A Quaker family lived in Pennsylvania. Against the father's wishes, the son Jonathan ran off and enlisted in the cause of the North during the Civil War. Time passed and no word from Jonathan. One night the father had a dream that his son had been wounded in action, was in distress, and needed the care of a father.

So, the father left the farm, and discovered where the troops might be. He made his way by horse-drawn buggy until he came to the scene of action. He inquired until he found the commander and asked about his son. The commander replied that there had been heavy action earlier in the day and many had fallen wounded. Some had been cared for, but others were still left out in the trenches. But he gave permission to the father to go and try to find his son. He told him where the action had taken place.

It was now about dark, so the father lit a lantern, and the light fell across wounded young men, some calling for help, many too seriously wounded to cry for assistance.

The task seemed impossible. How could he find his son among all those wounded and dying?

He devised a little plan—methodically he would comb the scene of action with his lantern. But that wasn't fruitful. As he stumbled over body after body he almost despaired.

Then he began calling loudly, ''Jonathan Smythe, thy father seeketh after thee." Then he would walk a little ways and call again, "Jonathan Smythe, thy father seeketh after thee."

A groan could be heard here and there. "I wish that were my father."

He kept diligently at his search. Then he heard a very faint, barely audible reply, "Father, over here." And then, "I knew you would come."

The father knelt down and took him in his arms, comforting him with his presence. He dressed the wound, carried him to the buggy, took him to a place of seclusion and nursed him back to health.