The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-01-26

"He wants fresh air and exercise, said
he professor, and some practical exper-
ence of life, SIR The professor was
aot bad man, but he was little wor-
red and impatient. and thoughts
clever people are apt to think-that
things which he didn't understand were
either silly or improper.
''Ileft the city that very day, and. in
the excitement of battle fields and hos
pitfalls, [ forgot all about little Rupert,
nor did L 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 paroxysms
he had escaped from the house, and as
he had never been found it was feared
that he had fallen in the river and drown
ed. I was terribly shocked for the mo-
ment, 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 Ru-
pert.
SIT was not long after receiving this
intelligence that we had terrible battle,
in which portion of our army was sur
prised and driven back with great slaug-h
ter 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 at
tend to. When I reached the barn that
served for a temporary hospital, I went
at once to work. ''Ah, Bob," said the
doctor, thoughtfufly taking the bright
sword from the hands of the half frigh-
tened Bob, and holding it gravely before
him, these pretty playthings are sym
bols of cruel, ugly realities.
II turned to tall, stout Vermonter,
he continued, very slowly, tracing a
pattern on the rug with the point of the
scabbard, who was badly wounded in
both thighs, but be held UP his hands
and begged me 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
amy; but he went on: "For God s
sake, doctor, leave me here /; there. is a
drummer-boy of our regiment mere
child-dying, if he isn't dead now. Go
and see him first. He lies over there
he saved more than one life. He was at
his post in the panic this morning, and
saved the honor of the regiment [ was
so much more impressed by the man g
manner than by the substance of his
speech, which was, however corrobora-
ted by the poor fellows stretched around
me, that I passed over where the drum
mer lay, with his drum by him. l gave
one glance at his face-and-yes. Bob
yes, my children-it aoas Ru-
pert.
"Well well it needed not the chalk
ed cross which my brother surgeons had
left upon the rough board wherein he
lay to show how urgent was the relief he
sought; it needed not the prophetic
words of the Vermonter, nor the damp
that mingled with the brown curls that
chung to his forehead, to show how
hopeless it was now. [ called him by
name. He opened his eyes, larger, I
thought, in the new vision that was be-
ginning to dawn upon him, and reeog-
nizing me, he whispered: I'm glad
you are come, but don't think you can
do me any good.
Il could not tell him lie. I could
not say anything. I only pressed his
hand in mine, as he went on.
''But you will see, father ask him to
forgive me. Nobody is to blame but my
self. 1t was long time before 1 I'M
derstood why the drum came to me that
Christmas night. and why it kept calling
to me every night and what it said. I
know it now. The part is done, am
content Tell father it is better as it is
I should have lived only to worry and
perplex him, and something in me tells
me this is right
He lay still for moment and then grasp
ing my hand, said:
"Harkl"
II listened, but heard nothing but
the suppressed means of the wounded
men around me. The drum, he said
family don't you hear it 7-the drum
is calling me-
He reached out his arm to where
it lay, as though he would embrace it.
Listen. he went on, it's the re-
veille. There are the ranks drawn up
in review. Don't you see the sunlight
fash down the long line of bayonets :?
Their faces are shinning-they present
arms-there comes the general-but his
face I cannot look at, for the glory round
his head. He sees me he smiles it is
and with a name upon his lips that he
had learned long ago, he stretched him
self YEARLY upon the planks, and lay
quite still.
That's ALL No questions nov
never mind what become of the. drum
Who's that sniveling Bless my soul
where's my pill-box p
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