, 1870-12-25
THEPROV0sT MARsHaLsSToRy

Neto u4tHu neCEd1A31t9 connQe1 10 ING young
or inexperienced can imagine these asea1- |
ed At times by temptations more terrible to
face than anr etor1n Of lead that ever event
over the bs:tle-feld. Of history. With thoee
Tho went under, vainly fighting, I can SYM
patb'ze. whlo for those who grardly beat
down The de,il under their feet. have heart.
felt praise and admiration. Don't ense.. sir.
Nheo eay, that. Of these last, believe there
we're not few No, emit mention nan,or.
more's the pity. The victots OF tbeee con-
fiets neither hand In their names nor post up
theiz records. And yet, fortunately for my
theory have, In mind the rather thrilling
story Of one Of these moral heroes, and /
might tell it, IL would All nonsense, do
sou say? Not at all, sis- can youch for It's
verify Tell II then7 Well I will, on coudI-
don that it goes no farther, for, confided in
friendship. It WIS not anticipated that wonld
SOW it broadcast Dat ynu must Isl mo 30
back to the beginning.
OF course, sou never knew my old school
matc. Hal Dudley A prime sc:lo~ was lIal,
9ank, hearty, wEole-soulsd, aad a Ere1t IA
Torite- / 1plumed myself not lttlo on Lis
eondescensiou in playing Damon to MY
rythiAs. When the war broke out be was 4
lad-bee pardon, young Gentleman-at col.
our way into the army While le VAS esrniug
lis sinSle and double bars, on the Ted and tho
Mistissrpl, was all quiet With the army Of
the po,omac at Fair Oaks, fredericksburg,
efose Of lie var, learned that he bad boen
detailed AZ Provost Marehal OF one of the
sau-s IMPORTANT seaport cities OF tho south,
iitn IL chr POSSESSION. Thinks I to snyseli
that p:a.i1g great responsibility in tho
hAs'tl= .. t;.re. aud ,w.aty, Int then, that hey
l. .4ut: 30 a.:;t;a:.' The war euded, bnt
n'w ltsss"=. i h. = lis s:ill wide apart.
Afvv ne:as a2'', oa taking boat un the
llrcf. u!o sl:uut. ;ua OF bo1.d but Mv old
.'i~:.s'- swi.: dcs ::.e hours to The memories
If t.u ta-r. i4s eoo- foru.e would hare it. =
tuif fas.,E Esrtt-. OF Ito cvcaiuS OF that
LAy. and, =. Te s.l cn the guards, watching
leE ce1uetTitr win cid Father Niesi=sippl, we
fe.l "a ic.'t ar.aLs our uat experiences. Altar
RI pEi-u3- Hal +u.leuly loko cut with, "I
must res. Cis;c t!isI fb!nk the most tick
li.h sfl2lr gar yet into happened after
Was assie:-;.i 30 auty as Provost at Blank
my hoaor sas asst desperately IN lssil. For
the saka Il Aula Lag Syne,' thlnk msy
I'll you al about H."
"Ge.t1ic1s," sail I; "cersainly, I'll be
silent partner with Eou, il tLA,'. the iloA-
Ard tlis was bis story, word Ia word, as
1scaIl il:
"Pu.t, thcu,n eaia he, "h.ve you snv idea
what it rcaiir meant, to te Provost of:a gseat,
wealthy seaport city, the metropolis OF !
r. blank City then was: D5n't EFT sou haye,
for i,r impossible, without ths experience.
Try to imagine, 1nwo7cr, the conflict OF inter-
Get aud tho sta.e 9: sociuty there must hare
tsen, NhsIe l.sish government Easpour1ug
ous III re6nurceo for 3 thousand purposes,
where vast afuouuts Of reb.1 property were to
I've, OF sct1e no. te te, coc6scitrd. where great
hoazts OF almost priceless cotton were to bo
run out illfgstiEnattay II Possible, and honesl-
y OILY when Eecsssa1y., and, against all this,
position and Office tell you, Amounts pass-
ed through my hands, or within ny roach,
that fairly staggered incline, the con Of poor
pAtents. who, At college, had ever tsen pinch
cd for the needfal, and in the field had only
fingered my pay. The very air soumed full
Of bribery and corruption. and, il had bten
diEheneeuy inciincd-wc11, I should bs batter
od thai. am-As vell-to-do, pc1haps, AZ some
1wot OF. But no matter; felt that il
eyor did get anything together I wanted to
stand But was to tell you bow ii once trs.-
ed me to the utnsoat 10 let 4 fortune slip
through my tugere, btcause couldn't hon.
cs1ly clcse ny hand upon it. It was alter
Iii. fatIiicn.
Ono afternoon stranger cntnrsd my ot1lca.
No was IA her large, s3ncut,7t poftty, aud
At once disEiftd aud courtly in lis bss1ing.
