The Trials of the Soldier's Wife: A Tale of the Second American RevolutionAbrams, Alex. St. Clair (Alexander St. Clair)
History
The Trials of the Soldier's Wife: A Tale of the Second American Revolution
Abrams, Alex. St. Clair (Alexander St. Clair)
Confederate States of America -- Fiction; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
His voice, full of love, sounded in her ear like the sweetest music
ever played by the angels of God. At the sound of her name she turned
round and looked anxiously in his face--a moment more, and he had
scarcely finished speaking, before she had thrown herself in his arms.
"Alfred! my husband!" she murmured, as she pillowed her head in his
bosom, "at last--at last!"
"Oh, Heavenly Father!" exclaimed Alfred, raising her head and gazing
fondly at the wan and emaciated features of his wife "_is this_ all I
find?"
His words were those of anguish, wrung out from a tortured heart. It
was not so he expected to meet his wife.
"Rise, darling," he continued, "rise, and let us leave this place--let
us go where friends are." She rose up, and leaning on his arm, moved
off, when he suddenly confronted Awtry, who had stood with anxious and
palpitating heart for the closing of the scene. "Stay awhile,
dearest," Alfred went on, as soon as he perceived Awtry, "Look at this
man--do you know him?"
Mrs. Wentworth looked at him for some time, but failed to recognize
Awtry. "I do not know him," she said, shaking her head.
"This is very strange conduct on your part, Mr. Wentworth," said Awtry,
believing himself safe.
"Ha!" exclaimed Mrs. Wentworth, "it is his voice. It is Awtry--there
he is--I know him now," and she fainted in her husband's arms.
"Seize that man!" thundered Harry, who was standing near Alfred, "he
is a spy."
In an instant, Awtry was secured and hurried of to prison. Mrs.
Wentworth was conducted by Harry and her husband to Dr. Humphries',
where we leave them for awhile.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINTH.
THE EYE OF GOD--THE MANIAC WIFE.
Pardon us, kind reader, for digressing for awhile from the sad tale it
has been our lot to give you, to remark on the strange fancies which
govern the minds of a large majority. So inscrutable do the works of
the Almighty appear, that we believe all the ills of this world are
evoked by Him for some good end. In a measure this is correct. When
sinful mortals are burdened with sorrow and affliction, we can
recognize in them the chastening hand of God, for under such weight of
suffering the soul is apt to pass through purified of the blackness
and corruption which darkened and rendered it odious to the good. Here
we see the benefits accruing from trouble and distress. We behold the
sinner being punished for his transgression, and to the righteous and
good, these afflictions are welcomed as the saving of one more soul
from the grasp of hell. But how is it when the innocent suffer? It is
not the work of the Eternal. High up in the celestial realms, His eyes
are turned towards earth to punish the guilty and reward the innocent,
and in His works we find no instance where the hands of adversity and
suffering have fallen upon those who deserved reward. Where the
guiltless are found suffering, He relieves their necessities, and
brings them once more that happiness which they deserve on earth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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