Year: 1878




the leader put the fatal loop around
his neck, gave a signal with his hand,
and the unfortunate man was swung
off into eternity with prayer for his
widowed wife and orphaned child
upon his lips.


The next day the corpse was dis
covered swaying in the wind by a
passing soldier, who, stopping at the
next house (which happened to be
the home of the of1icer), told the
woman that there was man hang
ing dead a short distance down the
road, and it was better, perhaps, he
should receive Christian burial.
This was not unfrequent news in that
locality, and nearly all the men being
in the army, the sad work of interring
the dead and caring for the wounded
devolved upon the lone women. And
faithfully and tenderly was it done,
too, for they knew not but their own
loved ones were being cared for in a
similar manner far off in some distant
State.


So the woman procured help OF
others OF her sex who lived in the
neighborhood, and together they pro-
ceeded on their sad mission. As
they approached the corpse strange
forboding passed through the mind
of the woman who led them, for there
was something familiar in that sus-
pended form, even in the midst OF its
unnatural surroundings. The blood
rushed back to her heart as she neared
ell it. Suddenly the breeze swayed
it round, and-oh, horror! in its dis
torted features she beheld the Inca
ments OF her idolized husband, the
father OF her child, and she swooned
away in a dead faint upon the ground
at the feet Of him who in life was her
all.


Cruel was the blow that dashed
down with one fell stroke all her
earthly happiness, and in her agony
she prayed for death, that she might
join her murdered love in immortal
ity: but the plaintive wall Of her
sweet babe aroused her to a sense OF
duty, and she felt that she had some
thing to live for and protect.


Tenderly and reverently was the
soldier husband laid at rest in his
narrow home by these sorrowful
women, whose sympathetic grief was
his only burial service. Bu. the fair
est flowers OF the field and the forest
were gathered by the grief-stricken
widow and planted upon his grave
In the sunny days OF summer she
would make daily pilgrimages by the
lonely grave, and sit with tender
memories while her child prattled
over the sod beneath which its father
was moldering away.


Ten years passed. And though
time had healed the wounds in her
heart, the love for him who had been
the husband OF her youth was still
faithful. Her child had become a
youth, and needed the stern, restrain.
ing hand and experienced counsel OF
a father. She, too, a weak, lone wom-
an, was tired Of fighting the battle ol
life, and Yielded to the supplications
of man who bore good character
They were married, and their lives
blended into happy, even tenor oi
connubial existence. He treated hel
kindly, affectionately, was father tC
her son, and an honest, industriou:
bread winner for them all. She loved
and respected him, and her future
seemed to her full recompense for th'
weary past.


1t was seldom she referred to II
He never. All he knew was that he
husband was soldier, like he himsel
and thousands OF others had been
and that he was dead, as thousand
OF others like him were. He hat
taken his place. He did his duty
He loved his wife; she loved him il
return. 1t was all he asked.


One day not long since-ahl it wa
an evil day-an old acquaintance Wis
tied him. They had, in the year
agone, been warm friends, for the,
had fought together under the ban
ners OF the sunny South, and oft ha,
shared the same blanket as partisan
yes, guerrillas, bushwhackers, IL yol
like.


Right glad were they to meet, an
the husband received him cordially
for old acquaintance sake, and tn
wife made him welcome for the SAX
OF her husband. One night, as the.
sat around tho ruddy hearth, afte
the evening meal, the two men talke
of the stirring SCIENCES through whic
they had passed, and, as old soldier
will, fought their battles DER again.
, While engaged in dwelling upo
"reminiscences of the war, the husban
: remarked that he never knew ho'
, strong were the feeling or affection
a man felt for his family until he him
, self had married, and placing hi
, heavy hand on his companions kne,
, he said, mournfully and earnestly:
r John, L have always been sorr
} that / did not let that Yankee Lieu
? tenant see his wife and child befor
l we strung him up. ten years ago."
, HE uifa haor1 tho ron, m RI m N