The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1870-06-02
THE OLD BLUE COAT BEHIND
THE DOOR

! sun SihohN OLA SssS ASs- 80 >'''S 'OS''. ~
Private nillerton's! To be sure it die
not get round to the two small mcndet
windows until nearly noon; but there
was always the little Nivandiere, as The
Private Insisted upon calling her, with
her brisk step and stirring ways, and
bright smile; aud he himself, poor fel.
low, what there was left Of him-for he
had lost both arms aud foot in the war
was always in such spirits! And
when the sun did make out to look in
and see what was going on, how every
thing shone and sparkled.
The Cherokee rose, in the window
that came from IA cutting the Private
had worn in his button hole on the day
he went into his last engagement, some :
times unfoldcd bud SO rapidly you
could almost see 1t open; the little Vi
wanderers tin and pewter arrangement
glistencd on tho shelf, the Carolina
mocking bird whistled merrily, and the
buttons on the faded army overcoat
that hung behiN the door, flashed like
powder pan.
That coat was great comfort to the
Private, although he would never need
1t again for the warmth, sitting as he
must for the rest Of his life, beside the
the fire. But 1t had happened to him,
as it might to almost any Of us who
should bc shattered down to a mere
wreck, standing in the breach for our
country, that his mind was not as clear
as it had been once, and sometimes
though not often, u troubled look would
come over his face; he would glance
down Mt the citizens clothes that had
taken the place of his worn-out uni
form, and then look pitifully up at the
| Iiuandicre.
"Vivc," he would say, "tell me. I'm
not discharged, am I?'
"Dischargcd, Private"n He would
not let her say, father, it must always
| be, Private; "discharged. Not bit Of
it! Only transferred. DO you think
they could spare so true Il soldier :?
| Why just look at your coat hanging
there ~
Then he would look up at 1t, and his
face would shine again; indeed, you
| might have been sure from the eXplcs
sion, that he would have rubbed his
hands together in his pride and satisfac-
ton, if he had not given them both
away, years before, to hclp hold up the
| bulwarks Of our Union.
J., 4
say; lets have tho old comrade
down.
And when she laid it gently over his
shoulder, (Vive did everything gently
though more quickly than you could
wink. he would turn his head SO that
one cheek would feel the touch of the
collar, and ask,
Where did you say they had trans
fcrred me, Vive?"
Reserved corps, Private, reserved
corps. Post of honor and reliance"
ayes, yes, to be sure. I remember it
all. You see, Nive, that picket last
night was fcarfully cold. Why my
handsand feet feel numb and heavy
yet No wonder my head is Il little
touched. Reserved corps, Yes, indeed!
They'll bring US on, by and by, at the
sharpest pinch OF all, and wen turn the
day for them. Who did you say has the
! division, Nive:'
"Thc Great Captain, Private. You'll
! get orders yet, some day. Just be
j patient little while longer, and they'll
Gomez
Never fear, Nive. | know my duty.
! Waiting is fighting to true soldier, till
we hear the buelc sound, Forward,
/ march,. Then let them look out. The
/ true blues are coming! Let them take
care of themselves then, Nive.'
And when the sun had passed quite
round the house, and darkness came
down outside, after the short winter
day, the door was sure to open AMI a
young man would step in, nodding
first to Vive and then to the Private.
"How are you, Corporal"' the Pri-
vate always cried out, in the same joy
ous tones; "why, you're M welcome ao n
halt after n ten hours march! Let's
have more wood on the fire, Nive! Let
it burn as watch-fire should! No
danger of the enemy's seeing it. Now
a song, Corporal, and III give you one
myself, when yours is done.n
And go the evenings passed away
only once in while, the puzzled look
would return to the PriYate's face, and
he would ask, Lets see, Corporal
you're not in my corps, just now, are
you:n
mo, no, Pm attached to the Fatigue
Party. I've been hard at work all day
was always the answer of the Corporal
who was not a soldier at all, but only q
prosperous young carpenter, who had
succeeded in drafting Nive, and was t.
have her under his own flag as soon as
her engagement with the Private should
be served out Meddlesome people said
that ought to be very soon, but the
Corporal would not ask it, and when
Vive heard what they said, it made hei
eyes, that always looked SO tender!y in
~. f,a Tnrf I,