Year: 1872

4


One night the boys were sitting around
the campfire, after hard days march,
when the mail came in, bringing lette from
the dear ones at home.


Ben received letter, but instead of its
being from his mother, as he expected, it
was from quite different person.


"Dear old friend Ben," it commenced,
"when this comes to you across the lines,
shall be sleeping in soldiers grave. The
fact that we stand on opposite sides in this
struggle will, feel, n Ike no difference with
you, as concerns the request | am about to
make. You know that since the death Of
my wife, my little daughter Ella has been
my only care. When am gone she will be
without a prot ,ctor. VIII you take her to
your mothers home? ? | leave ample means
for her support. For the sake of the past,
| charge you TO care for my little darling.


HARRY SMITH"


Ben Granger and Harry Smith had been
the best of friends since their first acquaint-
ance up to the breaking out of the war.


Then they had chosen opposite sides, each
no doubt, thinking lie was right.


Their friendship had commenced twenty
years before at college.


Harry was ten years the elder, and when
they left college together Harry was hand
some bearded man of twenty-eight, while
Ben was smooth-faced boy OF eighteen.


Since then the friends had not seen much
of each other, for Harry had married and
settled down in the city, while Ben had
stayed in the country and lived happily up
on ihe old farm with his mother.


Poor Harry!" said Ben, as all these old
memories came back to him, sitting there by
the camp fire, with the letter in his hand.
''Poor Harry! will care for little Ella as
faithfully as though her father had fallen in
battle by my side. These are terrible times
when the best Of friends are trying to cut
each others throats! Yes, little Ella shall
not want for father while live


"Whatnews from home, Lieutenant Benz"
said the CHEEKY voice Of Charlie Lee, Ben's
mess-matc, who came up while Ben sat
gazing into the fire. "Comc, man, why do
you look SO grum? How's your mother
and ali the folks >?


"Nly letter is not from home."


cob! from your sweetheart, perhaps :?
But no, you said you never had one, All!
have it, You are going to be promoted, :,
and your letter is from headquarters"


"Wrong again, Charlie. 1t is from nei-
ther sweetheart nor headquarters.


"Ihen give it up"


"Heres the letter, you may read it for
youself,


Who ever saw a soldier who would not
read letter when it was offered him?


Ben watched the serious look that came
over his friends face as he read the letter.


81 declare, Ben, it's quite romance;
equal to the books. But won't you, an old
bachelor verging upon forty, feel rather awk-
ward with such a charge as this upon your
hand for of course you mean TO take her p


"Of course aud as to the awkwardness,
would do anything for the writer Of that let
ter, and besides, she will be a campanion for
my mother in her old days"


''Iruc, had not thought Of that"


That night Ben wrote long letter to his
mother, telling her of his friends request, and
desiring her to write Immediately to the lady
teacher in the city, who had the girl in charge
and inform her of the chd's great loss, and
her fathers wishes concerning her future life.


Two months later he received an answer,
stating that Ella had arrived from the city,
and appeared content and pleased with her
new Home and friends, but was very sad at
the loss of her dear father.


Ben had not seen the girl thus left unex-
pecledy on his hands for some years, and
then only once.


He remembered her as bright, winsome,
goden-haired little creature, the pet and de-
light of every one WHO knew her.


Ever after this, his letter home carried
few words for little Ella, and in each one he
received his mother spoke of her in such
glowing terms that he often found himself
thinking of the time when he could go home
and see this little charge thus left so unex-
pee edy in his care.


The time came sooner than he expected.
In the battle of Corin,h both Ben and Char
lie Lee were wounded, the former not ser-
ously, but poor Charlie, dangerously.


Poor merry-hearted Charlie! He was the
fayorite of the whole regiment, and now that
there was danger of losing him, every man
was as much concerned as though lie was
brother.


AT last, however, the doctor said he could
recover, but recommended him TO go home
ard spend the interval before he would be fit



for service.


But here arse a new difficulty. The
poor fellow had no home that he could go to.
He was an orphan, and the only relations
he had were couple of uncles, who both
lived within the Southern lines.


"I'll tell you what you can do, Charlie,
said Ben, one day; 81 can't bear to see you
moping in this hospital any longer. Now
I've been thinking of going some time, to see
mother. If can get leave of absence for
couple of months, well run up there; and if
they won't let me go, why Ill write letter
and send you along by yourself. You'll be
welcome, old boy, never fear. Mothers ia
nous for bringing one around when he gets
knocked under.


So the letter was written, and few days
found them enjoying the hearty welcome OF