Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-08-01

his life for months, and filled up the wide chinks
OF camp monot0ny were now quite bitterly
ended capped by the reality worse than the
dream which is called nightmare. His smiling
eyes were hooded only little sooner than were
those mder ones at home, no doubt under
traced eyebrows and with far finer lashes The
marriage, perlorce was put of. The view Of
home was put of. Perhaps the Adjutaut E
solemn quietus, like the extinguisher Of the
| bght of his aud his sweetheart hopes would
drop upon him IN OathsOme Libby and cancel
bls leave forever. This, being the weightler
thought, was evidently bearing upon his mind
| had resolved, in business way, upon two
polnts, ,--perchance brought to my decision
through some suoh tender passage as the above
ifst, that qs we could not escape from the lines
together, he must take the earlier because, as
in mortgages, the better risk the second that
if he did not answer in satisfactory manner
the one question that had kept for some time
uppermost in my brain to PROFOUND to him, he
must pocket my North Star.
Have you a compass? ?" muttcred, as he
edged by me.
No, be replied.
My second resolution, then, was that be
should carry my compass.
% We been robbed Of everything" he slid.
q 'Take--my-eompass- ~ returned,
and pressed it into his hand.
He was not as good an astronomer as |, lie
looked a hurried remonsr4nce at me he was
obliged to hide it at once, and could not
knew, waste any eoquence now Although
moreover, he was lover, Nature had never
endowed him with the art Of speaking through
the eve. There were stronger elsons IN favor
Of his escape than Of mine WORLDLY, it not
spiritual and he suffered from dangerous
nervousness, in dwelling upon the magnitude OIL
the issue before him, which was not in my way
at is now five" said ." at seven, if in
such woods as this, you must watch your chance
and double"
" Which way2" he asked.
" Travel north-northeast, seven miles, "
whispered.
Then, as if anxious to burst into food o.
eager words, he beg4n,-
g But you
looked at him fixe1y, and moved OF toward
my Sergeant. That cursed tape before me noH
again made a twist in my brain.
was astonished at my Sergeant's opening
conversation.
We we're travelling (wearily enough) through
tinted, the road being cut down, and, couse-
quehtly, either side Of il walled IN by upheay
my embankments, green-coyered and yellow
lrlnged over which the declining sun could no.
dart its rays upon u.s. The heavy trains Of tbs
entire army were making the march along with
US, disturbing the modest influences OF the spot,
some rundling forward in the van, Others
toiling after in our rear, the tending angels oi
all being drowsy, in the shape of the lazy team
sers astrlde their beasts. 0nly that peculiar
music, made up Of the pouderous hud (the
birds had all grown stilD or tramp Of the men
for a bass of the cliDk AID clltter Of the
canieens for treble, and OF little broken
conversation, 10 the whining, drawing tones OF
the guard on their own side OF the lines, ana so
with no quieting weight upon their tongues, for
rird-uocs accompaniment ,-brlke the sweet
summer Stiffness. The shafts of sunlight brldg.
iug the road above our heads making golden
ether-plank for the air-insects to cross upon,
aud lighting up the veins in the trembling
leaves as the breeze put them to confusion, set
me to thinking of the eyebrows that the Adju-
tant was engaged to, and, no doubt, of eye
hrows in general. A cool air, smelling of mould
and fallen leaves, perhaps little damp, fell
upon us here. The charms OF Nature may have
loosened the Ssrgeant's tongue.
was captured in Mar land, he began,
looking straight before him, but Of course hon
orlng me with his address,
was grateful to him. little for companion.
ships sake, but chiefly for here giving me u
chance that had hoped for, as | deemed it OF
considerable value Il mean, chance 10 dig
down to the mine of good feeling, to the heart
th IA n, hot
an hour since, bad thrust out that do and
also, | was beholden to him for taking my
thoughts from the tape.
How did our boys treat you p | asked.
Very fair y he said quickly. with faint
Judas. start, as il il were matter Of conscience,
and no had now twtched it out. " They done
well by me.
Here was good fortune, indeed The mine,
with all ts riches, mine without any digging.
4" am glad Of it," said briefly for saw
that laoonlcs w.rs his Jewels, perhaps from a
sense of expediency as well as OF beauty. " We
always try to treat 20 well, whenever We are
not firing our guns at you"
This he acknowledged with a nod but with
out turning from his look directly front
I" i lay two months in hosp't'l,' he began
again, =" in Fredr'k in Mar r'land, was
wounded in the hip"
10 '62, suppose " said |.
Yes,--at BOonsboso' -
Here tho conversation ended as suddenly as il
had opened. 1t was very evident that the Ser
geant had said h,s lass word for some time.
But was convinced in my own mind that at
length more good would tall to my lot
lie pondered the matter somo ton minutes
and then quite overwhelmed me with bis story
One OF your boys, " he began, " lay wound
ei by me on the field, OF bail in the lungs
and wanted some water. Whenever he spoke.
he threw out blood, aud was n I likely to live,
nobow. said,-
q" Yank, will you take my do2'-ior thore
Was drop in 1t yet, and rolled on my slde
and gasO II him.
" am goiu' to die he said
80 Yes, says |.
9" They Vi treat you we'll, he said lhoy y!
carry you to tho hosp't'l and hope you II live
TO glt home
"' Thank you, Gays l.
lie gave me soma 'bscoy aud roll Of
money
" The plymAsler's been about, and he gave
me more n want now. You II want 'baccy
/ IN hosptl,--you II want it all, ho said
And he run over IA blood and died. lie
gave me right smart OF money. rolled away
from him when he died. aud they took me to
hosp'ti."
/ The Sergeant paused for my comment.
Under my pscular circumstances | WAS very
mnoh touched by this story,
Poor fellow many idoh q one has gone to
his account" said, sadly.
And want to give back some Of The money
to you, said the Sergeant
looked at him in astonshmeut
You u want It down there, as much as you
can git have no need Of it. ,tan's mine,
J 1f = hte.. ~