A Daughter of Maryland — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

A DAUGHTER OF MARYLAND. 143 lines grew blurred and blotted from the tears that filled her eyes: | , ‘‘God forgive me, Aurian, if I have erred in my judg- ment. He only knows the anxious ,hours I have passed alone with Him, trying to define the true course for me to follow. I can come to but one conclusion: This oppression of a race is wrong; this division of our fair government treachery to the patriotism of our fathers. Alas! I fear that only when the manhood of the North and the South is struggling in the Red Sea of a civil war will it see its error, the enslaved ones receive their freedom, and the unity of the country be restored: Old Maryland is going to stand by the flag of Washington, Lee and Marion. Father is imbued with the spirit of the misguided few. In his headstrong nature he will not allow any one to reason with him. With him there is no intermediate station between right and wrong, and he denies that I have the privilege to choose for myself, even if I allow myself to be led astray. My only course is to leave Sylvania, until this great diffi- culty has in some way been settled. Then I may come back, if I am living ‘and the circumstances will permit. I cannot tell. Iam going now to Gettysburg, and it may be farther north. If war does come I shall enlist in a Penn- sylvania regiment, to serve that cause for which I have sacrificed all. | ‘‘How much I am called upon to sacrifice in this ordeal even you, my dear Aurian, cannot realize. I have felt it was coming for a long time, and in my preparation for it I have tried to reconcile myself to the inevitable. I have flattered myself toat I would never betray the secret I have. carried so long; but at this last moment I find I am weak to do it—too weak! As I have confided to you the loyalty of my heart to my country, so let me confess to you the love and loyalty of that heart to the noblest of living women—yourself! Yes, Aurian, I have looked forward to the time when I might make this confession under bright: