, 1872-12-26
A WINTERS TALE.
A Reminisceuce Of War Times
"A Story of '62.
How a Boy IN Blue Paid bis Hotel
T. Bill, and tie Calamitiea
that Followed.
A New Light on the Old Song, "f
I Had Donkey"

! A New Light on the Old Song, ffI
I Had Donkey
In the early days of the war for the Union
when the flags flashed ont all over our city Ik'
apple blossoms, and the boys in blue caus
tramping through Chicago on their way to tae
front, there WAS g spirit OF generous 1oy1ty
adoat in community that knew no bounds nor
stint. Citizens gnzed with moist eyee and
swelling hearts as tae long lines went ma ching
through Chicago streets, from depot depot,
bright and brave in new uniforms, viii barrels
and bayonets that had never known p'"der nor
gore; trappings unsoiled by camp lie, and IN
scathed in the rain Of battle. And"hen news
began to pour back Of advance morments, and
1econnoitres in force. and picket nootlng, and
iron-clad gunboats, and then tie horizon OF
news sent up the nuAaed thnnders Of
Pittsburgh Landing, and ssG- and Islam q
Number Ten, the feeling Atensltied, and
wai1ed to expend itself as it did when the first
instruments Of war-worn soldier Toys came strag-
Cling out from the theatre Of Far. Ihey we're
wounded, ragged, but there was beauty in
wound, and rags We would put In fragment
Of Latin on the subject OF his very beauty Of
dying, or doing the next Ting to it, IN the ser
vice OF the country, but the types would proba-
bly, spoil it,-types that az used on every day
newspaper work take so u.klndly to the classics.
But back came the strag1ers, andone Of them
got into comfortable quarters In city hotel,-
We leave its name to be guessed He Was not
beauty to look upon, EEe IN tho Light OF the
Latin proyerb- He ws foot-aore, ragged, and
had army shoes 80 bfly rundown at the heel
that you might see q hook away that he had no
stockings, which ga7syou all the better chance
to discover the poo, chafed and swollen feet
that we're parting nth such lu1u1ies as socks
:. for the sake Of he dear old flag. He Was
: gaunt and holloweyed, and his unkeupt hair
: and beard-fringeG cheeks thin and sallow with
: swamp fever ant night-work in the trenches
He was not lonly in that unwholesome COM
panionEhip the neglected soldier finds his closest
= friends. When he shambled up Lake street the
fne-tooth comts in the druggists windows fairly
danced in their cases. Poor fellow no carpet
knight Was he,
He paused before the hotel referred to, and
looked in upon the fat and well-fed merchants
and patent-dght sellers, sitting in comfortable
post prand:al ease. He paused and went in, and
scored his name broadly On the register. Now,
Richard Winters WAS mine host, generous fell
low, as host should be, with heart 80 large
that, at times, it sets his head well back upon
his shoulders, and men actually deemed him
growing corpulent. But it is all heart after all.
Richard looked upon his guest. He did
not need to take down his Bible
and read about the rewards OF
attending to the eick and hungry stranger. But
he looked at the torn and tattered blue, and
while he looked his heart swened until you might
swear he vas carrying bass-drum. So the
soldier was washed and put to bed, and cared
for, and slept, With no one to steal his Cruel,
and make off with his little delcacies. And,
being Of hardy constitution, and only needing a
little care and kindness tear for the
poor fellows who, lacking only this little, came
back never mo-e-our soldier presently rose,
found thCt kindly hands hnd sent tidiness and
cleanliness through his garments, which he
donned, and for three days made martial havoc
at Hichara's table among beans. and bacon, and
ham, and huge slabs Of beef, and stacks Of but
tered toast until one small waiter, Of farm ante
cedents, averred that it seemed like tending
thresher, and he feared he should, some
day, be drawn bodily into the machine.
Then our soldier seemed to have relapse and
came into the hotel private Office with every
symptom Of strong collie. It Was remorse that
had OF hold OF his liver, for he WAS an honest
fellow after eli, and compunctions rend such man
sorely. Some men get through Life without at
tecks Of this kind and die in their beds to 20 un-
der lying tcmbstones, but all the religious de-
nominations are agreed that the penal colo
must come. It's duration is all they quarrel
about.
Richnrd sat in his private Office, aud to him
came in our soldier with q grinace We have
shown you was Of the soul, but Dick thought it
was Of the body, and proposed q laudanum cock
tail, Or cholagogue smash The military man
m f,f hy,fr hr1T II
breach Of confession just as he and his Wiscon-
sin brothers had scrambled up to the dame-You-
iting lines Of rebeldom.
t 81 Sir. am a rascal"
Richard rubbed his left ear, and wondered
whether it was case OF spoons or rummaging
the bureau drawers Of the other boarders.
"Yes sir, T am durned rascal, and that's the
short OF it. I've been living here and eating you
out of house and home and have not got cent
OF money after al.'
Richard rubbed his right ear, and let the Mill
tary man proceed, now he Was well started down
the healthy slope that leads to the salubrious
er's experience Of dead-beats. He had sat with !
undinching eye when the clerk locked up avaliGe
full of bricks, while the owner aneAked away |
with bis three shirts, two pairs Of pantaloons,
and his hair-b1ush slowed about him.
But here was a boy in blue. What was to be
done IN this case but to hear the end.
q I VAS sick and going home to my old mother I
in Walworth County. But you see did not look
Ike that when came from home, and thought |
must come in and get rested or I'd frighten |
the old lady to death And you treated me SO |
well, have stayed, and here's bill run up, and
not 3 red to pay for it. And I'm blasted rascal,
Ind you can just kick me into the street. But |
Il can go back to the front this very afternoon
won't e. home at ali, for you see they want
me down there"
And here Lis eye shone, and the color distilled
out Of Dicks supplies came back to his cheek,
(alas that human valor SO much depends on beans
ind beef, and bacon,) and his chest swelled, and
Dicks shirt bosom grew more and more protub-
Grant. and the two hearts beat the manly re-
:eille that valor and generosity know SO well.
Then outspoke Richard: sGo, my good fell
ow; you dent owe this house cent. God bless
Fou. Glad you came" Then there was
4uacHle in Richards throat and he and the
soldier looked at one another through that lens
which strong emotion is prone to set On manly
syelashes when the heart is all right. "John
this to the clerk, who looked in through pig
give Mr, - his bill receipted, and