At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 228: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AT A GIRI’S MERCY. : 217 daughter in making the old Hall echo with laughter and noises. And then there had come this news, brought so strangely, by the fugitive girl for whom he had planned such a merry wedding in the midst of the battle, who, now the war was over, had re- turned to the South to learn of her mother’s fate, and recognized—what strange chances there are in life—the hero of her wedding night in the young officer, raving in delirium brought on by exposure and a wound that must have proved fatal but for the tender care of the Southern girl of the household where this fugitive girl’s mother was, held faithful by the kindness shown her, even when she might have gone with the other recklessly happy negroes to their freedom, leaving those for whom they had worked, many of whom had been more kind to them than they could ever expect of those to whom they were going—there she had recognized this bonny-haired young officer, and when his health was coming back, and he could talk to her, she had come aiter weary and troublesome journeying, not: being used to such, to the Hall, with her glad news that must cheer the aching hearts waiting for what they feared must come as the end of this silence and waiting. Wrank had been in Libby prison, and when at last the prisoners were liberated, he had started home, and fallen ill with this fever that would waste away the life of the strongest without aid, and one of his brother sufferers, a Southern gentleman in the uni- form of the North, had taken him with him to hig home and the care of his mother and sisters. And there he had been brought back to life as he could never have been, but for this timely aid and this | kindly heart born under the southern sky. And this woman, whose heart was full of grati-— tude for the kindness shown her during the strange day and night of her wedding, would do for the © : | sunny-faced young officer what she could to repay in a little the memory of what he had done for her, And she came like a messenger of hope to the Hall, and was welcomed as she must be welcomed bear- — Pi. . : % rng , 3 SOS eae ee | : | | €O * oe a) = Es * > ; & as ae 7 he, + fe Ns = 5 Ms tL Ee. -* ey ae fw” De ae oid " ‘ing such glad news. =) ate icbooks com «