Year: 1868

the suddenness with which they took the place Of
his late tger-ke mood, stole into his heart, as he
sat by the still form of his country's enemy, now
powerless for evil as for good, and had it been in
his power to raise the cold clay to life again. he
would gladly have seen his foe depart upon his way
uninjured and whole in limb. Thus, perhaps, he
thought others might have felt as they stood over
the bodies Of his own brothers slain in battle.
Could he now refuse to forgive them? Had their
hands any deeper stains Of guilt upon them than
now dyed his own? He felt, taught by his own e1.
perience, that revenge was most unholy dtiend,
ish passion, and that regret may still be busy with
the heart when necessity is enforcing the hands to
deeds of violence and blood.


By early dawn, the grave was completed-not q
mere hiding place for the body, where it might be
hidden from the eyeof day, perhaps to be hid bare
by the first drenching storm, but deep and silent
home, like those which in our family burial grounds
yawn for the cold forms that we loved, alas but
too well a resting place where it would repose un.
disturbed, till the earth and sea should be called
upon to give up their dead.


In silence and in sadness, too, the young soldiers
tendery bore the body Of their fallen enemy to the
brink Of the grave which their hands had pre-.
pared. And now the body was to be searched pre-.
paratory to burial-not for plunder, but to ascer.
tain the name and rank of the soldier, that, at q
fitting time, his fate might be communicated to
his friends. 1t was sad and revolving Office to
search the pockets of dead man, but Victor re.
luctantly entered upon it. In the breast pocket
was package of papers, consisting mostly of let
ters addressed to Lieutenant Hardwyck. Fhere
was fine chronometer, purse well filled with
gold and sgreenbacks," and several other articles
of smaller value among the number was mnia,
ture on ivory, of most beautiful woman, which
Victor subsequently ascertained, from the letter,
was that of wife, whom his hand had assisted in
making widow.


All the pockets being searched, there. was nov
nothing left to be done but commit the body to the
earth. Curious to ascertain the nature Of the
wound by which he had fallen, Prescott and Vic
tor turned the body and found two bullets had
pierced through the chest, either of which would
have taken life almost instantly. The aim of each
had been sure, and the hand of each had an equal
share in his death.


Just as they were gathering the folds of the
blanket around his form, the face Of the corpse
seemed to flush withthe warmth of life; the young
soldiers started momentarily at the sight, but il
was only the first rays of the morning sun Hash
ing over the face of him whose sun had set forever
Its last beam, as it set, saw him full Of lusty life
its first, as it arose. shone only upon his cold clay


Silently, and with difficulty, the body was low
cred into the grave, and in few minutes fresh
mound only marked the resting place of the i'll
fated man. This task completed, Prescott return
ed to his post, while Victor sat down by the grave
to examine the papers he had taken from the
pockets of the corpse.


There was abundant material before him fol
thought and wonder Some of the papers vert
merely letters on business, others from old friends
one or two from his wife and one-Victor started
when he read the name-from Isolette DeVere
Eagerly he read it through, and in it he read, but
too truly, the heart of the unfortunate beauty, who
had trusted her affections to willy pleasure.seek
ing man of the world, unwilling that, in far OF
village, among the hills of New England, lived
fair young being, whom, in the solemn language o.
the ritual he had vowed Ito love and to cherish
until death us do part"


Well was it that the bullet had sped so truly OF
its way, to cut down him who had spread the snare
for virtuous and trusting womanhood! Had hi
not fallen how i'll might it have Jared with lsolette
now driven by her conduct to the protection ant
care of the man who was plotting for her ruin
Not until this letter had been read, did Victor tee
quiet satisfaction in standing by the grave tina
his hands had helped to fill. True, he though
also of that far off home of the widow that dream
ed not of her widowhood in which, after teV
short days, the cry of wild anguish and unavailinl
lament should ring He looked at the miniature
upon the soft face of the beautiful wife, and while
he shed a tear of sympathy for her, he still re
joiced that his hand had swept destroyer iron
the path Of Isolette The one was stranger, tt
whom he was bound by only the common ties
humanity the other-had she not bent over him
; when he lay senseless and pale, with heart agon
lied as for brother; did not the events OF tn
last two days seem to show that their fates wer
nysteriously interviewer together, by some mex
plcabe connection, and were their hearts no
drawn together by that subtle and strange instlnc
which gives us warning of those whose destiny
whether for good or for i'll is, strangely mingled
with our own?


Among the letters was one addressed to Mrs
Camelia Hardwyck, in n village of New England
which we shall not call by name. 1t was seaee
and ready for the post. A less scrupulous soldie
would have broken it open and curiously read tn
, thoughts of the heart now cold forever, and then
perhaps have suffered it to pass from hand to hane
throughout the camp, gratifying prurlent curlos
ity. at the expense of those finer emotions OF tn
heart, which teach US to feel for those, stranger
and aliens it may be, on whom terrible visitation
has fallen. Fate had made Victor the deposltor
of this last confidential communication to his fam
ily from the hands of one now cold, and he respec
ted the seal most sacredly. =.


The letter to the widow, as yet unconscious
her widowhood the watch, the purse with its con
tents, the miniature and other similar articles Q
Interest or value, found on the body OF the untoI
tunate soldier accompanied with lock ofhis hair
tenderly reserved by Victor for this purpose-wer
made up into package to be forwarded to tn


family of the fallen man, by the first opportunity
The letters written to Lieutenant Hardwyck by nj
6 wife and those written to him by the ill-starre


Isolette, under the delusion that he was an unmal


ried man, Victor reserved for another purpose
Isolette, to whom his heart warmed as to an ur
fortunate sister and friend, must learn what des
truction she had escaped. Learning the duplicit
of the man, whom she had loved but too WELL he
grief at the fate which had befallen him would
mingled with thapkfulncss at her escape from toi