Ethel Lynn Beers

“ At this movement the little hand tightened in his clasp, a faint sigh breathed from his lips, and opening the great eyes wearily, General Frankie whispered, "Mamma," and smiled his old beloved smile. Dr. Dolsen rose and wiped away the tears that rolled down his cheeks, and his voice was choked as he said, "Thank God, our General is safe!" The golden ladder had mounted up and faded out, for no angel footstep would tread its shimmering bars heavenward to-night. ”

“ THREE SCENES IN ONE WOMAN'S LIFE.
THE gay sun looked on a goodly show
⁠As the hunt swept by royal Fontainebleau;
The song was hushed which the wild bird sang,
While the sylvan sounds through the alleys rang.
There were statesmen grave, there were ladies fair,
There were knightly names such as heroes wear,
While the hand which held loyal France in check
Rested prone and gloved on a horse's neck.
But the sunshine glanced from the regal crest
To a curl wind-blown on a woman's breast,
Where the fair "Montijo" a picture stood—
Far the fairest thing in the royal wood ”

“ How charming it will be for an idle bachelor like myself, with no care to engross him, no taste for the usual round of watering-place and mountain and sea-shore, thoroughly tired of flirtation and fashion, yet sadly in need of rest! I can imagine nothing more delightful than to spend the hot months at Greyrock with my tenants. My agent writes me that the fences are out of repair, and a new bridge is sadly needed over Cress-kill, and that will give me quite amusement enough to superintend in an idle, dreamy way. ”

“ A man stands waiting just within the shadow. But see! a girl's light figure moves out from the side doorway and joins him. A strange calmness comes over me, although I see in the clear moonlight that it is Oolie. They walk off down the old garden path, and I can not turn my eyes or ears away if I would. Now she speaks brokenly, and I even hear her say, "It is a living death," and they pass on. I do not hear Arthur Lee's words, deep and full-toned as they are. ”

“ Mrs. Austin was a pale, wan-faced woman, with great eyes and a quantity of black hair, hardly tinged with gray, coiled at the back of a well-shaped head. A strange-looking woman, wild yet touchingly sad. She spoke very little, and then in a hurried, nervous way, while her hand shook the cup which she handed me until it rattled. She had a glancing, fearful look, and seemed ill at ease. Nervous, I suppose, as that is the solution of all puzzling matters in regard to women.
"I haven't seen your little girl yet," I remarked, at breakfast-time. ”

“ Dolsen held the thin hand counting the faint pulses; but he turned his head away from the sight of the anxious eyes that looked in his.
The hours wore slowly on, and the baby-sleeper did not move. The sun sank lower and lower in the west, and its beams, shining through the shutter, made a golden ladder on the wall beyond. Still the footsteps sounded from below; still the summer wind just stirred the leaves without, while within the watchers scarcely breathed. No movement; and the golden ladder crept up higher, and seemed to hang as if waiting for an angel baby footstep on its shining bars. ”

“ It was a great many days before Susan could say to the people who came to the door to inquire, "Frankie is better;" but every body was so good to him that he didn't mind it very much. There was dear merry Cousin Rosa, who had come back on purpose to take care of him, and she had such funny, pleasant ways of amusing him. She could cut horses, dogs, and cats out of paper, or a long row of dancing girls, or of soldiers, each one with a feather in his hat and a musket over his shoulder. ”

“ Mary, good-bye!"
⁠The red life-blood is ebbing and plashing.
All quiet along the Potomac to-night,
⁠No sound save the rush of the river;
While soft falls the dew on the face of the dead—
⁠The picket's off duty for ever! ”

“ I only see Oolie at rare intervals, and she is as cool as ever. She does not know—the little owlet—that I hold the memory of that fluttering kiss. But why can I not lure her to my side again? Mrs. Austin seems more melancholy and retired than ever, but is most undoubtedly anxious that I should care for Oolie, and perhaps this acting on her sensitive nature makes an involuntary revolt. ”

“ Sometimes he wants to remind friends that it is not right to idolize any human being that may be taken away at any moment; to put fathers and mothers in mind that their dear little children are only lent to them for a while; and to teach all those who love one another so well that they must love God better than all.
It seems very sad when General Fever is permitted to take people quite away from this earth, to come back no more. But they can always call upon a great Friend, who is called "the Captain of our Salvation," to help them all along their way. ”

“ A tremulous sigh, as a gentle night-wind
Through the forest leaves slowly is creeping;
While the stars up above, with their glittering eyes,
Keep guard o'er the army sleeping.
There's only the sound of the lone sentry's tread
As he tramps from the rock to the fountain,
And thinks of the two on the low trundel bed,
Far away, in the cot on the mountain. ”

“ Frankie was particularly delighted when he saw a certain basket in her hand, for he had never known it to be without something very nice inside. And sure enough it was filled with dainties that could have come from nowhere else than Stonyford Farm. There were cool fresh clover leaves on top covering a roll of golden butter, all marked by Aunt Fanny's skillful ladle; a round ball of cottage cheese; then a loaf of rye bread; two tiny eggs for Frankie that the speckled pullet had laid; and wherever there was room for them, great ripe red plums that would melt in one's mouth. ”

“ And when the General, by dint of pulling his arm, had succeeded in arousing him, what made him go to the glass in the parlor and straighten his collar and rearrange his hair, and then sigh, and say,
"Well, Frankie, your Uncle Charlie never was a beauty, and he don't improve as he grows older; does he, General?"
He spoke so sadly that his little friend wanted to say something pleasant, so he answered, "Oh, I think you're bully, Uncle Charlie; and Cousin Rosa thinks so too." ”

“ Suppose you make believe you are a soldier?"
"And have a knapsack, mamma, and havelock?"
Frankie jumped up to his feet at this idea, clapping his hands.
"Oh, mamma, how nice! And I'll be a Seventh Regiment, won't I, just like Uncle Charlie? And folks will cry when I go away, just as Cousin Rosa did—didn't you, cousin? What makes your face so red, eh? Oh! and people will read the papers every day, to see if General Frankie has been wounded. No—I won't be the Seventh, either. I'll be for three months. I'll be Sixty-Ninth, like our Biddy's beau. ”

“ His musket falls slack - his face, dark and grim,
grows gentle with memories tender,
as he mutters a prayer for the children asleep,
and their mother - "May Heaven defend her."
All quiet along the Potomac tonight.
Then drawing his sleeve roughly over his eyes,
he dashes off the tears that are welling:
and gathers his gun close to his breast
as if to keep down the hearts swelling. ”

“ Yet by fence and bush I'll stagger
Till the rebel lines be past.
"Courage, Charlie! twist it tighter,—
The tourniquet about your arm;
Be a man—don't faint and shiver
When the lifetide trickles warm." ”

“ I hear John Austin's heavy step go to and fro on the gravel-walk for two long hours, and then the girl's light step is falling there, too.
What is the sorrow of this household? What shadow is in the depth of Oolie's great solemn, beautiful eyes? What trouble bows this strong man so? ”

“ Will I find that new to-morrow
⁠Like this vanished day at all?
Will the love I covet meet me?
⁠Will the health I boast be mine?
And the golden sun in heaven
⁠Gladden eyes that love its shine? ”

“ Many and many a time have I seen that poor girl on her knees begging her mother to give it up, when she had periled her life by an extra dose. And then the wretched woman would promise, and try to keep her word until the demon power grew strong again, and by threats of self-destruction, or appeals to Oolie's tenderness, she would wring from her promise to give her rest and peace in the old farm. ”