Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-11-17

company for teazing him, would threaten, in
n voice OF thunder, "to ride down Kits
throat y The only threat that ever effectl-
ally silenced nm when hc was in the mood
to blubber and below, and the only punish
a threat be a punishment, he ever
received.
Inc Stiffness oil me poor fellow was III
credlble. remember on one occasion, W hen
the regiment was drawn up, expecting to be
Immediately engaged, ana was IN charge
the company as a SIMPLE act OF duty, |
placed hlm IN the front rank, lest by his ex-
IRENE awkwardness, he might Ito some in
jury, III frlng, To the man who would other
wise nave stood IN 'front.' OF nm. IL is a III
dicroils fact, that the Door fellow complained
to the colonel, as he was riding down the
line, that ! had placed him inthe front rank
TO get him killed. ais he not IN the front
rank himself, You fool" was the colonies
reply. This shows, first, alas that poor Kit
regarded all the world, and me amongst
them, as has enemies; next, that he had not
much of the hero in his composition. This
little incident was never forgotten by the men
of the company I; and they plagued him about
it to the end of the war; but many n voice
that gibed and leercd him was, in succession,
silenccd in death. lie was one of the few
survivors in the company, at the termination
of those memorable campaigns. He was
present in every battle, and on every march.
I he handsome, and the happy, and the hardy
fell around him; Kit lived on. At the close
of the bloody battle of Albucra, when saw
him safe upon that field of Garage, | was
clad in nv very heart: and felt that " could
have better spared a better man." have
said truly that Kit was 10 hero, as his com
nIo;nt to the colonel on n former occasion had
- G., of
dootb lie stood in his place.had a pouch
fiji If hall cortridccs. and fired them away in
tLe hattie whether guilty or innocent of
blood hc could not on thai occasion know,
and little needed.
Ar the conclusion of the war, and upon
the ret,rn of the regiment home, the batta-
lion was re-orpanized: Kit was no longer in
the some comnauy with me, and, except be-
inp occasionally thrown on duty near him, |
almost lost sight of the man.
T length. after a lapse of years, he fell
opoin under my notice in India. | observed
about him a yerv remarkable change-an
cvident improyement. He was far ~clevercr
thon he was ever wont TO he; his awkward
Gait remained. blIt his look was no longer
thc same. His eve. once so restless, that
used TO he looking on every side, as if con-
stnntIy evnectinO either reDroof or ridicule,
was now still and placid a beam of con
tentment shone i'm il. He always saluted me
with n look of kind and familiar recognition
and if occasionally stopped and said a
word TO him, he REPLIED as il pleased at the
uotice
was much mIzzled and perplexed at first
about this change in n man whose imbecility
of mind | had once regarded as alike painful
and homeless. Upon making a more partic-
uIar inquiry. | found that, in the company to
which he belonged, he had become attached
to thc little child of one of his comrades, OF
whom he took as much care as lift ntaAcs.t
his own that he spent all his spare pay up
on il: that he did his duty quietly, was regu-
lar, and neither troubled his fellow-soldicrs,
nor was troubled 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
observed him ever after; | often met him
> with the child in his hand a little common
| looking child-iust old enough to trot by hi
side. and stammer out its liking-with eye
that to him had beauty, for they looked up t.
4 him with affection. Here was the secret
$ he had never hitherto found in the cold worl
any thing 10 loue him, any thing he could love
q here was a h~eaven-sent object exactly suite
to his hearts want a little stranger in thi
earth, too young to know and to take pal
with those who despised him. Allttle thin!
a which perhaps had first attracted his motto
4 when, in the chance absence of its parent
it stood terrified and helpless, crying in a II
multuous barrack-room. Poor Kit, who Ina
nc been buf1eted with r%oughness from his ver
q cradle, had been frighted or laughed out
", his wits, and then scorned for having none
Oh had been the sport OF the lane or alley
which he was born, and then been drive
~ from the haunts OF home-hrst to be I'll
IL butt of his iellow-workinen, and next OF tho'
a amongst whom he had cast IN ms lot -
nc mend his fate or be rid ont"-hadn now iour
at something TO lore HIM.
g Ohentimes now, as met him and ii
p child together, and unused upon this swe
DC mystery of mercy, did i repent III my hea