National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-07-26
Little Drummer Bow.

y little drummer boy in one of |
our regiments, who had become a
great tavorite with many of the Off
GERS by his unremitting good nature,
was on one occasion III the officers
tent when that bane of the soldiers
life, drink, was passed round. a
captain handed glass to the little
fellow, who stood near, BAT he po-
litely declined it, saying:
IL am a cadet of Temperance, cap
tain, and do not taste strong drink"
''But you must take some new.
insist on it. You belong to our
mess today, and cannot refuse.n
Still the boy stood firm ON the
rock of total abstinence, and held to
his integrity. The captain, turning
to the major, said :
''IIarry is afraid to drink he will
ncN1r make soldier
"lIoW is this ?" said the major,
playfully ; and then assuming an
other tone, added, IL command YOU
to take drink, and you know it is
death to disobey orders"
The little hero, raising his young
form to its full height, and fixing his
clear blue eyes, lit up with unusal
brilliancy, on the face of the officer,
said i
'Sir, my father died a drunkard /;
and when entered the army, lprom
ised my dear mother that, by the
help of God, would not taste a drop
of drink, and ] mean to keep my
promise. lam sorry to diSobey your
orders, Sir, but would rather suffer
than disgrace my mother and break
my temperance pledge
The little drummer boy has since
been a wounded sufferer in the hosp-
tai at West Philadelphia. Did he
not show true courage The man or
the boy that darcs to do right in the
face of opposition is IA true hero
while he who consents to do what he
feels is wrong, from fear Of ridiculc.
is a coward.-S. s. Times.
AN AIR GUN.-The following is
description ofan air gun as usually
made now -a-days, and which was
| theinStrumcnt of a murder at Brook
| lyn a few days ago:
In appearance it is a cane, and Is
simply a tube of about three feet II
length, hollow throughout, and made
of highly wrought iron. 1t is divi
ded into two nearly equal lengths
the upper part toward the head Tor
ming the air-chamber, and the lowe
half the barrel from which the pro
iectiIc is discharged. The two sec
tions are screwed together, and wheI
united fit so closely that the seam is
not apparent, except upon the clos
! est examination. When il is to be
prepared for use the sections are
separated, and by means ofa pump,
which is, for the time being, attached
to the upper end of the tube, the
chamber is filled, with compressed
air. The operation completed, the
pump is removed, tight-iittlng cap
is screwed upon the open end, the
barrel is attached, and the weapon
#, is then. 80 far as motive power Is
concerned, ready for use. The bnl'
let. known to the trade as "SlAe Nc
ll0." or about twice as large rs q
common pea, is then passed II the
barrel and 'rammed home,' wherC
it rem lius until discharged by an i'll
; pcnious continuance. non one sid'
of the barrel Just below the JOINT o
the two sections, is small hole, IN
to which the key is fitted, and turn
b ed until Il small steel knob is ioicet
to stand out from the opposite SIDE
! of the barrel. The key IS then with
? drawn. and when the bullet is To bC
= sent upon its destructive mission
the weapon is raised, ann IS takel
2 by means Of sight-plns upon the bar
rel, the knob is pressed hy the in
deX finger of the left hand, u valve
in the air. chamber is thereby opened
e. and lust enough air is released t.
r discharge the bullet. The air cham
II Der once filed, thirty bullets ma
n be discharged without rcplenishns
l. but not more ,han the tenth on
is NAV he relied upon topcnetrate III
lc ohi, ct. The distance ut winch III
If weapon is effective is from % to =
y feet. Many of the air guns OF En-
r. USh manufacture have lillc barrel
il and ore loaded at tho hieech, Ina
4 experiment mad. Il short time sine
~ in a shooting gallery III New lorI
le bullets were driven from an air ~
IN cane, through II German whitc.woC
h plank an inch and half in THE
or ness and that at the average dsltan
d of thirty Yards. The noise Win
u. accompanies the discharge OF I
ho weapon is scarcely pcrecpilble, I
ch report being similar 70 the Shappil
of of small whiplash. This IA
III makes the air gun an exceeding
IN dangerous instrument IN the haa
mt of the assassin. In the Brook
,ar murder referred to, had not the
'cr lice officer been in close proXlm
To the scene at the time and obs
De-. we'd the fall of the victim ANA I
of light of the murderer, the d'
lrs might have remained forever IN
an soluble mystery.
ed. A Mr.. George Mcclellan keeps
de. hotel near Gettysburg, ana II
tes said that the coincidence h'Silal
ch. with that of the Gencral VINO W,
,ps commanded the army OF thc ~
nm M mae. mas led many English tours
na ,n v'ite home that the "ingratiiu W
nd of of the Republic has doomed its G. eh,' =
NV =. -, Icon n village tavern on &