so proud of, father telling us he was one of the
signers of the "Declaration") was standing before me, but he did
not look smiling like the face of the picture; but, oh! so sad
and stern. In his hand he had a beautiful wreath of ivy, which
he, stooping, placed on the brow of Paul, saying, "Live,
boy--your country wants you;" and stretching forth his hand, he
drew me to a stand near him on which stood our old family Bible,
ink and pen. He opened to the births, and putting his finger on
my name, he raised the pen and marked a heavy black line over the
H, and was proceeding, when his hand was caught by our old nurse,
Mammy Chloe, who has been dead years, you know, who pointed over
toward the west of us, and there stood a large shining cross with
these words over it, "Unless ye forgive men their trespasses, how
can your Heavenly Father forgive you?" And coming up to me, put
forth her hand and beckoned me to follow her. Then the old
gentleman spoke and said, "Your blood will blot out your
disgrace;" and turning the leaf, he pointed to the "Deaths," and
I read, "On the 28th of September, 1862, Harry Clay Mason, aged
21;" and then I woke up. This is the 20th; I think I shall live
until that day. Now I bid you go carry mother to somewhere North,
to Paul's friends; they will be kind to her and try to comfort
her, and go you and devote yourself to the suffering soldiers,
and find Paul, if possible; he will live, I know; tell him how I
loved him, yet, and honored him, although I thought him wrong.
Tell him good-by. And to mother, try to soften this blow as much
as possible. Tell her I am happy now. I think God will pardon me
for my sins, for His Son's sake. There is a boy from my regiment
expecting to be parolled, and he has promised to deliver this to
you. Good-by. God bless you, darling. Lovingly,

HARRY.
Fairfax, Va.

I was much affected. After a few moments I said: "How long did he
live?"

"He lived, seemingly growing much better, until the afternoon of the
twenty-eighth. He was then taken with hemorrhage and so passed away."
And pushing her hair back from her temples, she said:

"These came the night I got that letter." And I saw the numberless
white hairs gleaming amid her raven locks. I said:

"Come, we will go to him. I think you had better write a little note
to him; you kno