FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   >>  
he wild commotion in her heart by remembering that it was just and right for the Lord of the harvest to gather his "choicest grains." Down on the lowlands by the river the nurserymen were selecting their fairest trees, and transplanting them in their orchards on the pleasant hills beyond the stream. Why, then, should she complain if the kind Father had seen fit to do the same? It was consoling to take from her bureau drawer, where her keepsakes were stored, the letters which Paul had written, undo the black ribbon which she had tied around the package, and read again and again that which she almost knew by heart. What manly words were there: "Life is worth nothing unless devoted to noble ends. I can see the millions yet to come beckoning me to do my duty for their sake. What answer can I give them if I falter?" So read one of the letters. They were words which she could not forget. They were written from the trenches before Vicksburg, when the prospects of the country were dark and gloomy,--when craven men at home were crying, "Peace! Peace! Let us have peace at any price!" forgetting that there can be no reconcilement between right and wrong. Paul had sacrificed everything--life itself--for the sake of those who were to come after him,--for Truth and Justice. She thought of him as asleep beneath the sod of the battle-field where he fell,--of all that was mortal lying there, but of his soul as having passed up into heaven, perhaps even then beholding her from the celestial sphere. "What answer can I give to those who come after me?" The question haunted her through the waning days and the lonely nights. What could she do? How listless her life! of how little account! How feeble, forceless, and narrow all her efforts! What sacrifices had she made? None. She had lived for herself alone. Was this all of life? In the silent hours, when all around were hushed in slumber, her longing soul, with far-reaching sight, looked out upon the coming years, and beheld the opening prospect,--a country saved, a nation redeemed, justice and truth triumphant, and Peace, with her white wings, brooding over the land! This through sacrifice of blood, of strength, of ease and comfort. To withhold the sacrifice was to lose all. To her the coming millions were beckoning as they had beckoned to him. With prayers of consecration she gave herself to the country,--to go wherever duty called, to labor, to endure hardship, and brave scenes which wo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   >>  



Top keywords:
country
 

coming

 

millions

 

beckoning

 

letters

 
written
 
answer
 

sacrifice

 
sacrifices
 

listless


nights

 

waning

 
lonely
 

feeble

 
forceless
 

account

 
called
 
efforts
 

narrow

 

passed


scenes

 

mortal

 

hardship

 

endure

 

celestial

 

sphere

 

question

 

beholding

 

heaven

 

haunted


beheld

 
opening
 

prospect

 

strength

 

comfort

 
brooding
 

triumphant

 
nation
 

redeemed

 
justice

looked
 

beckoned

 
consecration
 
prayers
 

withhold

 

reaching

 
longing
 

slumber

 
silent
 

hushed