The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-08-16
II TRUE STORY.

About fifteen years ago, party ofyouns
! men had gathered III an upper room of a
! warehouse III Western town.
People going by saw the lights; and heard
the cheering and shouts Of laughter and
noaded to each other good humoredly.
The boys are getting on well with their
plans" they said; for the town was a
small one, where everybody knew his neigh
Dor, and took a kindly interest in him and
the military company which ''the boys
were going to form was a matter of public
| pride and interest.
There were about thirty or forty of the
! young men. They had most of them been
at school together atJohn's Academy, and
now were clerks ii the town, students of
law or medicine.
There was the heartiest good feeling
| among them, therefore, when they met to
| adopt their Constitution and Bylaws
| They had been drilling all winter in private
and were to appear III public for the first
time on Saturday i'll their new uniform.
1t was a gorgeous uniform, chosen from
patterns sent by the Eastern manufacturer.
1t flirly blazed in crimson and gold. They
had kept it a secret from ever one, even
fathers, mothers, and sweethearts, so that
the grand display on Saturday would break
with more effect upon the dazzlcd eyes of
the town people.
Now, all that was before the war. The
military ardor which prevailed like an cpl
demic in the towns did not mean patriotism
I ~ sol lint Ia.
vanity, and d great deal of cordial good
fellowship, fun and kindly feeling.
Some more weighty sense of the constraint
of honor, too, rested upon the young fel-
! lows, with their swords and glittering
! epaulets t.; some increased structure of obi
| CATION to bear themselves like men gallant
and chivalric in soul as well as body, Many
of the wise elders of the town, therefore,
! lent their help to the undertaking, and Col.
Storrs, a retired army officer, accepted the
post of captain, and gave himself up zeal
ously to the work.
The organization had been rather lax
until tonight, when the bylaws had been
definitely adopted.
mo. seems to me superiluous, captain"
pledges itself to attend the funerals of all
members, except such as may have suffered
the penalty of the law, or laid violent hands
on themselves. That appears to be more
! melo-dramatic than necessary. There is
not likely to be any suicides or murderers
among u.s. glancing about, with a laugh.
to his companions,
''The rule is customary in all such organ
izations,'' - said the Colonel rather drily.
The rule remained, therefore, in spite of
Ncd's jokes, which caused great deal of
laughing.
Ned was the youngest of the boys, the
mer1iest, most genial young fellow in town
Everybody knew his frank, handsome face
and curly hair. He was book-keeper in one
of the iron mills, and, out of his small sal
ary, supported his mother. But the money
was small matter, compared with the fun,
and jolIity, and tumultuous affection which
he brought into the poor widows life
''The last years of my lfe," she used to
say, Shave all the warmth and brightness
that were missed out of the Others
Ned ran down the step of the hall when
the meeting was over, singing Lily Dale
at the top of his voice. He had clear
tenor, which was the delight of everybody
who loved music in the town.
That's right ~ said Joe Wilson, ''come
up TO the house, Ned, the girls are athome,
and we'll have little singing. You're in
voice to night"
''All right What doyou say, Charley?"
For Ned and Charley Hill seldom spent an
evening apart.
Bother the girls ~ muttered Charley (;
'they re a bore. Their rattle-debang sets
my teeth on an edge. Some of the fellows
are going to have an oyster supper down at
Brice's, and promised that we d be there"
Ned hesitated. ''Is Philips to be there?'
Eyes. He asked the crowd.'
''Then there's sure to be liquor and
squabbling 1 promised mother I'd keep
out OF mems parties this winter, particu-
larly where there were cards and drinking.
we had better go to Wilson'S
''Oh, never mind Wilson's. Come along.'
Ned laughed and nodded. "Charley has
made an arrangement for me, Joe. I'll
come up tomorrow evening, and sing with
the girls. III go around and tell mother
not to sit up for me, Charley, and will be
after you in five minutes,''