oke cut. Seventeen is a vely i'm
reasonable age for a girl. She is liEe-
y 20. meet 80 e young man She M $
lever seen before and opeu her heart
20 him al once. At any rate, was of
that Kind Near our house was field
IN which was eneamped a regiment
that was getting ready to march south
tothe war. One day when | was out al
the well young soldier with stripes
on bis arm came over the fence and
toward me. He was gro sn up, which
meant good deal to girl who was
still consi dered to be a mere chit. /
had never received any attentions from
grown man in my life.
1.-The smile he gave ME is with me to
this day. He had auburn curly hair
and light brown mustache. He asked
nae II | would let him take away some
water in tin pail which he carried.
And when | said he nigh he gave me
another smile, aud | smiled and some
how felt strange happiness. He was
a long while getting ready to till his
pail, long time filling it, Iausing
from time 10 time while he was doing
it to say something nice TO me, and a
long while getting away after he had
filled it. insisted on helping with the
well bucket, and once his hand touch.
ed mine 1t sent thrill through me
| "The regiment was delayed in NOV
ing for long while, The young sol.
der used to come every day for water,
and | watched for him that | might be
out i'll the yard when he came. He
said they were waiting Tor shoes, aud
then for blankets, aud after that for
ammunition. hoped they would never
get any OF these things, for | dreaded
the day when they would march away
and lay young soldier would go too.
| But our meetings at the well house
continued, and one evening while we
were standing there it grew dark. |
felt his arms stealing around my waist
and then he kissed me.
81 hat ore kiss sealed my fate. /
could neither forget it nor the man
who gave it to me. When he left me he
took my heart with HIM.
| ~ lay awake SO late that night
thinking of the strange new happines.
| that bad come to me that | awakened
late in the morning. l looked immedl-
ately ont sfor the camp, as 1 had be-
come accustomed 10 doing, and my
heart sank. Not white tent was
there. The regiment had gone. Oh,
shall | ever forget the desolate feeling
see him again. He would be killed.
But | had no doubt that if he returned
we should be reunited. ] did not dream
that he would forget me.
alt is strange TO ne now how one
man seen by a young girl hut few
times can fix the status of her whole
life. Perhaps at that tender age it is
more possible than when she is old er.
And yet | know that most young girls
DaNC w tbNJ Vail q iiiSt INV hioh 10
succeeded by several others. Mine has
been the first and only love.
"a year passed. We used 10 hear of
the great battles, the boys crying eX
tras, with list of killed and wound
ed, certain houses with the shutters all
closed and afterward the persons living
in them appearing robed in black. L
would have seized the lists eagerly,
but | didn't know my lovers name,
not even his regiment. | could Oh y
hope that it would come back, encamp
where it had encamped before and |
would meet MY dear love at the we'll.
"And so it did. When the war ended
one day the regiment marched into
town. But how different from what il
had been four years before, Some 200
men, most of them looking as if they