Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1862-04-03

"
|paper screwed into sandy hair. Sal
this ancient maiden lady then, "Well,
lnever!'
She in n shrill file like voice sal,
much more, but the fair being standin.
on the porch opposite, appeared deaf t,
the torrent falling from the second sto
Try. With her head dropped against thu
porch pillar, she was intently gazing
idown the street at the graceful figure Sc
|jauntily holding its way and in which
she saw, through girlish fancy, the fu.
lture commander of all the armies.
I Oh! how often has No. IS thought o.
these rcenes in the weary hours of the
night - fathcr, mother, homeland the
| girl with the low sweet voice. To him
they are more than medicine-more
than food-without these to console him
reason itself, he believes, would give
away under his great agony.
He asks himself, "would she like me
now, l wonder ?" and glancing over the
poor attenuated frame upon which dis
ease has wrought so fearfully. as to
make it sad caricaturc on the form
modelled after Gods own image, he con-
cludes that she could havo no sympathy
with one such as he now is, and then,
after few contortions of the face, his
tears flow freely, until the hard straw
pillow beneath his cheek is saturated.
But No. Is had moro hopeful thoughts
oftentimcs This afternoon he feels that
he is going to get better. The surgeon
has told him that his eyes look brighter.
So they do. But their briliancy resem-
blcs the ficrco blaze shot through the
windows Of a house by confagration
which is rapidly destroying everything
within.
AS the town-clock tolled in its slow
and mournful way the keystone hour
"of nights black arch" No. Fiftecn's
spirit went out from the wards of Hos
pital X to the great physician on high
even so let us hope.
On its narrow pallet of straw the
meagre form which that spirit had onco
animated now lay in quictude. When
blessed day comes again the patient next
on the left will turn and look at it, and
the patient next on the right will also
turn and look. Then probably they
will mutter the not unusual wish to
have their existence end before the
lighting up once more of the stewards S
lamp. They will however have to bide
their time. Moro dreary suffering for
them more patience.
Leaning against the iron pailings of
church-yard watching tho stccplc's shad-
ow lengthening toward the east, while |
pondered over the simple beauty OF Dean |
Paul's similc, there came the quick ca
1enced step of file of soldiers, sound
ing nearer aud nearer In little while
they passed me-eight men with bright
guns resting upon their right shoulders
four men unarmed behind the eight
and at tho head of tho little party, its
thief, with the Corporal's chevron upon
lis coat sleeves. 1t is funeral escort
'eturning from the burial of "brothcr
soldiers" On corner below, scanning
hings with critical eye, stands son
If Mars with polished boots and an i'm
naculate collar, albeit a private. The
'scort approaches him when with jolly
mile he said, "Halloa, Corporal, plant
ng to-day?" The Corporal laughs in
cheerful manner and answers-"Yes,
ust put four of 'em under -
At this the men with the bright guns
mile, and the merrimcnt runs back and
ver the faces of the four men unarmed
Tho swing their hands brisker, while
he tramp tramp of the cadenced
tcp rings QUO more chcerily from the t
ags as the squad moves on with a keen
ppetite for the evening meal after their c
ood work done. c
Funny work this-putting flour of t
m under" Yet be it ever so unprc- S
,nding each of these have had their h
istory l have told above the simple d
ory of one of the four "put UNDER
o. Fifteen, whose lamp of life few s
ours ago went out at midnight. among a
rangers ''in weary land" f
'1'is the drum that calls aloud G.
In the town heard it call, a
And rose and quilted all
And turned a deafened car 81
TO what heart or hope held dear, p
Nor a backward glance allowed :,
For the drum, -
For the drum it called so loud! e.
TAFANO. d