The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-11-07

.Uht T Uribnitf.


dent or Yesterday, JIG 1ou, NoscIfcS cS-
pecial snention. As Captain Fielding, of
the til Massachusetts,, was directing the
movements of a portion of his command,
defached for special duty. his command
ing figure proved a tempting mark for a
sharn.shooter from the enemy's works
inst at the critical moment the quick eye
of Sergeant William Harper discovered
the danger. Quick as thought he threw
himself in. front of Captain Fielding,
pushing him violently aside, and at the
same instant received in his own brain
the ball destined for his superior officer.
When taken up he retained sufficient con-
seriousness to send some brief message to
friends, but soon became lnsenslble, and
survived only a few hours. Greater
love hath no man than this. that a man
lay down his life for his friend. =
Such was the paragraph from a Vicks-
eurg- letter which riveted my. eye on one
dayof that never to be forgotten sum mer
Of 1868, Just after the news of our brilliant
though long delayed successes came to
crowuthe national anniversary with new
thanksaving Such an instance of hero
ic devotion and sublime self-sacrifice must
have sIaoved the careless reader; butsfor
me ths-simnle story held a tragedy no
less real and intense because partially un-
expressed William Harper had been my
friend and classmate in the old days at
cambridge. Perpapsno other had known
him as had done not so much from any
innate reserve in his constitution, making
him shrink from generous confidence, as
because a few cared to penetrate the un-
attrac lie exterior which concealed true
ani pelie spirit. va9 a-E
Philosophers tell US, and without their
aid oyir own observation as well, that the
sgiui is in sense the architect of its own
tenement, so moulding the plastic clay Of
ACE and form that every line aud feature
tecornes at length only the exponent of
some particular habit of though or phase
Of character Perhaps this, ike some
other general rules, is to be proved by its
eseeptions, for never were there two more
! assorted associates than the William
Harper whom [ knew and loved and the
Dolly and tangible presence that repre-
seated him to our senses.
Insfgdre he was tall and ungainly, NOV
lDg With an ungraceful appearance of be
ing loosely put together. Over his high
nromnert forehead hung struggling locks
. Of thin. light hair, and except at rare
simas 81 strong excitement, his blue eyes
zere absolutely lustreless. No flexible
line Of LIP, no. clean-cut arch of brow re-
deemedskis dmost repulsive plainness. or
limited at the refinement Of his inner life.
Yethe' wassat heart an idealist-a dreani->
or. BIS instincts tender and loving as a
child his whole being alive with the
koenestap probation of the true and beau
tifnl everywhere, A true child q Ma
ture, shesalone understood him with ma
~ 100, 81
showed him her secrets. transferring him
In the light of her own beauty. A Shell,
flower, a spray of autumn leaves, the
shifting tint and outline OF cloud were
to him revelation of wonderful beauty
and an inspiration of inexpressible joy
Ills college themes, written in a light
running hand, like a girls, were full Of
quaint fancies, blossoming not unfre-
quently~into rhyme, like flowers on
furze. He found his greatest pleasure
IN doing any little acts of kindness In his
power--awkwar6ly rendered sometimes,
but not the less spontaneous and heart
felt. : st.-
Such was the man whose life the last
act has been to Weld it up for anothe IN
asked IN front of the beleaeued southern
city. j have no long story TO tell Of him
oiltN " trttii TIC illC VI q liitG 10
passed away. so rounding into more per-
feet outline the fragmentary sketch of the
war correspondent, and in the light of
that vanished past making his last
.Generors deed heroic deed
fsf.f Come forth, be respected"
It was in our junior year that came to
know him well. He wasa careful student
In every department, showing tyy' us con-
scientions application The thorough APP
probation OF a poor boy, who had worked
his-ewn way up to long coveted opportu-
mites, but III languages and natural SCI
ence The was an enthusiast. His eager
peaclant towards these branches was the
complepept OF my own more sober math-
ematicaf proclivities, and 50 the hours IN
which we read together became source
of mutual profit and delight. Then, too
the long walks which had taken daily,
more out Of duty than inclination, what
new vitality they seemed to lnfuse thro'
heart and mead when he came to share
them, both as companion OF the way and
Interpreters of nature III her changing
moods The thoughts which Others
called sod Harper oddities had for
me an unfalling piquancy and charm, and
by degrees he lost all restraint with me,
and the unique images of his brain
clothed themselves lii verbal form and
stood forth not ashamed.
One particular Saturday afternoon stroll
through Mount Auburn comes to me very
clearly now, perhaps because then and
there was the beginning CT the slender
thread of my story, on which L have
thought to string these scattering remi-
niscences of my dear friend.
II ~, ., efao,. ~ ba cayI aS
we walked slowly along the shady avenues
.'the shadows of the leaves chasing each
other over the marble, are the only sym
boi of unrest And yet through what
depths of passion and pain, through what
labyrinths of vain endeavor, they came as
we all shall come at last-to tbs Then
changing the thought with characteristic
suddenness he went on: George, when
see the tender grass and clinging moses
creeping already over these new graves,
like to fancy that this loving endeavor to
heal and smooth away these scars from
the bosom of earth is something more
than a mere blind prompting of nature.
Fasten a pebble to twig, and watch day
by day through every straining fibre the
alert effort to raise its weighted head to
the sunlight again see the leaves play
with the breeze, or tremble ont their in
discribable reply to the soft plash of sum-
mer rain look at the eims tossing their
long branches in the fierce excitement Of
the tempest-does not all this seem like
more than mere insensitlve vitality?'
He paused moment, then he said
with half smile.
May follow my dream still further,
aud charging back all pain upon man. the
prime sinner. saw that only Such of these
plants as are destroyed by human hands,
for bad purposes, suffer in perishing? II
this were true, what must have haen the
j -