The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-09-25
Hopeful Tackett---His Mark.


'An' the Star-Spangle' Bangor in trump shal
wave .s..
9 the Ian dov the freeze, an The no NOV tn
brave"
| Thus sang Hopeful Tackett. as he sat on hi
little bench in the little shop of Herr Kordwa
ner, the village shoemaker. Thus he sang, no
artistcally, but with much fervor and JUNCTION
keeping time with his hammer, as he hammer
ed away at an immense s'stoga And as HI
sang, the prophetic words rose upon the air ,anC
were waited together with an odor ofnew leath
er and paste-pot out of the window, and fel
upon the ear of a ragged urchin with an armfu
| of hand-bills. u Stow A'aa aa. Is. SD
Would you lose leg for it, Hope ? he ask
| ed, bringing to bear upon Hopeful, pair o.
| crossed eyes, full complement of white teeth,
and face spotted with its kindred dust.
For the Banner? replied Hopeful; guess
would. Both on 'em-an' a head too hc
Well, here's a chance for you.'sa And be
tossed him hand-bill. .4f .rgda -..s.i5 a.a.3 .
Hopeful 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
ful is not beauty and he knows it; and though
some of the rustic wits call him 'Beaut,' he is
well aware that they intend it for irony. His
countenance runs too much to nose-rude, amor
phous nose at that-to be classic, and is withal
rugged in general outline and pimply in spots.
His hair is decidedly too dingy a red to be call,
ed, even by the uttermost stretch of courtesy,
auburn; dry, coarse and pertinacioualy obsti>
nate in its resistance to the cvilizing 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. ...t, q,
By the time he had spelled out the hand-bill,
and found that Lieutenant--was in town
and wished to enlist recruits for Company,
--Regiment, it was nearly sunset; and he
took off his apron, washed his hands, looked at
himself in the piece of looking-glass 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, land in spite
Of the bristling resistance of his hair, crowded
it down over his head, aud started for his sups
per. And as he walked he unused aloud as was
bis custom, addressing himself in the second
person. Hopeful, what do you think OF it (?
They want more soldiers, eh Guess them
fights at Don elson and Pittsburg Lannen bout
used up some O. them Regiments. By Jing !
(Hopeful had ben piousy brought up, and his
emphatic EXPLANATIONS took mild form y
Hopeful 'xpect you'll have to go an stan in
some poor feler's shoes. 'Twon't do for them
there blasted Seceshers to be KILN off our boys,
an no one there to pay en- back. It's time
this here thing was busted Hopeful, you ant
pretty, an you ant smart but you used to be
a mighty nasty hand with shotgun. Guess
you'll have to try your hand on old Borey's
(Beauregard's) champs; an if you ever get a
bead on one, he'll enter his load mighty short
ly. What do you say to goin' GU wanted
to go last year, but mother was sick, an you
couldn't and now mothers gone to glory, why,
show your grit an go. Think about it, any
how
And Hopeful did think about it-thought till
late at night of the insulted flag, of the fierce
fights and glorious victories, of the dead and
the dying lying out in the pitiless storm, of the
dastardly outrages of rebel fends-thought of
all this, with his great warm heart Overlooking
with love for the dear old Banner" and resolv-
ed to go. The next morning he notified the
boss of his intention to quit his service for
that of Uncle Sam. The old fellow only open-
ed his eyes very wide. grunted, brought out the
stocking, Ga striped relic of the departed Frau
Kordwaner, )and from it counted out and paid
Hopeful every cent that was due him. But
there was one thing that eat heavily upon Hope
tul's mind. He was in predicament that all
of US are liable to fall into-he was in fove, and
with Christina, Herr Koldwaner's daughter
Christina was plump maiden, with a round,
rosy face, an extensive latitude of shoulders,
and general plentitude and soidity OF figure.
All these size had but what had captivated
Hopeful's eye was her trim ankle,a it appear
ed to him one morning, encased in a warm
white yarn stocking Of her own knitting. From
this small beginning, his great heart had taken
iii the whole of her, and now he was desper-
ateiy in love. Two or three times he had es>
sayed TO tell her of his proposed departure ;
but every time that the words were coming to
his lips, something rushed up into his throat,
ahead of them, and he cOuldn't speak. At last,
after walking home from church with her on
Sunday evening he held ont his hand bIurted