Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-03-13

forgot % look Tor my old enemy for 30.
you see. l still regarded the surly stsgeisr
who refused me water at the roadside
sprirg.
"Aiter the battles Of the wilderness, =
great multitude of the wounded were
poured IN upon US; oil our words were
dlled 70 Overlooking. II was hot, close
weather; most OF the patients were fsvered
~ their wounds and 81 ,osure to the sun
aud up and down the long, CHASTITY lines
Of white beds ihe great CIV was fo1 water
| took large pitcher of ice water and q
tumbler, ard started on the round Of nv
wsrd, - eager TO give - the poor fellows
we're 70 receive The Ice ratified and rung
In the pitcher In the most inviting way.
and many heavy eyes opened stths sound,
add many hot hand was stretched out,
Whoo. oil ct once, % enc Of the farthest
beds Of the ward, ~ . man start up,
With bic face 6soing With fever, ard HE
eyes sleaniag, - b almsst screamed out
"Wasss Give ~ water, for Gods sake ~
"Th6os 0ala0, eesld ~ no ether face
10 the vas1, Ses i was Aa!'
Inade . TEN steps toward him, and ssv
be knsw - - we'll - knew him. for b
fell bes6 . bic pillev sad just torned biz
fass eswasds We veil. 1hsn the devil
:ighteasd bic Drip - ~, and b. seemed
- II b bod Ds Test aud sure, and hs
sssnsd - wbispsr 10 ~ ear: Rattle the
ice in The pitcher. and aegravste himi Go
up and down, giving water 10 al the others,
and not drop"
Then something elss Whispered, . littls
nearer, though net in such sharp, kissing
way-conscieEcs, suppose il war; good
Msthodi.ss might call it tho Holy Spirit
other religious people might say il was the
spirit Of my mother; and perhaps We would
oil mean about the same thing-anyhow
Il seemed 10 ray: Nov, my boy. is your
chance % return good for evil.
Go TO him, give HIM something 10 driL
fret OF all - And that something walked
me right up to his bedside. made Inc aide
my hand under his shoulder and raiss him
Up. and put tho iumbIsr to his lips. How
he drank never can forget; 10 long, deep
draushts, almost . tumblerful at . sw al
low, looking 1t me % w,ssfully oil the time.
When he vas satisfied he fell back, and
again TUNED his lace - the wall, without
= werd. But semsbew knew that isllow's
heart was touched, - no ehsplain's sermon
Of tract had ever touehsd il.
! asked the surgeon 10 let ne have the
full care Of this patient, and he contested,
though he aaid the man had . bad gunshet
wound In the knee, and would have to sub
init to On amputation, ifhs could stand il /;
end II not. would probably make great
deal Of trouble while he lasted
We'll. took charge Of him: had 70 Dc
II, somehow; but he kept up The same
silence With me for several days; then, sns
nornisg. just - l vas leaving his bedside,
he caught held Of ny coat aud pulled me
back. bent down to ask hin What he
wanted. end BE- said 10 hsarss whisper,
"You remember that csntssn business 10
the Shenandoah Valley ?" Eyes but il
don't matter new, old fsllsw," I answered.
"'Bat 1t does matter b said. 4 don't
knew what made me - sssly that dav,
emily that On upstast yeurg Lieutenant frsm
eur town had jus' been swearing Of ne for
straggling; and ! waan't 70 blame, fer I
was sick. I csms dewn With the fever The
next day. Az for what said to you, wss
ashamed q it6sfere yeu get cut Of sight !;
and. 70 tell yeu The truth. I've been locking
for yon thess I've pears, just 70 tell you too.
But when l met you here. whore I was
crying. slmess dying. for water, it seemed
70 like the carrying out Of ysur curse. was
almost afraid Of ysu.'
III tell You what, Nc lam, il gave me
stranger feelings to think Of him looking
Tor me 10 make Up. and looking for him
% be rsvsnged oil this time cd It vas
,uch . little sin. after oil. I'm not ashamed
10 confess that the tears came into my eyes
h said: Nov Easlmsn, (that vas his
name he waa . Maine man, don't fret
about that little matter any more; it's all
right asd you've been better fsllsw than
I oil along
"But hs had taken Il to heart, and was
tee weak to throw il OF. 1t was 90 mean,'
hs said, 80 unseldisr>like aud bsarish :
ana was so gsed to forgive it, he iDsis.
ted.
II stood by him while his leg was ampu-
t.tcd; and whom, after time. the surgeon
said even that could not save him, that he
vas sinking, | found that the an was like
! brother 10 me. He took the hard news
that no must die. just Is the war vas OIL.
mot ended, like the brave fellow he VS..
He dictated . Il letter to his sister,
the only relative he had gave the some
directions abeut sending his / epsakcs 70
her, and then asked for chaplain. This
vas good. sensible. elderly man, and he
talked in about the right style. l think. and
made Us oil feel quite comfortable 10 the
belief that in tho Fathers house there,
must be . mansion for the poor soldier,
~ns had SO often campsd out in snow and
'ain and that for him who had given his
NJ for his country some great good must
% in store.
AT last the poor fellow said to the
chaplain isn't there something in the
Bible about giving cup of cold water"
All ! madam, | can't tell you how tha,
hurt me. - Eastman said l, don't
lcn';' But no only smiled % the chap
aid repeated the verse. Then he turned
0 me aud said
You didn't think what sou were doing
or yourself when you gave me that glass
II ice water the other day. did you. old Eel
ow. Can pass for one Of ths little ones,
hough with my six.fsst two" Then he
vent On talking about being little, and the
tingdom Of hesvss, ill W almost feared
lie mind was wandering; but pa-haps il
sas only anding its way home. Il do feel
childish ts-n,ght, he said. Il
eel lite saying the prayer verss my meth
'r taught me when she used to put me to
BED twenty Eve years ego. If you'll sx>
'ose me. III say It, oil t. myself. before
70 20 sleep,"