Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-07-01
FPs0 Ballsu's Moashly.
LINKED LIVES
n nraA c. eRErxLxAr.

Us uret year. Inc shame OF Bull
Run was fresh in every mind, wheu
Benjamin Cotton, the youngest sou
ofan old minister. begged the privi
lege Of enlisting. He was refused
The eldest son was doing gallant
service AZ captain Of . Missouri
cavalry company, having settled IN
Kansas after the troubles, in which
he had taken an active part The
second son Was In the navy; . vol.
unteer when the war frat broke out.
The father had cheerfhlly given
these to tae service Of their country;
had craved Gods blessing on the
work oftheir hands, had daily pray
ed that they might proYs mighty
men Of valor' on the field ofbattle.
But that BENJAMIN, the last child of
his mother, and sha dead these ma
ny years, should 60, was too much.
Benjamin was under age, also, being
not quite seventeen yeats old. In
vain the STRIPPING plead that he cod
sutrun, outwrestle, outsleep any man
In the village; that he had camped
out night amer night had made each
OF tho last four summers q long jour-
ney on foot.
The slow days crept on. Benjam.
IN took no interest in his usual &C.
cupat'ou. A recruiting officer pass
ed through the place, and had some
conversation with him at the Post
Office. It Was the early autumn. A
few days after the sunny morning
brought no CHEEKY salrte from Ben
jamin. He had gene. His father.
sought him sorrowing; but he Was at
none of the recruiting stations near
at hand, and the old man had NO
courage to 60 to those more remote.
So he came home to pray for three
sons in peril, and to be comforted
BY bis daughter Irene, Q rare, sweet
maiden.
Weakened BY fever, brought on
by exposure to . rainstorm at night
alter the first long march, being
without tent, without ovsrcoat, and
possessing . single blanket, Benjam- |
IN still went through that slow but.
cherry Of McC lellan's summer on the |
peninsola, and care ont in q better
condition than most men,
The years Of the war rolled MP
their record of blood, misery, star
vatier; and when God granted ~
the boon Of peace, Benjamin looked
forward to return to his father
and sister, to his books and chosen
profession. But the powers that be
had ordered il otherwise, and he re-
manned in Texas where peace had
found him.
Nearly three years longer rolled
on, YEARLY, for the longing he felt
20 see his fathers silvery head, his
sisters patient eyes once more,
otherwise happily, for was he not
still doing good hard service for his
country When the time that he was
no longer needed, it was a pleasure
to rush away home, Is fast as horse
and steamboat, and railcar could
carry him.
He found his fathers hair more
snowy than when be saw it last, and /
A-ene's eyes more sanity sweet, as
eyes are apt to grow that have pray
ed for the safety, and watched for
the coming Of some best beloved,
whom duty holds in distant peril.
He had now no relish for study Il
To go back to Latin quantities, and
Greek PARTICLES, after more than six
years Of work, . man among men,
WAS too boyish for him.
When breakfast was oyer one
morning, and the family Bible laid
sncs more in its accustomed place.
Benjamin said: Il
Father, I'm of again. Its Of no |
use for me to think Of settling down
TO eight years Of study, I'd rather
plssgh."
One would not wonder, seeing his
magnificent figure, his powerful
limbs, strong neck Throwing one
leg forward, his arms upward with
cienched fists, looking ct to battle
with anything that may come in .
mans way, he laughingly said:
There's too much Of me, this
b,dy, I mean. TO fold up at . desk
while the kernel in my forehead gets
properly drilled in the 'humanities.'
Pm OF ferTexas, to buy q plantation
or rancho. I think I'll raise cot
ton. When can take care Of you
and Irene, You shah both come out
snd see which you like best, Texas
Or vermont, and stay therso come
home and try annexstior 70. and i'm
prsrement Of, your one acre, and
3 the house that ought to be. but Is
not a-parssnags, jnst as Il suits you
Il zee. my boy. Az you say, il
n of M ma uwfsh>d vDrv r,u~h