The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-04-27
iment--oue which had already seen hard

service.
There was in him the true mettle Of
the true soldier. His day might be short
he would lie busy while it lasted. Be.
sides, l think he liked his grim work
He Was always to be found among the
volunteers for any desperate deed. In maay
fierce charge he led the van, with his
bright, fair hair, glittering goldenly in the
sunlight, and blue CLINT in bis eyes. He
was never wounded. Nothing happened
to disable him from his duty. he had
refused well earned promotion. and once.
when true comrade, who marched al.
ways at his side, had asked him tho rea-
SON why, he sadly answered, because |
shall be here such little while
81 thought you volunteered for three
years. had heard that you came in the
place of q nine months man, bat that
YOU chose to enlist for the longer time
and join an old regiment"
There was no answer to the inquiring
tone which made question OF this remark,
and Stephen Chase, who understood his
comrade too well 80 press the point, was
as much puzzled rs ever
He comprehended it..all better the night
before fredericksburg. They sat togeth.
er on stone, little way from their tent,
For whily they both had been thinking
sIeully of wha. the dawning was to bring.
1T will be- tough fight" Chase said
at length.
"You may well say so," Ash Thorny-
croft answered. at is u terrible respon.
sbility to assume. that of leading men 10
such certain destruction and yet, if We
can but win the victory There is hardly
"A man but would be willing to sell his life
for that. 1t is the only regret ! have in
going 10, that | shall never know which
side conquers."
Nonsense. man, don't get blue after
seeing SO much blood split as you have
and coming out Of 80 many hard bouts
scarless!'
at was not my time, hitherto. 1t is,
now. shall go into the fight more Joy
fully than ever tired children went home.
! tt.aFe eal yy enc wish II yeu pull through
alive take care of my body. want 10 be
buried at home. beside a grave that was
made list NJ rch, III the Westville church.
yard. You must send me to my father
David Thornycroft. Westville, Connect
cut. Here it is written down for you.
Papers that l left at home. explaining my
wishes. will be sufficient for the rest
His manner carried conviction at least
of his own faith in his forewarning, but
Stephen Chase tried To shake it off.
Il never knew prescntiment to come
true in my life," he said sturdiy. you
will talk over the battlefield twenty -four
hours from now"
Thornycroft only smiled, as he said
"Do you PROMISE what l ask, d, Ste
phen? Will you send my body to ms
father. il it is within your power to pro.
tect it?"
"les; for your satisfaction promise
/ shall not bid you good bye, though"
They were telling up the hill, that f :
tai afternoon of the next day, side by side,
when suddenly Thornycroft looked ronnd
with kindlipg eyes TO his comrsde. He
stretched out his hand with smile which
the other will never forget if he lives ill
his hair is white.
"Good bye, Stephen p
The next instant he fell heavily. A
Rebel shot had given him mortal wound.
With exertions that would seem half
incredible il / should relate them, S.eph-
en- Caase succeeded in getting him off
the field. He vas not dead, and hope
still lurked in his comrades heart that
h, might yet live to tell at home the sto
ry of the war. He did not speak or move,
but faithful Stephen could feel the faint
beating of his heart
He did not die Il the troops had gone
BACK aar - the Rappas a. * lie be-
hinged to division wiach went into the
tight six thousand strong, and went back
ut night with only fifteen hundred. He
lay there with the wounded round him
the thin ranks out Of which SO many brave
feet had marched forever. Just at dawn
ing he looked up, and met his friends
eyes. He faltered feebly:
"a defeat, Stephen lived to know
victims, not conquerors."
Then his face frightened with strange
radisnce, and he whispered. so softly tha,
his friend could scarcely catch the words
whispered as to some invisible auditor:
Eyes. my darling, yes."
The next instant the faint heart. beat
under Stephen Chase's hand was still.
They have buried him, since then be-
side the grave where he knelt in the moon
tight the night before he went swsy.-
Only a foot of earth between the two
who loved each other SO dearly. Is there
80 much 7 Surely our dreams of the fu !.
ture are not in vain. Surely somewhere
in the heaven which is ''anchored of this
world, where sickness and sorrow never
come, and there are neither wars nor ru
mcrs Of wars somewhere in that still
Land Of Peace they are tasting the Gun
of JOY which earth denied them.
John Morgan, aud John Morpan's
wife and children, will speak the name of
Ash Thornycroft all their lives with such
reverent tenderness as BELTS the memory
Of one who Is enshrined in their hearts a.
deliyerer. We know not vet for what
good end he and those who fell with him
laid down their lives-God grant that we
may know hereafter-ihat the seed sovn
in tears wo may reap with exceeding great
JOY.