Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-07-01
-@ @El From the Spirit Of the Fair.
A SOLDIERS DREAM. ....


.--------- - -
Y IT -@ a From the Spirit Of the Fair.
#.. A SOLDIERS DREAM. .e-a.
"Cheer up man and we will hurry you
through.
That is all the surgeon said II was cru
el, shattering wound of the thigh knew
it was doubtful case. There was not much
around me to make cheer. Only one dim
light in the ward, and that swaying in the
wind that found its way through the chinks,
two poor fellows muttering in hot fever not
far, ard in the cot next me drummer boy
dead. The hospital people didn't know it
as yet, but did; just before dark he had
given plunge forward, as if he would have
grasped at something out Of reach, and there
lay his hand silenced, just where it fell.---
Until dark watched his eyelids-- open stark
wide, and never wink.
1t threatened change Of weather at last
the nurse laid some extra covering at the foot
Of each Of the cots, and pat-pat-pat, l
heard her steps go down the wards. ...
Then dreamcd--it was the old house, red
with white trimmings, and lilac bush at
the door. Within, there was bright fire
on the hearth. Polly, CHATS wife) is seated
at the table sewing. The two girls, Nelly
and Little Maid,' $50 we call herr are
perched on stools near their mother, busy at
their patchwork. (they made deal Of patch.
work, those little ones y
| 1t seemed to me Little Maid said pres.
emily, See Andy, mother!' And Polly
looks at AndyGwhich was our shag terrier,
and rare ratter to be sure--and says, take
it from him, child, quick .'rN
And the maid takes from the dog a long
strip Of brown cloth, with little sprigs scat
tered up and down, which | remember was
part Of an old dress in which | had often
seen Polly +; she wore it the first day We
went into the red house home, and now is
making some patchwork OF it-always busy,
that little woman.
The children are stitching upon diamond.
shaped pieces, which, though had never
much eye for colors, or for figures, see
plainly are parts of baby dresses, which they
wore years before. The little ones, from time
to time, hold up row of those diamond
shapes to show their mother what brave work
! they have done, and Andy thereupon cocks
his eye and pricks up his cars, as if he were
a party to their needle triumphs. All the
while there is low, restless prattc between
Nelly aud Little Maid but somehow dc
not catch the meaning of it, only Polly q
hear her tones full and clear) says once and
again. W ell stitched. Little Maid or there
is good girl, Nelly
the door It's only neighbours step, som,
good woman who has come for half hours
chat; and in this way hear that the Littl,
Maid has come to the fifth page in her spell
ing, and that the patchwors they are SO bu
| ,e,tit
soldiers, and that the scarlet fever is in the
village. Whereupon Polly says, Il wouldn'
have John CHATS my name) know it for tn.
world.
And the neighbor asks, how is John {?
Quite well, says Polly, and coming hom,
God willing in May
Whereupon Little Maid and Nell with
one voice as vt wcre---' I'm glad '-..-
At this, I, who had said nothing thus far
and was rot seen, felt stirred to speak.
Bless your dear hearts 7 said /, but had
got no farther, when Andy, knowing the
voice, suppose, sprang on me, sprang up
on my poor leg-such twinge it gave me
and awoke.
1t was not the old home I was in at all
only the pain was real the solitary lamp
swaying in the wind the dead drummer's s
hand lay idle no more waking up for him.
The nurse, good soul, spread coverlet
over me--tbe same which had been lying at
my feet since dark. The warmth was very
quieting to me, and fell away shortly into
doing, and then to more dreaming.
In the red house once more, but this time
they know am there, ard the little ones
nestle about mc---so fondy. God bless their
hearts. And Polly in her quiet way, step
ping softly and lifting her finger, checks their
noisy mirth. Not so rough, Little Maid,
you will disturb Papa'
| am sick, then; possibly the old wound
is unhcaled indeed | see clothes lying upon
the stand at the bedside such as were lying
in the hospital yesterday, Polly folds them
Polly arranges them she lifts warning fin.
ger as Little Maid begins to riot again she
hangs screen before the fire to keep the
light from my eyes lit is my soldiers coat !
The little ones are probing the pockets and
admiring the buttons.
But strangely enough, it seems to me that
Polly is wearing the same dress which before
she had been cutting into pieces, and the
children though they must have outgrown
them by two years or moreover the same
baby gowns which had seen them stitching
But though see all this, and can hear
Andy as he passes across the room, and the
rap Of his knuckle joint as he gives his fore
shoulder lively scratchI can say nothing.
The waiting faces seem to expect no word
from me. This worries me, and make a
grasp at the familiar dress Of Polly, as she
passes, to get some explanation.
Quiet, John quiet!
1t is not Polly that speaks the last word,
it is the nurse am awake again, and have
a fierce clutch upon the coverlet, which the
nurse would take away, now that morning
has fairly come.
AS she lifts it--as Heaven it is true-I see
the brown stripes Of my wife's dress with
the fairy green sprigs: see the diamond
shapes of the baby's dresses which my chill
dren had stitched
renewed my clutch leave it, good wo-
man, it's my own. saw them make il; my
wife's dress, know the colors.
G8The woman slips away and presently she
comes back whispering with the surgeon -
II he's crazed, the game is up with him,
says he
But I'm not crazcd, my pulse will tell him
that, but great cheer has come to me from
that little glimpse OF home, and the fragment
OF il that came to me, by Gods mercy, that
night.
] shall be strong enough to travel in May,
and will keep Poliy's word good.
ORDER to the undertaken by all afflicted
but illiterate. widowcr Sunny waif is