Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1866-12-05


me:
"Step up, sir, and see what bounty
Uncle Sam is Offering such fine built fell
lows as you"
l marched straight up to him.
"Confound the bounty" l cried, "sive
me chance Of being shot," and in half
an hou- l had enlisted.
In month We were upon southern
ground, ready to meet the foe.
Many and many a hot battle fought,
though unharmed, while men who longed
to live fell about me like the leaves in
autumn woods. Many and many hard
tramp l had, half starving, over frozen
ground. Two hardships only made me
hardy. My frame never suffered but all
the while in battle, on march, or about
the campfire, l thought one thing, "Het-
abel is false to me-"
1t was tune to which my hear: beat
night and day. l cared for nothing else.
Years passed on, | rose from the ranks
i became an officcr-I was spoken Of
as a brave man. | knew that | was a
coward who feard life as others feared
death. 1t was as terrible to live, with
my grief, through all the quiet years that
must come after the turmoil Gf war war
over.
If I did NY duty-and l strovc to al
ways-it was no merit for me, as it might
have been had she watched for my return
had love made this world blessed.
Ore night while in camp, l went out,
as was my custom, to walk in the moon
light. 1t was late, and | had paced up
and down Ions while when [ saw a
crouchiug figure steoling behind the tents.
l knew in a moment that this was a
deserter. In another moment l was up
on him, and he lay at my fee, a trembl-
ing wretch, abject in his terror.
"Ch, have mercy, Captain" J" he whined.
"Ill 90 back I'll dy my duty. Don't
have me shot. Only let me live. 1t was
that 1 was afraid OF dying, and the wicl-
ed wretch shed tears.
'Do you care so much for your worth
I,sc ECa 7y osLed
':lt's the only one I've got. It's a
great deal to me. Captain"
lifted my hand from his shoulder.
"Go back to yonr place" l said. "Be-
ware of a second attempt of this kind -
l warn you I'll have you watched. This
time you are safe"
The thing sunk at my feet, then arose,
cringing and as tie moon swept from un.
der cloud l saw Hanks well-known
face under the soldiers cap.
1 gave a cry. He uttered another,
and shruuk from me. "Stop!" he said,
':you have got reason to hate me, but |
can set you right where you are wrong
Let me go as you said you would, and I'll
tell you something. You've done me a
good turn; I'll do you another
listened.
at was lie about Hetty." he said
Il knew your letter and ring and l got
that on the sly to plague her. The old
man said l should have her, and told
people so in his cups: but she wouldn't; ;
she'd have died first. You ough, to have
seen her go on when you didn't write to
her, She's there yet at the smithy.-
May 1 go back to camp, Captain %
| let him go.
Even had | wished to detain him /
had not the power. My limbs gave way
beneath me the moonlight night grew
dark, and l dropped like dead thing to
the ground.
l arose from it to say that the truth
might not have come too late, and to my
Hetabcll
And so it came to pass that when tie
war was over, and l returned home, and
peace once more, the first who met me,
with her sweet, forgiviug face, was Heta-
bell. And the stormy years Of battle
of griet are over now, and she has given
her dear hand to NE.
So when the shadows grow long and
through friend Thorn's dim counting
house begins the quiet hustle of closing
desks and going home, I lay my pen
aside, and thinking of the happy freside
that awaits me, fancy myself most best
Of living mortals, and half believe the
past weary dream.
sey-A Vile old bachelor says that