Peggy

OM GOREE'S wife, daughter aud two httle boys lived in a log-house on a hilltop in a Southern wilderness. Tom was dead - killed at Manassas, in 1S(51. Below the house lay a field of corn, boundod by a creek; beyond the creek was a beech forest, where Tom used to sboot squirrels with his flint-andsteel rifle. ïom's dren tilled the corn now, and the squirrels went unshot, for powder and ball were too scarce in the Confederacy to bo wasted on such game; besides, Tom's familywas too poor to buy any thing. They lived, and that was al). On Christraas Eve, 1864, a brigade of bluecoated meu marched up the road to battle. "Iloveter look at soldiers.'' said the daughter, whose blue eyeg, fair skin and yellow hair made more than one trooper long to stop and tarry awhile. "I'm ershamed uv you, Peg, ertalkin' thaterway," spoke Pete, the eldest boy, a black-eyed féllow with bristling bair and thin, quivermg lips. " Didn't the Yankees kill pap?" But the girl had gone into the house, and his response was unheeded. Before many hours had passed the loud crack of howitzers shook the rotten boards of the cabin roof, and the popping of rifles and muskets, like Ure in a dry cane-brake, told a battle in the distance. When evenJng came men rushed hurriedly past- thosa who went by in the morning were defeated. Many, wouuded, dropped in the road to die; others pushed on. A young offlcer on horseback with the shattered fragmenta of an arm dangting by his side and showerinjf blood around him, rode gwiftly down the slope, acro98 the creek, and, dismounting, lay down under a beech tree fifty yards from the highway. Here the surgeons opened thcir cases and soou had plenty of work to do. "Well, doctor, they whipped us," said tb.8 Colonel, when bis arm had been taken off. -íes, dut, uieyve stoppeü the pursuit. Tbey're almost as willing to quit as wa were." "How am I, doctor?" "Not so bad as I first thought. If thero was a human habitation near I would take you to it; but I believe man was never in these parts before we came." "What's that?" spoke the Colonel, looking over the doctor' s shoulder. "WhereF' asked the doctor, almost fearing his patiënt' s mmdwas wandering. "Awoman,if I'm alive; au angel, if I'm dead," said toe Colonel, answerinj his own questiou. It was Feggy. "If yer please, sir, I live upon the hill, an' come down ter see ií I could be uv any help." She was very pale, but calm and self-possessed. "Miss," said tbe doctor, "Colonel Breyman has lost au arm, aDd needs shelter and nurRing. If you could take liira to your house - " "Fetch 'im crlong," she replied. The bed was raean, but it was clean. Pegey's hands were hardened by toil, but to the Colonel their touch was soft as velvet. " Waal, Peg," said the eider brother, " you've fotch us er fine Chris'mas gif." . " Hush up, Pete," said the mother; "you know Peg allers wuz er strange pusson." " Kf takin' keer uv er sick man makes mg strange, then I reck'n I am," the pirl quietly replied. " Yes, but er Yankee - ' " He's er human bein', ef he is er Yankee; an' them ez don't like what I've done kin let it alone. I may be er looi, Pete, but I've got some feelin'." The Colonel thrived. Pitying eyeg and gentle hauds are wonderful helps at healing wounds, if they do sometimes strike a fatal blow elsewhere. Peg and the Colonel sat beneath the tree where they first saw each other ten weeks before. A spring-like breeze was blowing: On the tree-top a mocking-bird was singing a medley in tones so low they seemed to come f i-om the sky. " Miss Peggy, how can I thatik you for your goodness to me!" "By not thankin' me at ail.' He was silent. This untutored irl had mother-wit, if she"did know little of books. He had discovered this before, and had often been out off by her in this same way. In truth, he found himself in love with her, and was constantly driven from a declaration by her curt answers. ' Will you listen to me?" hc began. "Ofcourse I will. What a funnv question ! " "I love you.' "What 'ior! " "Becausc you are beautiful, una good, and pure." "But you ure rich an' l'm poor and never saw notbirr o' the world further'n the topo' that there hill." " 1 don't care for that. If you'll promise to be my wife, I'll come back when this war ends and ïnurry you." When the Colonel left, Peggy did not see him ride away. Kue was sitting on the bed where he had lain so long looking through her tears at a gold ring that shona on her flnger. Next Christmas brought ). aoe, the Colonel, and a wedding in the log cabin on the hill. The cabin is there still; but on the opposite hill is a large farm-house, the property of Peggy and the Colonel. They live there prosperous and happy, with mora children than you can covnt'at a glance. The old "Goree estáte " has been cnlarged, and includes all the land around for two miles. The cabin stands in the center, a consecrated house, which no money could induce thom to have razed. '■ ril take it all back, Peg," suid Pete, last Christmas, when they were talking over old times, after having dinfíl n honor of the day and the wedding of Feftgy's eldest daughter. l'm not ershamcd uv you, an' you never wuz er