Show SOME GOOD SHORT STORIES I Coming Home Prom DeathS Death-S S Youths Companion It is strange how nearly extremes of feelings approach each other A sudden exquisite joy is almost pain and the story of it has a strain of pathos A touching instance of this is related by Mrs Pickett widow of the famous confederate con-federate general When the war was over Mrs Pickett waited for her husbands hus-bands return After the battle of Five I Forks he had persistently refused to surrender his shattered force and prolonged pro-longed the unequal struggle Soon rumors came that he had been killed in a skirmish skirm-ish and the rumors were corroborated by the newspapers and even by official reports Hope seemed at an end and I Mrs Pickett ts day after day her baby in her lap In the quiet of despair She can best tell her own story One morning I had mechanically dressed baby George and had taken him to the window to hear the spring sounds and breathe the spring balm and catch I the sunshines dripping gold wreathing the blossoms of the magnolia and tulip I trees treesIt It was the time when the orchestra of the year is In perfect accord when all the world is vocaL Through the quiver and curl of leaves the perfumes of flowers and the soft undertone un-dertone of the dawnwinds came the words Whoa Lucy whoa little girl Oh those tones those words that voice They thrilled my heart so that I I J 1r 1dt il l ii t wonder it did not burst from very gladness glad-ness Such joy such gratitude as flooded my soul only the Giver of all good can know All the privation and bloodstains of the past four years and the woes and trials griefs and fears of those last dreadful days were swept away by those blessed words Whoa Lucy spoken in my husband tender tones How I got down the stairs I do not know I CIo not remember With baby ire mv arms we were both of uw In my husbands hus-bands almost before Lucy had been givep into the hands of the hostler I do not know how to describo the peace the bliss of that momentIt was too deep and too sacred to be translated into wordS I think that It was akin to the feeling that will come to me In the hereafter when I have gone through all these dark days privation andstarvation of heart and soul and at last safe within the golden gates waiting and listening shall hear again tho voice that said Whoa Lucy here bidding mo welcome there |