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338
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
Sweet May.
BY MRS. MARY WARE.
(■ CAv WELCOME, sweet May 1
MjL I Bright, beautiful May!
Come, come to our bowers,
yy Strew sunshine and flowers
For the rosy-winged hours
M r,/ To sport with in glee.
I Brightest sister of Spring,
Gay, beautiful thing!
Come, tarry awhile,
With thy magical smile,
Our cares to beguile—
All welcome to thee 1
Our thoughts are on wing.
Like the gay birds of Spring,
So full in their mirth
Os the blessings of earth,
Not a thought could have birth
But love lent it wings.
We greet thee in gladness, —
0, never may sadness
Shadow thy brow,
But ever be thou
As lovely as now,
With thy gold-tinted wings.
Columbiana, Ala.
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
ELLEN HUNTER:
A STORY OF THE WAR.
DEDICATED TO THE CHILDREN OF THE SOUTH BY ONE
WHO HAS BEEN AN EYE-WITNESS TO THEIR
SORROWS AND THEIR SUFFERINGS.
BY BYRD LYTTLE, OF VIRGINIA.
CHAPTER XY.
KATE MORSON AGAIN.
OR the first week or two
w a^er Harry’s arrival, the
family gave themselves
jwju up to the enjoyment of
® each other’s society.
Ellen and Harry had a
"saw great many long talks together,
jib and he seemed to be more dis-
Jlt tressed even than she was when
he heard of George’s condition.
William Saunders had recovered suffi
ciently to go to see his father, but was
expected back in a day or two. Harry
and himself were going to join the same
company of cavalry, and they were going
to the regiment together.
Ellen thought it would be better to tell
George that he would never be any better
before Harry went away, but Harry could
not bear to think about it. They were
talking it over one day when their father
came in to the room.
“ What are you so busy about, young
folks?” asked Dr. Hunter.
“ Busy doing nothing, sir,” answered
Harry. “We have just been talking about
George.”
“Poor fellow!” said Dr. Hunter, “I am
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
afraid when he hears of the sad future be
fore him he will scarcely be able to bear
it. But I. wish to talk to you now about
some other matters. When do you ex
pect to join your regiment, Harry?
“ In about two weeks, sir.”
“ I hope we shall not be as much separ
ated this winter as we anticipated. There
is a probability of my being stationed at
Orange Court-House for the winter. In
that event, I shall rent a small farm some
where in the vicinity, and remove our
family there. I think George can be
moved without much difficulty, and I feel
certain that the change will benefit him.
If this plan is carried out it will enable
us to see more of you, Harry, for the cav
alry will be somewhere near that place.
I will wait until we get you fitted up be
fore I make any arrangements ; but Ellie
and yourself can have something more to
talk about now.”
Ellen did not like the idea of leaving
Richmond and of going into the country.
She knew that, her mother and George
both being invalids, in her father’s ab
sence from home she would have great
responsibility resting on her. But Harry
tried to cheer her by saying he would
come home every chance he had, and she
would be so busy in the country that she
would have no time to be gloomy.
“And then, when summer comes, Ellie,
you will have your chickens, ducks and
turkeys to look after, and you must al
ways have something ready to kill when
I come home, for I expect to be hungry
enough when I join the regiment, and you
know I am right fond of eating, if I do
have the ‘lumbago.’ ”
Ellen could not help laughing as Harry
said this, but her heart was sad, never
theless.
“I am going to make all your things
for you, Harry,—your gloves, and your
needle case, and everything else lean.”
“ That’s a nice little woman,” said Har
ry, “ and I will give you the first horse I
capture.”
“I don’t think he would be of much
use to me , but I am very much obliged to
you for your present. Lot me know
when you capture him.”
“Now you are laughing at me, Miss
Ellie, but you see if I don’t capture a
horse before I have been in service one
month.”
“ Well, may be so,” said Ellie, “ but take
care you are not caught yourself, ‘ Mr.
Grymes.’ ”
“ I wish,” said Harry, “you would make
me a tobacco bag. I believe that is the
only important thing I have for you to
do.”
“ Very well,” said Ellie, “and I think I
will make one for Mr. Saunders, too • he
was so kind to you.”
“I wish you would,” said Harry, ‘<j
know he will be glad to have one.”
Ellen worked hard all that week, fret
ting Harry ready. Sometimes the tears
would come, but she kept up very well
considering all things, and no one knew
how much it grieved her to part from
him so soon again.
Dr. Hunter told George of his condi
tion, and, to the surprise of every one, he
said he had known it for sometime. He
bore it very well, and it was a great re
lief to find that he did so. He was de
lighted at the prospect of leaving Rich
mond, and Ellie began to think everything
looked much brighter.
She was hard at work one morning
when Kate Morson came in. Ellen had
not seen her for sometime, and they had
a great deal to talk about. Kate had a
brother in the same regiment of cavalry
that Harry and William Saunders were
going to join.
Kate was the same bright girl, and just
as full of mischief, as vffien we first intro
duced her to our readers. After she had
been there a little while, Ellen said:
“ Kate, I wish you would come in and
see George; it would cheer him so much.”
“ Yery well,” said Kate, “if you think
he would like to see me. But if he looks
very sick, I had better not go, for I never
could stand seeing people suffer.”
“ I don’t think you will mind looking
at George, Kate; he is only paler than
usual. You know he does not suffer any
now.”
The girls left the room together, and
were soon laughing and chatting with the
invalid. Much to Kate’s astonishment,
she did not feel badly at seeing George.
He was so glad to have company of any
kind, that he was very bright and cheer
ful, and the time passed very pleasantly
for all of them. Just as Kate was leaving
the room, she said :
“Mr. Hunter, have you heard of the
appointment that has been offered to
Ellie?”
“No, I have not,” said George, “what
is it ?”
Ellen looked at Kate in astonishment
at hearing her remark:
“Why, you see,” said Kate, “the au
thorities have heard of her great success
as a nurse in the hospitals, and Gen. bee
has offered her a position on his Medical
Staff, and she is to be stationed at Orange
Court-House next winter.”
“ Oh, Kate,” said Ellie, “what nonsense
you do talk. She is just laughing at me,
George, so please don’t mind anything
she says.”