Year: 1864

IL was over ~ laSt. lue sun IHaI nau
walked slow and calm through the long
hours Of that terrible dav, had gone down
in column of fire beyond the western
hills, and now the stars were coming out
swiftly, like golden petals scattered all
over an azure soil.


And the stars looked down on the bat
tie field, as they had come out and look
ed down for scores Of years on the fair
youugland which had arisenin her strength
and beauty, until amid all the nations
there was more to compare with heron
the great cities that hung like jewels on
her green bosom-on the broad harvest
fields that waved their tresses for Joy
through her golden summers--on the
houses where the dwellers thereof sat
peaceful and happy under their own vine
and fig tree--on all this had the stars
which calne up night by night 10 the
watch-towers of the sky looked, until at
last there came change; and now where
the harvests had waved their locks in the
summer winds, was the most terrible
sight which the sun and the stars ever
beheld-the sight of battle field. The
conflict had ragged terribly hot that day.


The hearts of the distant mountains
had shuddered with the thunder Of can
non, aud the earth had drank in blood, as
she drinks in the equinoxial gales; but at
last the days awful work was done, and
the night winds lifted the gray banners Of
smoke from the battle field


The air was full of the heat aud smell
of powder; the dead lay thick together
with stark, ghastly faces on the trampled
grass the wounded lay thicker, filling the
air with mosns-riderless horses rushed
terrified over the field; and the dying
daylight and the solemn stars watched
over all. A little way from the battle
field ran small stream, making blue
fold in the dark grass, and two wounded
men had crawled TO its banks TO slake
their thirst.


And when the two men crawled along
the banks they looked up and met each
Others faces, they knew they were enc
mics, and they knew, too, that a few
hours ago each had aimed his rifle at the
other, and that aim had made the ghast-
ly wound little way from the heart,
which had drunk the life blood Of each,
and each glared desperately on the other
a moment before he fell.


But there was no 6erceuess in the eyes
Of those men now, as they sat face to
face on the bank of the stream; the strife
and anger had all gone now, and they
sat still, dying men, who but few hours
before had been deadly foes-sat still and
looked at each other. At last one oi
them spoke:


ave haven't either a chance to hold
out much longer, / Judge"


"No," said the other, with little mix.
ture Of sadness and recklessness. "You
did that last job of yours well, as thai
bears Witness" and he pointed to wound
a little above his heart, from which the
life-blood was slowly oozing.


"Not better than you did yours" an.
swered the other, with grim smile, aud
he pointed to wound little higher up,
larger and more ragged---a deadly one.


And then the two men gazed on each
other again in the dim light, for the moon
had como over the hills now, and stood
among her stars like a pearl Of great
price. And as they looked softer feeling
stole over the heart Of each towards bis
fallen foo; feeling Of pity for the strong
manly life laid low, feeling Of regret fol