Year: 1865

eJaculated, while my lady friends crlet
out against my Indifference Certainly


was born for bachelor All this time
seldom heard from my blossom. Mail


were rare in the pines; and few the wan
derers to that region during the winter


months. | must content myself will
memory. We trusted in each other, and
in God we should meet again. Time
passed, and treason shaped its course un-
chided. My father being a staunch I'm
ion man, had made himself obnoxious to
the leading macontents-and shortly be-
fore the roll of cannon at Sumpter, had
gone North. leaving me in charge Of the
family, and his legal representative. -
Perhaps it would be an easier matter to
win over the son; and SO many thought.
Still could not see why | should 20 with
my state, if my state was wrong. 1t was
not state question with me, but coun-
try. In this my mother conceded but
my sisters, one OF them married to pro-
mnent leader of the times, the other en-
gagged to one of like sentiment, could not
50 readily adopt our views. Many s,id,
nothing will come of it, it is not 50 ne
cessary to decide" When | thought of
my wild wood blossom and comiorted
myself not Il little, when | thought that
the very isolation of the place would shut
her out efftctlially from the excitement
that everywhere prevailed; the news
wonld moi reach them so soon. and for
once taking almost perfect delight in the
thought of her almost perfect isolation -
The happy innocent heart! had no:
counted the days that she would sit weav.
ing the golden tIircads-living over and
over the white days, as she was wont to
call them, bcsct my hungry longing for
newer and better. The years
had been so blank and bleak would the
next year be ike the last and the next !
and the next! Who could tell And
thus did she dream, not doubling: and
still at times vague, uncertain feeling,
as though such happiness could never be
realized; and as the winds whistled
through the pines, and the rains "amc
plasling upon the ragged roof, would she
turn from herself TO the invalid mother.
making for her perpetual summer of
suns line and tluwers.


sit is 50 strange that we do not hear
from Mr.. j mes. said Mrs. Pool, as Ar-
ME laid down her book from which she
hak been rea1ing to the invalid.


81 )t1 hn l,,,,,, - 4
ME! you seemed 10 be ON such good
terms ,"


"lt wnuld hardly he expected, sur
rounded a- he is by the beauty and f sh
ion of city life lie said that he might
return next summer" And >ho buried
her head in her mothers pillow.


L wish he would come sooner" said
Mrs. Pool, "tor John BRYANT, the tore
man at the mill, got II paper, saying that
there was TO he war between the North
and the Sonrh. cannot believe it,
Why, ITS all one family. Who are these
Houtherners Most OF them are from the
North tell ynI what-if there slonld
he a var, II vi! be no place for me L
stay 10y the flag, My father AMI gran l.
father fought tor it | Il never desert il :
though some OF them up to the mill Is say
ing, it's all right, the North has ruled
us long enough Let them come here.
I'll give em my mind. While the good
woman knit away faster than ever. And
Mrs. Barton asked ii the spring had come
she so wanted the windows raised
and she could hear the mocking bird.
while the breath OF the pines should fill
the room; it would make her better, the
winter had been so long and dreary.


Three or four days after that there was
a mocking bird at the window, and the
breath OF the pines swept through the
room, while the sunlight iiickercd through
the little muslin curtain. Annie turned
to the bed, but the sleeper did not W Ike
she would never wake any more. And
the flood Of her grief spent itself silently.
She was buried by the side of her hus-
band.


Then the gentle gill tnrned her
thoughts TO the time when Richard
would return little dreaming of the great
drama being enacted in the world which
she knew SO little OF.


Winter had gone and spring was d eep-
ening into summer. The country wa in
arms My father was still in the North.
and always was suspicion turned upon
myself Our house was divided. My
mother wished to leave; the servants
were disbanded, and l prepared, as quiet
ly as possible, for northern trip, but
Nust go by way of the pines. | could
not leave my blossom there. The news
could not have reached them there, and
OF course they were spared the suffering
incident to more social position. AT u
point beyond, mother was TO meet me-
My sisters would remain; their lot was
in the South; their home was there,
their love given. | did not urge them !;
l knew their lives were blighted. Just
AS well to suffer in the South as linger in
hopeless exile farther from the scene of
action.


l had not heard from Annie, nor from
the MILL some weeks. Still l didn't doubt
but should find them all the same. Such
a far away place, hardly newspaper
reached them, and ten chances to one,
the men, with the exception of the fore
man, did not know there was question
at stake or who was the real President.
Thus reasoned, as journeyed alone, for
Sam was his own man now, and the third