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Little Pilgrims.
beside the wicket gate,
Cl]L-) Lo, two little children stand,
'VjjTSY Each with grave and earnest brow,
And a pilgrim’s staff in hand ;
3 Stand to read that promise free,
c 'o-| “ Knock and it shall open be.”
A3 Well they know beyond that gate
A long and toilsome journey lies;
Many dangers must be met,
Ere they hope to reach the prize:
But they pray God’s grace to win,
And they knock and enter in.
Children, you are pilgrims too,
Traveling onward day by day:
Some toward the wicket gate,
Others on a broader way—
All forgetful of the prize
Promised to you in the skies.
Oh ! while yet your pilgrimage
Is but just begun below,
Pray that God will guide your feet
In the way that they should go,
So that, when life’s journey’s done,
Gladly shall your prize be won !
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
ELLEN HUNTER:
A STORY O F 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 XXL
POOR LITTLE BESSIE.
EORGE, as soon as lie
h Gai ’d it, advised Ellen
tr y an d see an officer,
and ask him for a guard.
She was so fortunate as
Jyfp to see one soon after the column
commenced passing, and he immc
diately sent two men to guard the
Mr place.
Ellen locked all the doors except the
front one, and then sat in George’s room,
so as to be near if anything should be
wanted. Charlie was seated on the front
step, with his arm around his dog’s neck.
The soldiers were very much amused at
his fears about losing him, and when they
heard his name, they worried the child
so much that Ellen was obliged to make
him come in the house.
Poor little Bessie still continued very
ill, and George advised Ellen to try, if
possible, to get a physician to come and
see her. While they were talking about
it there was a knock at the door, and El
len went out to see who it was. Before
she had time to ask any questions, an offi
cer in Yankee uniform stepped up and
said:
“ Hiss Ellen, I am glad to see you again.
How is your brother?”
She looked up in astonishment, and
found it was Lieutenant Conrad who was
BUEKE’9 WEEKLY.
speaking to her. At first she thought he
must be wearing that uniform as a dis
guise, but she soon found that she was
mistaken. The man who had spent Christ
mas evening with them was a Y ankee
spy, and now he had come hack in his
true character. She felt so disgusted at
seeing’ him that at first she could not
ppeak, but remembering how much was
at stake, she said, very quietly,
“My brother is better.”
“ I am glad to hear it,” said Lieut. Con
rad. “If you have no objections, I will
step in and see him,” and then added,
“Y r ouneed have no further fears about
your property here being molested. My
company has been put on guard duty, and
I shall make this my headquarters.”
Ellen opened the door of George’s room,
and said, in a low tone :
“ George, the man who was here Christ
mas night was a Yankee; he is coming
in to see you.”
George looked up and saw Lieut. Con
rad before him. His first impulse was to
order him from the room, hut, as Ellen
had done, he remembered their helpless
condition, and restrained himself.
Lieut. Conrad, or rather Capt. Craven,
which was his real name, behaved in a
very gentlemanly manner, and was the
means of the property at the “ Home ”
being undisturbed; that is, that immedi
ately around the house, for the farm had
been laid wmste in the early part of the
day. While George and Captain Craven
were sitting talking together, Ellen came
into the room and said :
“ George, I wish you would get permis
sion for us to send for a Doctor; I am
afraid Bessie is very ill.”
“What’s that?” said Capt. Craven.
“I said my sister is very ill,” said El
len, “and I wish to know if we can send
for a physician ?”
“I don’t think you could got one to
come through the army, Miss Ellen ; hut
I can send for one of our army surgeons,
if you wish it.”
Ellen looked at George to see what he
thought about it. They both remained
silent for several moments, it was so very
repugnant to their feelings to he obliged
to ask a favor of an enemy of their coun
try, hut their anxiety about Bessie was
so great that they thought it best to ac
cept Capt. Craven’s offer.
He sent off one of his men with a note,
and in a few moments he returned with
a surgeon, who was introduced as “Dr.
Foster.” Ellen took him up to see Bessie,
hut as soon as the child saw him she be
came so excited that he thought it best
not to go near her. After a while, ho
said:
“ She looks as if she has had some .yeat
nervous shock ; is that the case?”
“Yes,” said Ellen; “our house was
searched last night by a party of drunk
en soldiers, and she was so terrified at
seeing them that it threw her into this
state, in which she has been ever since.”
“Good heavens! can tiffs be really
true?” said Dr. Foster. “By whose or
ders did they come ?”
“ ‘Verbal orders,’ they said,” answered
Ellen ; “ none at all, I think.”
“ I regret very much, Miss Hunter, that
this should have occurred,” said Dr. Fos
ter. “I wish that I could do
for your little sister. Perhaps if you tell
her I am a Doctor, and not one of those
ruffians who were here last night, she will
let me speak to her.”
Ellen took Bessie on her lap, and after
talking to her sometime, she allowed the
Doctor to feel her pulse. He looked very
grave after he had done so, and left the
room. Ellen followed him as soon as she
could, and he said, on seeing her:
“I am afraid your little sister is very
ill. I will do all I can for her, but it is
almost too late. I will leave you some
medicine, and if she should become worse
in the night, you can send for me. Capt.
Craven knows where my camp is, and
will send one of his men for me if it should
be necessary.”
Ellen thanked him for his kindness,
which she appreciated all the more com
ing from one whom she had every cause
to look upon with distrust and fear. She
then went up stairs to Bessie.
She had her moved to her own little
room, so as not to disturb her mocher,
and took entire charge of her. About
sundown the child sank into a restless
sleep ; though she was moaning constant
ly, Ellen hoped it was a favorable sign—
anything was bettor than her incessant
cries of agony.
Happy is the man that findeth
wisdom, and the man that getteth under
standing ; for the merchandise of it is
better than the merchandise of silver, and
the gain thereof than fine gold, She is
more precious than rubies; and all the
things thou eanst desire arc not to be
compared unto her. Length of days is
in her right hand ; and in her left hand
riches and honor. Hep ways are vu\s
of pleasantness, and all her paths au
peace.
——
mr The mill cannot grind with the
water that is past.
♦♦♦— _
sweetest flower.