The weekly Arizona miner., 1873-07-12
The Battered Veteran.
Touching Account of His Interview with
 a Good old Lady of Tennessee.
IFrom th. St Louis Democra,.l


 "Pore solderr exclaimed lone old widow in East Tennessee, as a battered veteran in blue appeared at her door, and meekly asked for cup Of cold water. "Pore soldier! l know in reason that you are tired and thirsty, and that you will be powerful glad to get drink of water not to speak Of little suthin to mix with it."
 "Thank you, mum but belong to the Daughters of Temperance, and can't drink, unless it is a little in the way of medicine, and do feel little weak, as l have marched more than forty miles to-day !"
 Forty mile The laws have msssy How could you do it Why, it would kill my mule."
 "It is very hard; but we get used to it. wouldn't have minded it, if had anything | to eat"
 "Sakes alive Do come in and sit down. Pore soldier!n !n
 The good lady brought out black bottle, from which the battered veteran poured a teaspoonful into glass of water, and took a vigorous pull at the bottle when her back was turned. Then she placed before him sub stantlal supper of ham and eggs and corn bread and coffee, upon which he advanced in gallant style.
 And you are mighty young to be soldier l over her spectscles.
 "Yes, mum; l am the only son of my widowed mother; but my country called me, and my duty to my country is only second to my duty to my Creator"
 "Sho! Why you talk as peert as a min ister"
 "I was studying for the ministry when the war broke out"
 "I had a notion that the soldiers were all so wicked but Pm glad to find out that they ain't. You have seen power of ightin', 1 reckon 7'
 "A great deal mum. It is hard for a Christian to take life but the enemies of our country must be punished"
 "Jess SO. Have you ever been woundedl'
 "Very often. was once shot through the heart"
 Through the heart Lawful sakesl Didn'l it kill you2"
 "Not quite. The intercostal muscle wa: penetrated iongitudinally and extyavasated with varicose veins; but the bullet ranged across the left lobe of the aracholdartery producing comminuted fracture of the an terior process of the cerebellum, and causing lesson of the spinal viscera and the hypop hosphates Of the tbula, and that delayed my recovery"
 
 through thatr' "I was spared, mum, to be an humble mon ument of the mercy of Providence" "Should think so. What was that noise , It sounded like some person down the cellar "Notbing but rats Don't be alarmed Q madam. ] am here to protect you. once Q defended the house of widow when it wa, f attacked by dozen guerrillas. was obliged n to kill seven of them and the rest ran away Q "Doo tell! Should think you ought to be an offieern
 [ "Tbe President has tried to persuade me to accept commission as general, but have Q believed that can serve my country better e in my present sphere. Thank you, I don't gsldgd with Raaay ii thanks h for Sai ySat ,f kindness. It is nearly time for our evening d prayer-meeting, and must be there to open ! It. Have you such thing as pocket bible o to spare2 Mine was destroyed in the las,
 battle, by being struck by bullet in my coat pocket. It was the last gift of my be- 2 loved mother, and it saved my life" 2 "Lawfsl sakes Which pOcket2n n "The behind pocket, num-"
 "What a blessed thing it is to have a q bible There is one that belonged to my . Matilda Jane; but know that you will s make good use of it. will remember you a Tn my prayers, poer soldier!p .- As the last rays of the setting sun lighted up the face O. the battered veteran, they !. shone upon two big tears, that slowly trick n led down either check, making miniature ca |. nals through the dust that coated his epider Q mls. He walked up the road until he wa; | joined by several more battered veterans; who , came out from corner of the fence. Two o them bore keg, others carried tin buckets I others had their arms full of bottles. $ Have you got it, boys ?" asked the vet eran to whom the bible had been presented e "All right, my covey. Ten gallons of peacf brandy, keg of apple; jack and ever so many c bottles of blackberry wine. The old gal wa I well fixed"
 f "You made such al O. noise that sh, Q would have smoked you if hadn't beer f there to throw her of the track. Let's gc |. and divide. l ought to have the bigges, fl share, as had the hardest part of the work. : |. It is thus that patriotism and virtue are re