The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-09-13
From the Continental Monthly.1
Hopeful Tackett-Hfs Mark.
BY RIcHARp wALcorr, TENTH ILLINors.'

BY RICHARD wALCorT, TENTH ILLINOIS
'An'the Star-Spangle' Banner in trump
O!the Ian dov the freeze, an the no NOV
the brave
Thus sang Hopeful Tackett, as he sat on
his little bench in the little shop Of Herr
Kordwaner, the village shoemaker. Thus he
sang, not artisticaly, but with much fervor
and JUNCTION, keeping time with his hammer,
as he hammered away at an immense 'stoga'
And as he sang, the prophetic words rose
upon the air. and were waited, together with
an odor Of new leather and pas e pot, out Of
the window, and fell upon the ear ola ragged
urchin with an arInful OF ha1dbills
would you lose leg for it, Hope p he
asked, bringing to bear upon Hopeful pair
Of crossed eyes. a full complement Of white
teeth. ard q face promiscuors'y spotted with
its kindred dust.
For the Bangor p replied Hopeful guess
I wonld Both on 'em-an' head too.'
'We'i. here's chance f.. you And he
tossed him hand-bi'l.
Hope;u, laid aside his hammer and his
work, and picked up the hand-bill and
while he IS reading it. let US briefly describe
him. Hope,iul is not beauty, and he knows
It and though some Of the rustic wits call
him 'Beaut h. is we'll aware that they in
tend it for irony. His countenance runs
too much to nose-rude, amorphous nose at
that-to be classic, and is withal rugged in
general outline and pimply in spots. His
hair il decidedly too dingy red to be called
even by the utmost stretch Of courtesy, au-
burn; dry, coarse, and pertinaciouslv obsti.
nate in its resistance to the civilizing efforts
Of comb and brush. But there is a great
deal Of big bone and muscle in him, and he
may yet work out . noble destiny. Let us
see.
By the tine he had spelled out the hand.
bill, and found that Lieutenant -- was
in town and wished to enlist recruits for
Company -,--- Regiment, it, was near
" sunset and he TOOK off This apron, washed
his hands, looked at himself in the piece Of
looking g ass that stuck in the window--a
defiant look, that said that he was not afraid
of all that nose took his hat down from its
peg behind the door, and in spite Of the
bristling resistance Of his hair, crowded it
down over his head, and started for his
supper. As he walked he mused aloud, as
was his custom, addressing himself in the
second person. Hopeful, what do you
think Of iti They want more soldiers, eh
Guess them fights 1t sDonelson and Pitts
burg Lannen bout used up some O them
ridgiments. By jing 7 (Hopeful had beer
piously brought up. and his emphatic excla
nations took mild form.) Hopeful, 'xpec
you'll have to 60 an stan in some poo
feller's shoes. 'Twon't do for them Their
blasted Seceshers to be KILN of our boys
an no one there to pay 'em back. It's TIM
this here thing was busted | Hopeful 20,
ant pretty. an you ant smart but yo'
used to be : mighty nasty hand with sho
gun. Guess you'll have to try your han'
on old Borey's [Beauregard's] chaps an
you ever get bead on one, he'll enter hi
land mighty soon. Wha; do you say I
goin' You wanted to go last year, bu
mother Was sick, an you couldn't and no,
mothers gone to glory, why, show your gr'
an 60. Think about it, any how 5ss !
a,rrc, ~ 4l., lA ~ Aa~l