The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-09-23

Viable one. 1t was nearly three o'clock
q My regiment had embarked at two
I O'Clock, and the unpleasant words OF
? my Colonel, as from time to time
o again read his letter, made me feel very
e uncomfortable. My commission seem
= ed to be anything but safe. However,
: after much calculation, arrived at the
/ conclusion that though the regiment
a might have embarked, the vessel could
= hardly have sailed, and that I should
/ be in time. Alas! two or three hours
late, / stood on the pierat Portsmouth
f and saw the troop-ship Hiawatha.
2 with every sail set and fair wind,
: miles away from land.
With heavy heart, l turned away.
/ What could I do? AS I walked along.
with down cast head, I suddenly re-
ceived volly Of abuse, and became
| conscious that had trOdden on the
gOuty toes of some old naval captain.
z He did not speak mildly to me. He
was not one of the new school, and he
rated tat13 an me Z. W. ~ 4 F 1g'Ea9ge as
quarterback, and I had committed the
most heinOus offence imaginable. So
, rough was his tongue, that, under any
other circumstances, L should have
} been fairly angry. AS it was, it was q
perfect chance whether abused him or
apologized. My good fortune prevail
ed.
" beg your PARDON" said; 81 was
too much occupied by my own miser-
able thoughts to see where 1 was 60
ing. Don't be too hard on man that
is down." AndI walked away.
Come here, youngster," ne roared.
I" Miserable thoughts, man that is
Edown'-what do you mean by that
nonsense at your time of Iife?" And
/ in, TI1cfrocco1 90 or,fo
, nance how really upset my mind was,
he spoke most kindly to me, and said :
I suppose you have got into some
scrape. / have q boy aoOut your age !;
[ should be most thankful if any one
helped him in a difficulty; tell me all
about it."
I did tell him all about it, merely
Isuppressing what had happened in
London.
Eyes" he said, you will lose your
commission, to a dead certainty, if you
do not catch that ship; and, even if
you do catch her, you will probably
be at once put under arrest: But cheer
up; 1 will see what l can do for you.
I The vast probabilities are, that before
twenty-fOUr hours are over, we shall
have an extremely severe soN|sh-West
gale. Very likely the Hiawatha will
be forced to put i'll at Plymouth. 1t so
happens, that, at Plymouth I have
great inhuence-much more than 1
have here. l am most Intimately ac-
7 quainted with the POTt-Admiral at
Plymouth. You must get down to
that town as fast as you can by post
ing and rail; go at once to the Port
Admiral and give him n letter I will
now write.
In the letter he begged his friend to
hayea lookout kept for the Hiawatha,
and if within so many hours she did
not put into Plymouth, toSsend a stea-
D, mer and see if by any means she could
meet with the troop-ship ed put me
on board.
The predicted gale came on in the
course of a few hours. The POrt-Ad-
miral at Plymouth not only received
me most kindly, but gave me a letter
to Col. --, which he said might DO
me good. To my great delight the Hi
aWatha was driven into Plymouth by
stress of weather. [ need hardly cay l
lost no time in getting on board. II did
not report myself as Ensign Temple,
but asking for Col. -- said: " Adj
miral --- begged me togive you this
letter" He read it. "COme down to
my cabin, Mr.. Temple" and when
there, he continued - The letter you
have given me from Admiral --- is
one in which he begs, as a personal fa-
vor to himself, viii not put youunder
arrest, anoA receive you favOrSbly in
every way, if 1 can do SO consistently
with my duty. You do not appear to
me to deserve any Kindness. L treated
YOU with unusual favor in allowing
you leave of absence uT to the very
last moment. In my letter to you l
told you in plain language what would
be the consequence if you did not reach
Portsmouth at the appointed hour.
With plenty of time before you with
certain results staring you in the face,
you chose to absent yourself from your
regiment for n longer period than you
were allowed; and, indeed, it is only
by mere chapter of accidents that
you were able to join your regiment at
all. Now, before [ make up my mind
what to do, tell me plainly and truth
fully everything connected with your
absence. Do not attempt to make eX-
cuses."
told him everything, merely re-
spectfully requesting him that he
would keep my eecGpade quite secret.
: He attended to my tale, grew interer-
ested in. my outside railway journey,
and ali but laughed at my police ad-
venture. To cut my story short, [
, will give his parting words to me:
Mr.. Temple, 1 had thought that
, probably dissipation or carelessness had
, detained you in town. For many rea-
! sons ! will take no notice whatever of
, what has happened. If [ took any no.
tice at all, it must be in q very serious
way. Report yourself to the Adjutant;
or perhaps l had better take you to him
myself, and introduce you. Make what
, excuse you like to your brother officers
, for your nOn-appeaPance; and l will
not exact a promise from you, but re-
, member you have got into this scrape
, through drinking'-
% was not at all drunk, sir" said /.
mo, 1 never said you were, Mr..
: Temple; but being by nature an excl
table temperament, yOudid that which
you would not have done had you ta-
ken no beer, champagne or sherry for
lunch; and putting aside the bodily
) risk you ran, you did that which might
: have cost you what you value prOba-
: bly, more than life-I mean your good
name. Now, my very strong advice
, to you, Mr.. Temple, is this: Do not let
, any circumstances whatever lead yJu
to drink anything strong before your
dinner. l do not mean to imply that
= you are likely to get drunk; but the
silly habit of drinking on an empty
: stomach merely for drinking's sake 4;
a the silly habit Of making two dinners
! day, when beer, sherry, and cham
pa SuS are uIuuh al luLc--1 Iudy oL may
( not injure others, but viii probably
/ lead a person of your temperament to
) do, in some moment of excitement,
] that which you will all your life regret
81 promise, sir, tO"-
: "No, don't promise, Mr.. Temple:
: You little know the temptations which
a as young officer, you will encounter.
' Don't promise, but ever remember my
advice.n
e Colonel - sleeps in the Crimea; he
died in my arms. Admiral - and
t Captain - are also both dead. Oi
s Holm Smith the medical Stndnnf 1