The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1870-11-24


it were, that 1 forgot TO look for my
old enemy for so, you see, I still re-
garded the surly stranger who refused
me water at the roadside spring.
CATER the battles of the Wilderness.
a great multitude of the wounded
were poured in upon US; all our wards
were flied to OverAowing. 1t was
hot, close weathel) most Of the patien 8
were fevered by their wOunds,and ex-
pOsure to the sun, and up and down
the long, ghasty lines of white bells
the great cry was for water. ] took
large pitcher of ice water and tumb-
Ter and started on the round of my
Ward, as eager TO g, give as. the poor
fellows were to receive. The ice rat
tied and rung in the pitcher in the
most inviting way, and many heavy
eyes opened at The sound, and many
a hot hand was stretched out, when
ali at once, on Que of the farthest beds
of the ward, l saw man start up,
with his face fl inning with fever, aud
his eyes cleaning, as he almost
screamed out: 'Waten give me water,
for Gods sakpT
''Then, madam, I could see no other
face in the ward, for it was he!
81 made a few steps towards him,
and saw he knew me as we'll as /
him, for he fell back on his PILLOW
and Just turned his face TO the wall.
Then 1he devil frightened his grip on
me, till it seemed he had me fast and
sure, and he seemed 10 whisper in my
ear: Rattle the ice in the pitcher,
and aggravate himl Go up and down,
giving water to all the others, and not
a drop to himp
"Then something else whispered,
though not in such sharp, Kissing
way-cOnscipncp, suppose it was;
good MelhOdists might call it the Holy
Spirit; other religious people might
say it was the spirit of my mOthelS
and perhaps we would all mean about
the same thing-anyhOw, it seemed
to say: 'Now. my boy, is your chance
to return good for evil.'
'GO 10 him, give him to drink first
of alp And that something walked
me right up to his bedside, made me
slide my hand under his shoulder
and raise him up, and put the tdm6ler
to his lips. How he drank 1 can never
fOrget-in long, deep draughts, almost
a tumblerfuIl at swallow, looking at
me so wistfulIy all the time. When
he was satisfied, he fell back, and again
turned his face to the wall, without
saying word. But somehow I knew
that fellows heart was touched as no
chaplain S sermon or tract had ever
touched it,
"I asked the surgeon to let me
have the sole care of this patient, and
he consented, though he said the man
had d bad shotgun wound in the
knee, and would have to submit TO an
amputatiOn if he could stand it; and
if not, woulds probably make me a
great deal of trouble while he lasted,
"Weli, | took charge of him had
to DO it, sOmphOw-but he kept up the
the same silence with me for few
days; then, one morning, just as /
was leaving his bedside, he caught
hold of my coat and pulled me back.
l bent down TO ask him what he
wanted, and he said, in a hOarse
whisper: You remember that canteen
busin IS in the Shenandoah Valley2'
'Yes; but it don't matter now, old fell
low, l answered.
'But- it does NATTER he said. q
don t know what made me so surly
that day, only that an upStart young
lieutenant from our town had just
been swearing at me for Struggling;
and l wasn't to blaInej for was sick.
/ came down with the fever next day.
As for what 1 said to you, l was
ashamed Of it befJre you got out Of
sight; and, to tell the truth, I'VE been
looking for you for these two years
Just to tell you so. But when 1 met
you here where was crying, almost
dying, for water, it seemed so like
carrying out your curse, was almost
afraid of you
81 tell you what, Madam, it gave me
feelings to think of him look
ing for me, to make up, apd l looking
for him, to be feVenged all this time,
and it was siicl1 little sin, after all.
Pm not ashamed to confess that the
tears came into my eyes as l said:-
Now, EASTMAN, (that was his name;
he was Maine many, don't fret about
that little matter any mere; it's all
right and you've been better fellow
than 1 all along
"But he had taken it to heart, and
was too weak to throw it of. 1t was
$50 mean he said, so unsoldier-Iike
and bearish;' he insisted.
"I stood by him when his leg was
amputated; and when, after a time,
the surgeon said even that could n0t
save him, that he was sinking, found
that the man was like brother 10 me.
He took the hard news that he must
die, Just as the war was almost ended,
like the brave fellow he was.
HE dictated a last letter to his sis
ter, the only relative he had; gave me
some directions about Sending his
keepsakes to her, and then asked for
the chaplain. This was a good, seusi-
BILE, elderly man, and he talked in
about the right style, 1 think, and he
made US all feel quite comfortable id
the belief that in the Fathers house
there must be a mansion for the poor
soldier, who had so often camped out
in the snow and rain; and that for him
who had given his all for his country
some great good must be in store.
DAT 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 that hurt me. 20, Eastman!
said I, don't, don't 2 but he only
smiled as the chaplain repeated the
verse, then he turned to me and said:
You didn't think what you were
doing for yourself when you gave me
that glass of ice water the other day,
did you, old fellow? Can pass for
one Of the little ones, though, with my
Then he went on to