CHAPLAIN M'CABE'S STORY.

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possible, I published their histories in brief in the city papers, and applied to a loyal and generous people to compensate them for the suffering entailed on them by the loyalty of their parents. Most generous were the responses. Chaplain McCabe, known throughout the country, saw the published account of the refugee children, and came to my house to see them, suspecting that he knew something of Johnny's father. In conversation with the lad, his impressions deepened into certainty. Chaplain McCabe was taken prisoner at the first Bull Run battle, and was thrown into Libby Prison. Here he found a number of Virginians incarcerated for their hostility to secession.

One of them was in failing health, and solicited the chaplain's prayers and ministrations. Gradually the man told him his story. He proved to be Johnny's father. He had been informed of his son's departure for Missouri, and often begged the chaplain to seek the lad and the uncle in Missouri, whenever he regained his liberty. The chaplain had the address of the uncle, which was the same as that given to Johnny. "If I needed other proof of your being the son of my fellow-prisoner," said the chaplain, “I have it in your complete resemblance to him. You are his perfect fac-simile."

"Yes," said Johnny, "they always used to say I was exactly like my father. Did you leave him in Libby Prison when you were released?"

A shadow fell over the chaplain's fine face. Alas! alas! Johnny was an orphan. Chaplain McCabe had seen his father pass through the valley of death and had commended his departing spirit to the dear God, who rules, even in the midst of the inharmonies

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JOHNNY AND LIZZIE CARED FOR.

and strifes of our human existence. The boy could not be comforted. He went to his room, and, locking himself in, wept aloud. It was hours before I could obtain access to him. His father had been to him both father and mother, and until the war they had been inseparable. Now all was gone he was alone.

After a time he was received into a family, that became deeply interested in him; and as there were only daughters in the home, they hoped to keep him always with them. For a year he attended school, and grew rapidly to the height of manhood, but was thin and frail. The iron had entered his soul deeply, and it was not possible for him to settle down into quiet life in the North. Despite the remonstrances of his adopted parents and sisters, who had become much attached to him, and in utter disregard of my entreaties and promises to aid in re-instating him in his home and property at the close of the war, he went again into the service, about six months before the conflict ended. He was in camp at Springfield, Ill., for some time, where he was attacked with pneumonia, and died in hospital, never reaching the field.

Lizzie was adopted by a Southern family driven from Mississippi for loyalty. Not brilliant, nor very quick of perception, she proved a good girl, and matured in the home of her adoption, under most favorable influences. There were no other children in the family, and she became the companion of the lady who stood to her in place of mother. I often saw her, and rejoiced that the habitually sad look on her face was gradually displaced by as heavenly a smile as ever irradiated a human countenance. She had a very happy temperament.

CHAPTER XVIII..

OUR BATTERY BOYS-A SECRET DRILL-THE DISCOVERY OFF TO THE FRONT-GOD-SPEED AND FAREWELL TO MY SUNDAY-SCHOOL BOYS-EXTRACTS FROM THEIR DIARIES.

Our Church in Chicago - The Morale of its young Men - Memories of the Past-A loyal Congregation-What happened at Evening Service - Sudden Disappearance of our young Men - A peculiar Sound from the Sunday-School Room-Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!-We stealthily open the Door and peep in - Our Discovery - "We have all decided to enlist " An unspoken Prayer - All but two of our young Men are mustered into the Chicago Mercantile Battery -- The Grief of Parting-Solemn Consecration - An affecting Farewell - Extracts from their DiariesA jolly set - Roughing it without Whining - The Art of Frying Cakes "Sweet Times here" - The Siege of Vicksburg - Awaiting the Battle Army Life at the Front-"Spoiling for a Fight" - Ordered into Action-We keep up Communication with our Boys-A Country devastated by War-An unexpected Visitor.

"

HERE was an unusually large number of interesting young people in the

Society, of Chicago, when the war of the rebellion began. The older members of the parish felt that the church had in itself

more than ordinary strength and promise, because of the well-born, well-bred, well-educated, and consecrated young men and women who confessed loving allegiance to its faith and its interests. Especially were they proud of its young men; and they felt that the future of the church was very much in their keeping. Some were about to enter Harvard, Tufts, or Yale, and all were connected with good

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RARE YOUNG PEOPLE.

families. In addition to their other excellences, they possessed that nameless ease and grace which are only acquired in the environments of homes presided over by pure, refined, affectionate mothers and sisters.

The Sunday-school was large, numbering more than five hundred teachers and scholars, who packed the vestries and parlors of the church every Sunday, regardless of weather or outside attractions. Into this school was harnessed our entire force of young men and maidens, who did duty as teachers, librarians, singers, or members of the Bible class. They did their work with wonderful heartiness and earnestness; and there was such genuine friendliness among them that one would have thought they were members of the same family.

What marvellous festivals and pleasure parties they extemporized in those days! Into what delightful rural fêtes and excursions were we older people enticed by these "young folks," who led us captive to their will! What continual surprises they planned for the bewilderment of the pastor, and the no less beloved pastor's wife! How they swarmed at the fortnightly church " sociables," and with their brightness and buoyancy, their contagious goodnature and overflowing hilarity, their wit and cleverness, their unselfishness and tact, made each of these small occasions more inviting than a grand banquet! I recall the memory of those days, removed into the past forever, not with pleasure alone, but with a sense of loss. Some of the grandest of our young men were brought from the battle-field, wrapped in the flag for which they had given their lives. Others are sleeping in sunny, but unknown graves

THE ARMY ABSORBED THEM.

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in the far-away South, and all are scattered by land or by sea, never to be re-united until God "gathers in one, all the families of the earth."

There was not, from first to last, a disloyal person in the parish. It honored every draft upon its means with generous contributions of money, and almost every young man it numbered, old enough to bear arms, went into the service of the country, with the addition of several so young and some so old as to be legally exempted from military duty. First, one enlisted in the cavalry service; then two or three went into one of the Illinois regiments. Two or three others raised companies, and went to the front in command of them. Then the gunboat service took away a few more; until finally we found our large Bible class wholly depleted of its young men. But as they went singly, or in groups of two and three, with intervals of months between, we gradually became used to it, as to other sad events of the war. We had still a large number left, and, as their ranks were thinned, they closed up more solidly, increased their activity, became doubly useful to the parish, and doubly dear also.

One evening in the summer of 1862 there happened to be two meetings in the vestry-one of Sunday-school teachers, in the library-room, and another of some sort in the small Sunday-school room. We missed our young men teachers, but went on with the business of the evening without them. Something unusual must have detained them, we said, for they were rarely absent from meetings of this kind.

"What is going on in the large Sunday-school room?" was asked. No one knew. But all the