Travilla, pushing back his chair in unwonted excitement;
"shameful, shameful!"
Tears were rolling down Elsie's cheeks, and Rose's eyes were full.
"Let us adjourn to the library and learn together all these papers and
letters can tell us," said Mr. Dinsmore, rising. "'Twill be better so; we
shall need the support of each other's sympathy."
He led the way and the rest followed.
The papers were examined first, by the gentlemen, now the one and now the
other reading an article aloud, the excitement and distress of all
increasing with each item of intelligence in regard to public affairs.
Rose and Elsie opened their letters, and now and then, in the short pauses
of the reading, cast a hasty glance at their contents.
Elsie's were from her Aunt Adelaide, Walter, and Enna. Rose's from her
mother, Richard, May, and Sophie.
The last seemed written in a state of distraction.
"Rose, Rose, I think I shall go crazy! my husband and his brothers have
enlisted in the Confederate army. They, Harry especially, are furious at
the North and full of fight; and I know my brothers at home will enlist on
the other side; and what if they should meet and kill each other! Oh,
dear! oh, dear! my heart is like to break!
"And what is it all about? I can't see that anybody's oppressed; but when
I tell Harry so, he just laughs and says, 'No, we're not going to wait
till they have time to rivet our chains,' 'But,' I say, 'I've had neither
sight nor sound of chains; wait at least till you hear their clank.
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