Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/324

310 For several days previous to the receipt of marching orders by our regiment, I had been quite indisposed, and some of the boys in our mess attempted, even on the very morning we struck our tents, to dissuade me from accompanying them; but I rallied my feeble energies, and resolved to face the music; but before I had marched a half-mile towards the depot, I found I would be bound to fall in the ranks if I attempted to stay there; so I got leave to withdraw, and proceeded to the depot in a vehicle. Charley was allowed to attend me, and as we were proceeding slowly along the street in search of a conveyance, we passed by the gate of one of the most splendid residences I ever saw in my life, at the door of which a lady about your age, dear mother, was standing. She was dressed in mourning, and as soon as I caught the glance of her dark, lustrous and intelligent eye, I read in an instant the history of a great and noble heart in her beautiful face. Yes, mother, she is very beautiful, illustrating the truth recorded by the poet when he said, "The autumn of the beautiful is beautiful."

Bending upon me a look of motherly and generous sympathy, she exclaimed to Charley, on whose arm I was leaning, in accents soft and sweet as the tones of an angel's harp, "Why, young man, is not your friend sick? Surely, he is very sick; come bring him into my house and let me do something for him. or send for a doctor." If an angel had come sailing down out of the skies and lit before us, and offered to fan my fevered brow with its golden wings, it could not have struck Charley and me more literally all up in a heap than this beautiful woman did.

We, however, after making a stagger or two at something polite to say, finally shook off our embarrassment, and thanking her, told her we were compelled to hurry forward. But do you think she was to be turned aside after any such fashion as that? Not a bit of it. "Hurry forward, indeed!" said she. "You are not able to go at all." And with graceful and hospitable wave of her hand, and a smile that I have seer, my dear mother, a thousand and one times since, and mingled its light with the light of those fond memories brought from home to span with the rainbows of hope the dark clouds that lower over a soldier'stlent, she bade us "come in," and so completely were