Hisafsce. and hiseress also, spoke Of respect
sh'litx;; With gracious sm,ls and bow ts
handed me- his card, and stw his addroes
Ess Nes York. IA response to my inqui1ing
lock, he said, 'Nope don't intru3e, Csp-
tain, but the fact IT, inst hefore left the
city, chacced to meet my old frierd General
Sanford Merton. Learning my Intentions,
he informed me that While campaigning it,
up the Red, he had taken quite desperate
fancg to you. and desired no to be eure aud
call and remember him to you. mentioned
Letter, lut he said that Lis name woull be
q ETTffS tArr$ ~, 4 n$~+t,k =
Captsiu, it you will permit me, that he spoke
20 highly Of you, that personnlly, l w1s not =
little curious 10 eee one who could 60 COM
rletcly capture tho good opirione Of such 4
sterling old wst-Eofsb as our fIiend the Gen
eral. Again, trust, have not been too pre-
tumptueu.. ateu1ed him that ho WAS vel
ecne- and that was very glad to hear from
my old commander, General Merton, Ehoee
good opinion was certainly vesT grateful
10 me, though feared undeeerEed We
passed HGne moments IN pleasant clet,
during which ho informed me- that he was en-
Etged j. mercantile puIAuitr, and thas hayins
rather oEeEwotke3, lie bad planned LITTLE
tip 10 Sc: snin Of eoa-air, see something o.
in on the soldier boye, in whom be had AWAY
felt the deepest interest, etc. otc. III viii,
dra"i, 6, invited siu to eal again al hi
ccnvt tEierec.
nceemrauictl bs tho compliments Of my nos
made friend, lsx Of cigars Of the mos
siiryw,ra h. 3-:,,, r,1iaa 49, a. IL ~,
really we1 informed End \ fine conversation
hrnr ~ ~ Wi;3a m,t;-r ~ sa;.ns +
s.t1,..1 - .,,1,1sr,- rn.o,Isct ~ I,rn.",1 -,
.sf1n hr ~ 1rr f.n,s'r h.ra fonn
-eyr1.1 o1i fr;c,,ss t.re .,,d Ta ara ,,o;nr :
hs,n ouie: I:t,,c ,s,,,,,er a, n,r ronms at IN
1r.1,1s 11nnsa tn ni1,t I'D .i..,.td !,
n,nst i,,nnr ~, h.rn 70, ;o;,, "a Tor w
nt:cr xM van IN 2, -, aso :, ,+;nd >" ,'t -
nrcmc,i ,j,1r.s as..~n1teo,s 5 - dn,,..e IL,
is...'s,-,s -, ..,a.t ~; ;..;.i u'oo4 lA1A'
r. - -. ~ .ei's za ~ ..! an>na''eu.
r!ar H.. noaFel W. solea 1; 1 fnfeSs4 E
,n"ttnf.qn .no Gt.G ~ Se1a H., a.uf ~; ~
oe " ta.e;r 1so - .oua Ill, ~ ~ !,
ta5., 1ui,.ces s,e.,.1,-,ss ~ 1v:n 'o " ~
~ Ivy 'oiif ;,I8 T. Gentlemen. :.D Mne Mas Itcs
~ i;,,,,;.s Gs', - t, ~ nsunssoesaola .mou.
,.;r ;E -, W. - si f. ,soE NJ, q, scnss ~
-, ~. ors ho' ~ sta 49, eAts y,
i rnrnnr+ - ~ ~ ~ so.;1 x3tn., -" ~ ~
~ Tr,s.s1s " 49, 81 E..,,E. asE,n ~, ~.
sansrsto, ~, ~ r1sa:t 'Sas1 W.
i.,a aff,;+ ..,s 1.-i, o's a,ior wei l'esseo MI
III 11,ini -, f.,s,r,S. 9sv nftfr t,, .,,to,,,;
,., n r. ~ ~ .,r.a.,, as at' .ns eSs'a ,.S ~
I.9tn y, Tia sf,n.nnon ~. ~ ,t;.,~- ~. ~
-... ie ...:1.1f ~ ~ &l.e1hoop, M nAa Kssanus 10
wy susu ;,' sas' anu .io" Lsoa:aat = ehsuSo
steh. II. 1uu! M'a "; ansa VI ufose n1 4a,e no
,m.tc3, H., eal sl!snaia ~ s:an
arJastss ne f. taIo A. ;r,n,. - xt,t, ~ e ~.
@ ane ieaf that ~ was nos ngn! asln aAsh'
n,et . mI. g.. Int a.1er M .aomeaA 4eetaSon.
,,.a =, Us esuo. ~ nate ie" tushs tAso,is
t..,. u tassnoAo'e ss; u1i'cs VI tue lawn, aAd tnt
s.sn - |.sn1sE ~ A"s! a. sEahhl1s tate; os
nu ] ~ auS auess o,ises u sne isna. NhGu
.eH ngincn1s q nus t3n,GraunG srcea
panlon m'ss hra.a ne,weeo q th0 sna .ns ny COZ