The Marshall republican., 1911-08-24
A Souvenir
From the Dead
BY EDWARD bUCxMAN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
rfntif "a frff

woman with no hair ON my head save
what il white ns snow. | have passed
half n century alone. yet not alone.
for oDce I have seen him.
lie was killed In one Of the battles
around Richmond during Mcclellan
advance upon that city. A year be.
fore he had marched away with The
soldier boys Of '6i-how young The
seem to have been now aud bow
strange that those who live are be-
coming tottering Did men aad that the
boys mothers and the G.s,S who loved
them could send them OJt to dle!-he
had gone down into Virginia. carrying
my heart with him. lie had fallen
and been thrown into a trench. and
then for the tlrst time ! wondered that !
could have consented TO his going.
No one has ever taken his place. !
have lived as though we were one. he
In the heavenly. | In the earthly
sphere. For many years ! wished to
go down To- Virginia aud visit the spot
where he died. aud yet | dreaded to
do 20. n was not till the beginning
Of this century that I could make up
my mind to do 80.
went 10 Richmond and visited
the residence " the president Of the
Confederncy. which II now n muse.
u There | saw the arms aud uni.
forms Of CO..cd Rae heroes. But
what took me nearer 10 tie confi I ~
years before was n southern lady who
told mo how when q Girl she had lis.
tened u the distant booming. gaining
hope when Il reccded and losing cour
nge when II drew nearer. From there
went to the battlefield.
I went alone. Tue battle In which
he was taken from ne is called Seven
Pines. Why II X called Seven Pines
! know not. There urc thousands OF
pines there now. but ! believe they
have all grown W. since the battle
u ~ fouthi In a ,Urlacd But II
has not been ti..'d since that dry IN
$50. and the tgrcS have had ample
tinir Ia 70
fo"ed - l"ag line OF low cnrtiworks
that - thrown rp 10y McClcllnn's
army. behind which tO resist the Con.
fcdcrntcs hurled against II by General
Lee Forty years had passed over
these woy lgr,ng which thr pines
Ind grown ~ ~ n u shield the dead
md the trenches beneath then. IN
which ~ many soldiers bodies were
thrown. Mais,Is Oh idr line Of earth
works. ever GOw and gLa,I ! came
to u rcdOubl. where s.UJI cannon. and
there bcuca:L S,rc the RUS made by
the gun cnrr!s6cs
Before roirg en- TO the Geld ! had
been told that ! shDn'd have q guide.
! declined 10 take onc or TO 20 with n
party who were conducted by one. ]
went alone. IL was late Ia the after.
noon. aud most Of the visitors were
coming away. II seemed 10 me u sac-
rilcge TO listen 10 the story from n
human voice told so eloqucntly by
those Entertainments. the rises here
and there IN the ground over the dead.
the waving pines. which with every
breeze sighed n requiem. And I wished
10 be where my boy lover had fallen.
without any II TO jar upon me.
So ! fingered TIL every one else had
gone. sitting alone on the rampant.
looking out upon the trees that OBJ
structed further view. They were not
there on that terriD,e day of 90. As ]
looked they seemed to dissolve aud
their place TO be taken by waving
grain. saw a long brown line nd.
vancing. heard the word Of command
among them and the louder word OF
those preparing to resist them.
Whether a change that came over
me was In the day or In the night.
whether II was IN me or In my ur.
rounuings. whether I saw what ]
seemed to see or II was q half con.
scious dream. ] know not. But I was
back In ~, and Il seemed rs IL the
wrath Of heaven had come upon the
earth.
The thunder ceased. The light was
from scattered campfres. The sounds
were the chatting Of burial parties and
the falling clods. with occasional vol.
icys fred over the dead.
Suddenly | felt n touch on my shoul.
der. ! looked up. and there was my
soldier lover. Could this be he whom
had looked upon rs a man2 Why.
he was but a boy-not a sign Of a
beard on his face. It was round and
full. while In my head were many
gray hairs and my face was wrinkled.
One moment he stood looking down ut
me. ! reached out for his hand. but
before l could clasp It he had faded
away.
When ! came TO myself the morning
sun was shining down through the
pines. I was lying on my back on the
rampant. looking up at a patch Of sky
between the branches. II was blue
and beautiful, with scattered white
clouds sailing peacefully over It.
! was filled with CONSERVATION at
having passed a night out OF that bat
tlefield Of forty years agone. l raised
myself with difficulty, My eye caught
something mingiing with the earth. 1t