A Daughter of Maryland — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

146 A DAUGHTER OF MARYLAND. consequences of the dissensions whieh had been so long fos- tered. Had North or South been able to have foreseen the heartrending result—the suffering and sacrifice of human life—each must have hesitated before precipitating the awful crisis. But the decisive step had been taken, and there was no turning back from the grim-visaged foe. As Robert Lancier had predicted, Maryland remained steadfast in the Union, though there were many like Major Lancier who openly espoused the cause of the States. He watched the rising storm with the stern determination of his nature fixed in his heart. ‘*When the hour and the opportunity comes, my sword is at the service of the South,’’ he repeated to Aurian many times, while she with so much pain in her heart could not reply. Not a word had come from Robert. She would have given considerable to know where he was. Esten Berners, too, still remained away, and even his father did not know of his whereabouts. Sabsequent events proved that he had already entered the Southern army, while the outcast of Sylvania had joined the Northern ranks. Aurian kept up a correspondence with Ella Northup until about the middle of April, when the latter wrote that her marriage had been indefinitely postponed, and that Carroll — Southard had enlisted. That was the last letter she received from Machine Falls. Affairs moved along at Sylvania without any material change from this time until one fair day in early summer. — The weather was so pleasant that Aurian resolved to take a ramble in the outskirts of the wood that hung like a trail to the dark-green vesture of South Mountain. Accordingly taking Furah and Mrs. Ralston with her she set forth on her little outing. The air was full of the song of birds and the music of running waters. The fields had never seemed to look so green, the forests so delicately shaded, or the wildflowers so sweet and beautiful. Every- . comicbooks co eS =e tl ’ “4 . 4 : c