Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-07-25
From the Lowell Mass Times.
THE OLD SOLDIER.

He had een Ia he pepsion Office. The generosity,
if generosity consists in deferring a bentf fit till the
recipient is past the enjoyment oil II, OF the justice, II
Justice consists in Withholding the veteran due MI
he is ready 10 go down TO the grave -tgeneroslty
or Injustice, call il what you will, wescan callit nel-
ther)-had at last awarded to him his pension. An
ipf,m old mani! The burIhen of old uge, and hope
deferred, had made him sick at heart, and sick OF
ife. The death film was even now measutably
drawn over The eye, once sparkling the pace which
once was firm and confident in the strength of
youth and the p,ide Of patriotism, had become IL
regular and lettering and the manly form, once
erect and commanding, was bowed down; age and
suffering had done ii. He was a stranger IN the
metIopols-itfrmil and ne elect could break down
his body-but his spirit had better sustained itself;
and u bitler sense of the neglect he suffered from
those who should have remembered him, had kept
him in solitude. He would not offer q living COM
harrison between the condition of men who have a.
chieved, and The men who had pro6ted by the a.
chieyement without exertion Of their own. The
conscious victim OF cruel neglect and ingrautude,
he considered the tardy justice Of his country a
mockery, and nought but his abject poverty. aud d
wish 10 die " square with the world,' had induced
him to apply for it. He had applied and received
and " now said he, Z" will pay my debts and
die" The change Of objects in the city bewildered
him. He gazed upon the spacious and elegant ed
l6ces, which had in his absence superseded old and
familiar obiects-but he sazed with hurried and ir-
regular glances, az If doubling his senses. The
busting forms of a generation who have forgotten
the revolution, fitted past the old man without hee-
ding him the pensioner was alone in a city! Anna
zed that the lapse of time had wrought such won
ders, he felt ike a stranger in a strange land, and
that, too, on the very soil he had defended.
His venerable appearance attracted the notice OF
a passer-by, who, perceiving The old man was be-
wihdered, rendered bis services to conduct the sol
der home. Home | have no home! / was at
home here in '76, but | am forgotten now" A
transient glance Of anger flashed in the veterans
eye; but in a moment it passed away, and the va
cancy of his countenance returned.
Where am IL oh, I've been to take the gift of
Congress-; let me go pay my debts before de
| can't live long; and | don't wish TO-" The
'ein !r-here again his eye was lightened; and his
bearing spoke the proud and wounded spirit, bro
ken-but not subdued. An honest feeling or indig-
nation mastered him, striving as if strong in the
pride of youth to avoid tie impairment and unfeel-
ing curiosity of the crowd who surrounded him, he
sunk exhausted to the pavement.
TAKE him to the police office for a vagrant!"
said one Of the crowd.
take Yourself to the deriI, for one of his limbs!"
retorted The honest fellow who had FIRST addressed
the veteran. b,
"But( Catching him by the collar, as he essayed
to walk Off stop first and give me the old mans
pocket-booki | saw you take Inland over, or by
Cd III tear you limb from limb1" "Throte
him" cried one Of the crowd, "the scoundrel. rob
a pensioner. Down with him! Strip him! Take
him TO the police - And the old mans wallet fell
from the culprit in the s%cufile.
The pensioner was recognised by some one in the
crowd, and he passively suffered him to be put in a
coach. He was conveyed TO a shelter. and having
happily fallen into good hands, attention for a cou'
pe Of days partially restored his exhausted ener-
eies. An indistinct remembrance ofthe events we
have narrated fitted occasionally across his mind,
but he remembered the events Of 70, better than
those Of yesterday, and the countenanee OF those
who had been his companions in arms. were more
distinctly marked on his memory, than The new
ones he had seen the day before. When about to
he pu, on board the stage which was 10 convey him
home. the old mans mind again wandered.
"That's right, carry me TO Congress-give me
INV duel have fought for it!-Congress said l
should have II" The old mans wallet was put in
10 his hand. ooh, yes. / knew should getit.-
They could not SO soon forget the old soldier-but
so late-let me pay my debts, and die! can live
DoIonper. But somebody stole it-they got il away
from me--,hey couldn't do it fifty years ago-bu.
I've got i, now, have'ntI II No. they didn't keep II
they would'nt steal the old mans money! They
could not keep IL the God Of battles would blast