The Republican journal., 1872-10-31


do nothing for him, he closed his eyes Il
few minutes as if in sleep and then re-
sumed his talk Il feel better now; |
amt cold nor hungry no more. You
haven't given me rothin' to eat-have
you? This place don't seem SO bad as it
did; by jimmy, I'm warm now. It's all
right doctor. I'm glad"
Again the poor fellows eyes closed, and
when they opened life had shut.
The orderly sergeant of a Massachusetts
regiment, well reared and well educated,
who, having gone into the war from con
viction of duty, had had no wish to obtain
commission, was one Of the few sick
soldiers that ever spoke to me OF theo-
logical subjects He had chronic disease,
and the seventies OF his captivity natural
ly precipitated his dissolution. His life
steadily ebbed away. He was SO very
weak that lie could scarcely lift his head.
and yet his brain was strong and clear.
He had been bred in an orthodox faith.
and as | saw him twice every day, he
talked to me philosophicallv Of the cxtre-
nifty he knew could not lone be deferred.
81 have always been troubled - he said
''about religious matters, and have never
been able to make up my mind in regard
to them. Before going into battle, have
wondered what would become oi me if
should be killed; but when the battle had
begun, | thought nothing more of it, I
have tried to reconcile such question as
Generalization and free VIII. divine instira
and eternal reprobation, until my head
aehed. Since | have been in prison, and
since | have known I must die, these old
questions have gone out of my mind The
only feeling | have now is that it is all
right. | have no more fear Of death than
OF going to sleep. There is comfort in the
very thought. | don't know as shall he
happy hereafter, but | feel that shall he
better off somehow: that there can't he
any mistake about il. Horrible as nv
surroundings are and have been, | wonder
that they impress me SO little of late. |
hhoW ! am dylhg' ana yet It seems as If
were lust about to llye- There isn't amy
reason IN 1t, am aware; hut the feeling
Is perVadlh9 ana absolute. L should like
10 90 something TO heIp the poor fellows
ABOUT me, though beyond that everything
IS Satlelactloh-
Entering the hos, ital one morninU |
was told that the sergeant had inst breath
ed his last. | looked at the corpse. and
notwithstanding its tatterS, its soil its
emacatlon. its ohastlInc.s there was >
look Of nerfect rpno5p nf sweat soren,t,,
anon fine unturnpd r,rn Assura1I,. h.
had forecast the fnture. if ,v.salI r;otht
with him
I have ponn nver fall. inrnaIi,t,.1,,. ar
fer battlp-fha sadJ..l scnnn, ~ ,,.,,
and have observed tbat nf an tho .I,in
lvino cory aud shattered There were very
few that did not lonL- unti,.olr ,t ,,o.,oo
And when the wild nownrs nnt,otn,lod
in the Great confess. still shp1 thrir fra.
prance and fine eternal .nn st;n shnna
softly down ovcrthe e.,wful raln.op s,,y
no mock4ry no sbndlnrinn contrast h,t
rather fine spirit of beanty and thr so,l M
briphtne,s 6yprIvinr NH nnrv.,linn ,ll
[T.4u.,..,.
raal;,;as r,1;1', o'i'.' ',
,,am:t,. .,s ;,,,,,,,t,t,i7 f,.,',
cansn J, ,ua1l !. III an,'. a;'a,,. ..,.' g
,.>I',,,,,, N,,-,' .;,';t; H. -
n,.,l'' -, ,,,'I?I; '.,;,,
,',','l,,,I.a,'l ,', . ''' 81 ,:' u
W., - ,'' l'l''''''1
;'nd h''. ''''t' ntti.hl ,'''';,ll''l A. ~
+, death ana vr h,va III cnnea,,nn,.,.a +,
laror oyrr,..tinn,tr ut I,h,. Iiti I,.,. nI
value in itself IiI-9rInt,.I from H., cam
comitants; nor is death to be avoided aI-
WAYS, III thouoh If wrro IN unmiv.l evil
Life is i misfortune to many wbo bv rra-
son of certain pbv,iclI nr moral inberit
ances. of npprntsivo ,irrrm m.t,nras oI. in
harmonious praciiyitia4 .oo nrra,. ,,rns
per in or truIy enjoy thejr Z ,nIirinn IN
such. after the in lick Of bitb III. Nina.
est fortune is death We ,re constantly
called uDan for svmuathv ana aid in me-.
half OF persons who tin1 thcir i lest nl,rn
in the arlve. what arc called shorkino
catastronbp, tnd dreadful calanirios are
ot,rn allyonta.,es hntb tn thn.n v,I,', .I,ffo,.
ana ia those who survivn A. ~, .an.
no,nir forrn ot N.,tu,.. 49, . visa a,r,,,
as : ,onssenoal, nj nooh DoatI mnet hn
accented AIN evan whnn hc sann,. +n
brine no compnnsation bicb nhiInsonhr
bids Ms tarry before we rive ON, 7.ordiof
The ditf..rnnno hnt,rnon H.. ann,ro,,t .r'j
thn rnnl i ne secret III Jastinv ma w,n
must wait for rpvnlvinn Mons arn we can
fullv comprehend IFS mnaning Wa .}IuI
MS 0as, from = n,rt tn thn Who'll. from -,
smaU saompnt f. tbn narlnct gnho.o Do