Year: 1868

means to us. Tho old house is so
different, so bright, SO comfortable.
| am not afraid now to 60 into the
garret or the cellar, even st MIDI
night, Six months ago | would not
venture alone into either place at
midday. l was not afrEd but there
was such fear in my heart, that |
was very weak. l take delight now
in going into every dark corner; the
fear is gone and | am strong.


My brothers good friend aud old
comrade is very near aud dear to me.
| feel that you know this. l am
blessed in being loved, aud having
my love approved by all who know
aud love me. We are not engaged
as the saying is. l am so young you
know, and he says he has much to
accomplish before he marries. How
foolish men are, as if L, as his wife,
couldn't help him to accomplish what
he thinks he must do alone.


Brother is apparently very happy.
That young lady friend of ours ia
the mountains respects him very much
for saving her life the day of the
storm, you know. He loves her, |
know, but will never tell her so. lie
is going South in few weeks"


This was pleasant, and a current Of
pleasant thoughts commenced fow-
ing towards castles in Spain" How
they surged back in confusion, as if
somo grim monster had plunged
through the pretty stream, leaving il
diJointed, turbid and in turmoil, az
| read tho following from the broth
or himself.


"There is darkness worse than
that from which l have recovered
Friends congratulate me on my re-
coVery and my improved health, aud,
indeed, l am well; know it, | feel
it, and am almost defiant n my new
strength.


The misfortune was q terrible one.
l look about me and see my old COM
radcs wounded. Tom with an arm
gone, Joe with both legs off at the
knee, Bob blind from the effects of a
shot, and my brave old commander,
Joe Hooker, parslyzed and stricken
to the heart aud | feel about my
head, and know that l was wounded
oo,--that lost for time more than
arm, and leg, and eyes, and yet
bear now no scars. If men would
only look upon the misfortune as au
honorable wound, | could bear il, but
to call me crazy, the sore will new
er heal.


"And now there is another dark
ness onlolding me-s hopeless love.
l know all that is in my way, but
love and have long loved our young
lady friend of the mountains. i
dreamed all through my army life of
acquiring honors and then wealth,
that might claim this beautiful girl
a. wife. Could there be worse fate
than mine


"Wero it not for tho love of my
people, have felt my sisters and
my mothers soft hands knotting and
double-kuottiug strong cords about
my heart-I am wicked enough now,
to fling myself from the grand old
precipice in the mountains or.to dash
over the falls below. L will not do
it-you need not fear-but then |
have an inclination, and that is bad
enough. am offered situation in
Florida. shall go and try to do as
l should do-loyingf but hoping
not"


A letter from the father of this
mountain girl, written on the same
day but at place hundreds Of miles
distant, says pleasantly;


"All your friends have left us and
We arc lonely, my daughter moro SO
than myself. She told me frankly
that sho loves your young friend,
whose history has been such strange
one, as you told me. | thought at
first that this was mere sympathy for
him, but l find it is more. l have
satisfied myself that the young man
loves in return, and l propose to have
you, my good old friend, encourage
the young man in doing we'll that he
may win the girl"


Now this was all very nice, but a
letter fran this hopeless young man,
written four weeks later, bursts upon
me in this wise:


"Have just heard Of your serious
iilness-l feel that 1 ought to aban-
don everything and go to you at once.
l am doing remarkably well. After
writing you last strange thing hap
penod me. / overheard a conversa-
tion between my sisters. I made my
route east take in the Kanawha VAL
ley. l discovered that my love was
returned. This is all 1 care for
Most mOn in love would desire to call
the girl, wife, l do not. l am hap
by in the consciousness of being
loved, am going to Australia on a
venture that will make or ruin me,


Aud all these things were buried
in this package. Can you wonder
that the dreary December day was
pleasant to me. These flashes re-
vealed hidden scenes in the great
drama of life that made the stage
situations of the now better under-
stood.


So is lifes story told. Not always
in plain narrative; rot always in what
you see and hear, but sometimes by
the replacing of broken links or the
sudden flashing of light upon dark
ened and mysterious ways.


TRADDLEs.


THE PLACE TO 40 INTO TRAINING.