The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1871-01-13

may dlstract his mind and do him good.
went accordingly to the Profes.
sor's hense, aud found Rupert living on
sofa, propped up with. pillows.
Around him were scattered his books.
and, what seemed in singular contrast,
that drum told you about. was hang
ing on nall Just above his head. His
3 face was thin and wasted; there was q
red spot on either cheek, and his eyes
were very bright and widely opened.
He was glad to see me, and when
told him where was going, he asked
me thousand questions about the war.
: I thought / had thoroughly diverted his
mind from its sick and languid fancies.
| when he suddenly grasped my hand
and drew me toward him.
) "'Doctor, said he, IN low whisper.
you won't laugh at me if I tell you
! something
No, certainly not said.
? You remember that drum q he
|, said, pointing to the glittering toy that
hung against the wall, you know, too.
, how, il came 10 me. A few weeks after
Christmas, was lying half asleep
here, and the drum was hanging on the
wal, when suddenly heard it beaten !:
, at first, low and slowly, then faster and
louder, until its rolling filed the house
In the middle of the night 1 heard it
again. / did not dare tell ANYBODY
about it, but / have heard it every night
ever since"
He paused and looked anxiouslv in
my face. Sometimes he continued,
lit is played softly, sometimes loudly.
but always quiokening to q long-rol, so
loud and alarming, that I have looked
to see people coming to my room to ask
what was the matter But 1 think,
Doctor think, he repeated slowly,
lookng up with painful interest into
my face, that no one hears it but nv
self
"I thought so, too, but I asked him
if he had heard it at any ether time.
Ones or twice IN the day-time,n
he replied, when / have been reading
or writing; then very loudly, as though
it were angry, and tried in that way to
attract my attention away from my
books.
+" looked into his face and placed
my hand upon his pulse His eyes
were very bright, and his pulse little
fiurried and quick. l then tried to ex-
plain to MIN that he was very veal, and
that his senses were very acute, as
most weak peoples are; and how that
when he read, or grew interested and
excited, or when he was tired at night,
the throbbing of big artery made the
beating sound he heard. He listened
to me with sad smile of unbelief. but
thanked me, and in little while [
went away. But as was going down
stairs, met the Professor. I gave my
opinion of the case-well, no matter
/ what it was.
"'He wants fresh air and exercise
said the Professor, and some practical
experience of life, sir The Professor
was not bad man, but he was a little
worried and impatient, and thought
as clever Pccpla are apt TO think-that
things which he didn't understand were
either silly or improper.
"I left the city that very day, and in
the excitement of battle-fields and hos
pitals, I forgot all about little Rupert,
nor did / hear of him again, until one
day, meeting an old classmate In the
army, who had known the Professor, he
told me that Rupert had become quite
insane, and that IN one of his par
oxysms he had escaped from the house,
and, as he had never been found, it
was feared that he had fallen into the
river and was drowned. was terribly
shocked for the moment, as you may
imagine; but dear me, / was living
Just then among scenes as terrible and
shocking, and had little time to spare
to mourn over poor Rupert.
---os v,oI 1a,,or fk<,- 4H.e
intelligence that we had terrible bat
tie, in which portion of our army was
surprised aud driven back with great
slaughter. 1 was detached from my
brigade to ride over to the battlefield
and assist the surgeons of the beaten
division, who had more on their hands
than they could attend to. When l
reached the barn that served for tenn
porary hospital, went at once to work,
All, Bob, said the Doctor, thoughtful
ly taking the bright sword from the
hands of the half-fnghtened Bob, and
holding it grayely before him, "t these
pretty playthings are symbols of cruel,
ugly realities. +"
"I turned TO atall, stout Vermonter,"
he continued, very slowly, tracing
pattern on the rug with the point of the
scabbard, "who was badly wounded
in both thighs, but he held up his
hands and begged ne to help others
first who needed it more than he.
did not at first heed his request. for
this kind of unselfshness was very
common in the army; but he went on
For God s sake, Doctor, leave me here;
there's drummer-boy of our regiment
"a mere child-dying, if he isn't
dead now Go and see him first. He
saved more than one life. He was at
his post in the panic this morning, and
saved the honor of the regiment. I
was so much more impressed by the
man's manner than by the substance
of his speech, which was, however, cor
roboratedz by the other poeF- -feHe~s-
stretched around me, that / passed over
to where the drummer lay, with his
drum beside him. gave one glance
at his face-and-yes, Bob-yes, my
children-it was Rupert.
"Well well it needed not the chalk
ed cross which my brother-surgeons
had left upon the rough board where
he lay to show how urgent was the re-
lief he sought; it needed not the pro-
phetic words of the Vermonter, nor
the damp that mingled with the brown
curls that chung to his pale forehead,
to show how hopeless it was now. l
called him by name He opened his
eyes, larger, thought, In the new vis-
ion that was beginning to dawn upon
him-and reconized me. He whisper
ed: I'm glad you've come, but Idon't
think you can do me any good.
eI could not tell him alie / could
not say anything. / only pressed his
| hand in mine as he went on
"'But you will see father, and ask
him to forgive me. Nobody is to blame
but myself 1t was long time before
1 understood why the drum came to me
that Christmas night, and why it kept
calling to me every night, and what it
! said. I know. now. Tell itfather it is
better as it is. 1 should have lived
} only to worry and perplex him, and
something in me tells me this is right. "
"He lay still for a moment, and then
grasping my hand, said:
"fHark 2
J "I listened, but heard nothing but
the suppressed moans of the wounded
| men around me. The drum, he said,