Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-06-21

In their sang, coy quarters, enc cold
winters night,
Two old soldiers were sitting by their
hearth stone bright -
On the table between them was their
evening lunch,
Which they daintilv nibbled while slipping
their punch.
They were two battered veterans, who
had served through tls wars,
With their military record written in
scars,
Engraved deep in their faces. The night
was New Years Eve;"
There were three legs in the party, and
one empty sleeve"
They were smoking and chatting as
boon companions may,
OF Times long passed and gone, IN an old
soldierly way;
They called each other " Bob and joe"
forgot the rank they bore,
Twas naught to them the straps OF stars
their broad shoulders wore.
They talked OF the war that's past. the
fearful sights thoy'd seen.
The laurels they had won, &Ha BE- lights
they had heep IL, ~
- Tell que, doc" said Bob. al last. "1he
hest thing you have done
Your proudest recollection Of all your life
that's gone"
e '1iS not, Bob, as youIn think, AZ easy
thing to tell,
What we'eye done thai sS hest Etea -Vsetva
done 50 fe'g this.gs weHI
Memory laes act always love on trsgie
things 10 brood,
Nor does she Ike her pictures dabhled
o'er with blood.
W hen alone We take a retrospective Tie,,
of life.
We quickly .,s-. those scenes which are
stained by brutal strife.
Which the world lauds as great, and
which gives us glory.
Fill up yOur glass and listeH, Bob; I'H tell
you g stony:
JGSi after the Late war, on q cold, 81 orinE
night
| sat snug in nay quarters, while sas warm
dancing light
Cast its trembling shadows on he walls
round about
As laughing groie=quely e, tho i7Tapes5
without, rr III
My cast.aG equipHeats loo,sly rded up
in a chair,
And myself in another with nay fee il
the air,
Leisuely smoking my pipe, she mere
schum that Jack Moore
Gave me, poor Jack! you knew him, he
fell at Grand Ecore,)
/ was waiting inpatiently for nay evening
meal,
White old sunt Dinah. with clustering
Ethiopic zeal,
Was storming at TIE 5aESies, who IL her
sable {i5Y
W ere 7'de no eountest niggahs dat she
done ebber knew"
But aided by hes busy hands and Tsproy-
Ing blast, ..-.
laid at last
l started for the meas room. and crossed
say half the floor
When l heard gentle rag OUTSIDE pPon
my door
"W2o's that q / said. in 4 somewhat sur
ley voice own,
Not what Won dear Bob would caH hos
pitshle tone,
s1Come IN, l say can't you! come iul when
YOU are toldr'
u can't, ;" said timid voice, my fingers
are so cold.'
/ turned the knob and looked out into the
night and storm, fr
And saw standing shivering there, the
dripping scant clad form
Ofa sad faced little girl, face that grief,
not years,
Had made look wan aSd old, while nom
her eyes The tears,
Mocking the big cold rain drops, were
. creeping Ger her cheek;
J stood a moment, silent, watching for
her to speak,
She stood still on the threshold, should
say minute,
Looking down az her basket that had
nothing in It,
stin she seemed to hesitate, rs ifsonie-
what fearful
Like one unused TO kindness, while he
still fearful
Sought with anxious looks my own, 50
imploripgly sad
That ia have given her the then the last
biscuit / had. ..T
I" COME in, my dear child. " said ], . come
in by the firel
Aud tell me as you warm yourself what
YOU desirel"
She came into the fireSide and took the
proffered seat,
And held to the warming blaze her poor
half frozen feet,
Which were hare and stoekiDgless, and
blue and pinched with cold,
And, like her dress, all stained DER with
yellow clayey mould.
Her gown was tattered and worn and
vainly heightened out
With different material, and patched and
darned about;
An old, faded handkerchief covered her
unkempt hair,
Which would have been beautiful with
half hand of care;
Her eye was that gentle bluewhich artists
love to paint,
In their ideal pictures OF some sorrowingf
saint;
In fsct, herwhole timil grace, and gentle,
modest ways
Seemed to tell that she had known
other and better days.
When by the fire she'd warmed her t-en1b-
ling, half-elad form,
l asked what brought her forth in such
bitter storm. .s--.,-r-
81 came, sir" she said, biushing sadly
and hanging her head,
q came to see If ] could get small piece
Of bread;
But cannot tell yea, sir, how much
hate to beg;
But nay mother is so sick, and Tom has
lost his leg; N
He lost his leg at Dallas; he was soldier
then,
For they took most of the boys, as well as
all the men. 49,
We all done what we could, sir, and tried
to win the fight,
We gave our country all we had, thinking
we were right,