Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-10-10

was orawh up, expecting to be Immediately engag-
ed, ana was IN charge of the company as sim
pie act duty placed him in the from, rank, lest,
oy ms extreme awkwardness, he might do some
injury In hiring, TO the man who would otherwise
have stood in front of him.. 1t is ludicrous fact.
mat the poor fellow complained to the colonel,
as he was riding down the line, that had placed
him In the front rank toget him killed. sis he not
IN me 'front.' rank himself, you lo0l' was The colo
ne''S tepy: IhIs shows, first, alas that poor Kit
regarded all the world, and me amongst them, as
ms encmies next, that he had not much OF the
nero IN his composition. This little incident was
never forgotten by the men OF the Company and
they plagued him about il to the end of the war
nut many voice that gibed and jeered him was,
| ~ succession, senced in death. He was one of
ne lew Survivors in the company, at the tcImina-
ZION or those memorable campaigns. He was pres
eht IN every battle, and on every march. The
handsome, and the happy, and the hardy fell around
nun Alt lived on. AT the close of the bloody bat
we oil Albuera, when saw him safe upon that field
o; carnage, was glad in my very heart; and felt
| tnat II could have better spared better man -
nave said truly that Kit was no hero, as his COM
pant to the colonel former occasion had prov
ca yet he had apparently no fear of death. He
$1,000 In h's pace-had pouch full of ball car
'rldges, and fired them away IN the battle; wheth-
or guilty or innocent of blood he could not on that
occasion Know, and little needed
AT the conclusion of the war, and upon the re-
'urn Oh The regiment home, the battalion was re-or-
canned {; AT was 10 longer in the same company
WIN me, and, except being occasionally thrown ON
duty near him, almost lost sight of the man. At
iehg'h, after lapse of years, he fell again under
my notice In India. | observed about him a very
remarkable chanxe-an evident improvement. He
was lar cleverer than he was wont 10 be his awk-
ward gait remained, but his look was no longer the
same. Ills eye, once restless, that used to be
looking on every slde il constantly expecting eli
,her reproof or rldlcue was now still and placid "a
beam OF contentment shone in it, He always salu-
led me with look of kind and familiar recogni-
io, ana II occasionally stopped and said a word
10 him, replied as if pleased at the notice.
was much puzzled and perpexed at first about
This change in man whose imbecility of mind |
had once regarded as alike painful and hopeless
pom making more particular inquiry, found
mat, In the company TO which he belonged, he had
become attached TO the little child of one of his COM
Iades, OF whom he took as much care as if it had
been his own that he spent all his spare pay upon
| IL That he did his duty quietly, was regular, and
neither troubled his fellow soldiers nor was trou-
bled by them; and that he never associated with
| the men; but was always with this little child, who
was exceedingly fond of him.
| Here was the secret. more particularly obsery-
| ed him ever after; often met him with the child
IN his hand little common looking chd-just old
enough to trot by his side, and stammar out his lik
| lng-wlth eyes that to him had beauty, for they
looked up to him with affection. Here was the Sc
cret he had never hitherto found in the cold world
! any thing TO toUe INN, any Thing he could love
mere was heaven-sont object exactly suited to hi.
hearts want; a little stranger i'm this earth tot
young to know and to take part with those who de
sPIsed him. A little thing, which perhaps had frs
attracted his notice when, in the chance absence o.
lis parents, 1t stood terrified and helpless crying in
tumuluous barrack-room. Poor Kit. who had
been Inflicted with rnuuhnasS
had been frightened or laughed out of his wits, ant
then scorned for having none; had boon the sport
| the lane or alley In which he was born and Their
been driven from the haunts of home-first TO b.
the butt of his fellow workmcn, and next of ihos,
amongst whom he had cast in his lot s'to mend h
fate or be rid on't"-had now found something. :,
loue him
Oflenmes now, as met him and the child To-
gether, and unused upon his sweet mystery of mer
cy, did repent in my heart for the many sharl
words | had once given him. and for my man,
thoughtless and unfeeling smiles at his folly saw
| however, by the very expression OF his complacen
eye, that was fully forgiven. He had no hate, n,
malice, no memory for wrong he was peaceful an,
gentle and passed whole days playing with a child
Kit too was now elevated 10 the dignity of an in
strucor. He was still simple, but he was no lon
ger silly. lie could not read yes, he could-o!a
of God books, for he could see could see the big
heavens, and the starry armament the sun by day
and the moon by night | have seen him with hi
little comfort walking on the ramparts of Fort ST
George in the cool evening and calmly looking u
at the bright sky and ont upon the glittering ocean
and pointing 10 the white sail and TO the anchors
vessel, and teaching the child TO stutter out tn
| names of these objects.
The suffering of those who are looked uron ,,
hatcrazed fools has in it this most bitter more
dent; they have TO mate in their sorrow The,
suffer alone, apart with consciousness that the
lpUradpl kit'S ffprnr al
he was no longer alone in the world. But kne\
mot at this time that he had got higher consola
ton. will, some day, said TO myself, speak
him about his immortal soul, and his hopes of
hereafter. 1t CHANGED few weeks afterwards thai
as was visiting some men of my own cornpan
IN the hospital, IN passing down the ward obsery
ed poor Kit, lying in bed, sick sat down bv mir
took his hand, and spoke to him with Tenderness.
he was very i'll. ! named the Redeemer he kne,
the sound--knew 1t, not perhaps as some woul
have wanted him 70 know it--but as a sound tha
had already touched a chord in his humble heart
He had heard that all his sins would be forever
and how The had simply believed The message
and gratefully accepted the pardon. He had 90
ten wisdom, not knowledge There was peac,
hope, and the JOY Of simple confiding trust in h
Redeemer.
visited him again again Tie same was his FL
vlabe state of mind The next, and the last tim
saw him, he was dying and speechess. / whi
Pered IN his do'ling ear; he opened his eyes--h
knew me-he looked pleased and happy he tric
to return the pressure Of my hand. placed it Q
his forehead. The death damps were already 9
his brow. Gle is pleased said the orderly, 8"
see you, sir; he knows YOU" ole was PLEASED
FRIEND" said J, "o hear the word Of promise in h
ear--to hear the sound Of his Redeemer'5 name
TO hear the word CIlrist.O
FENCE posTs.-A practical farmer informs ii