The weekly clarion., 1873-06-19
PATRIOTISM AND VIRTUE.
BY CARL BRENT.

! Pore sOldIer! exclaimed lone widow
in East Tennessee, as battered veteran
in blue appeared at the door, and meekIy
asked for cup of cold water. "Port
soldier! / know the reason that you are
tired and thirsty, and that you would be
powerful glad to get a drink of water,
not to speak of little suthin to mix with
| it"
''Thank you, mum; but l belong tc
the Daughters of Temperance, and can't
drink, unless it is little in the way OF
medicine, and | do feel very weak, as
have marched more than forty miles to-
day"
''Forty milel The laws have massy
How could you do it? Why, it would
kill my mule"
ut 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 !"
The good old lady brought out black
bottle, from which the battered veteran
poured teaspoonful into glass of water,
and took a vigorous pull at the bottle
when her back was turned. Then she
placed before him substantial supper OF
ham and eggs and corn bread and coffee,
upon which he advanced in gallant
style.
"And you are mighty young to be a
soldier" she said, looking at him benig-
nantly over her spectacles.
Yes, mum | am the only son of my
widowed mother; but my country called
me and duty to my country is only Sec
ond my duty to my Creator"
''Sho? Why, you talk as peert as a
minister"
81 was studying for the ministry when
the war broke out"
81 had notion that the soldiers were
all so wicked; but I'm glad to find out
that they amt. You have seen power
of fightin', 1 reckon"
CA great deal, mum. 1t is hard for
Christian to take life; but the enemies
of our country must be punished.
''Jess so. Have you ever been
wounded ?"
Every often. [ was once shot through
the heart"
Through the heart! Lawful sakes
Didn't it kill your"
"Not quite. The intercostal muscle
was penetrated longitudinally and ex-
travasated with verbose veins; but the
bullet ranged across the left lobe of the
arachnoid artery, producing commlnut-
ed fracture of the anterior process of the
cerebellum, and causing lession of the
spinal viscera and the hypophosphates Of
the fibula, and that delayed my re-
covery."
"Yon don't mean to say that you lived
through all that!"
81 was spared, mum, to be an humble
monument of the mercy of Providence.
''Should think so. What was that
noise? 1t sounded like soembody down
in the celler."
Nothing but rats. Don't be alarmed,
madam. am here and will protect you.
once defended the house of widow
when it was attacked by dozen gueril
las; was obliged to kill seven of them,
and the rest ran away"
''Do tell! Should think you ought tc
be an officer"
'sThe President has tried to persuade
me to accept commission as General,
but have believed that | can serve my
country better in my present sphere
Thank you, / don't care if do take 1
spoonful of that. must be going now
with my thanks for your kindness. 1t il
nearly time for our evening prayer-meet
ing, and | must be there to open it
Have you such a thing as pocket Bibl'
to spare? Mine was destroyed in the las
battle, by being struck by bullet In m,
coat pocket 1t was the last gift of m,
beloved mother, and it saved my life"
Lawful sakesl Which pocket? ?"
''The behind pocket, mum"
aWhat blessed thing it is to have
Biblel There is one that belonged t.
my Matilda Jane; but I know that yo'
will make good use of it. / will remem
Der you in my prayers, pore soldier"
As the last rays of setting sun lightet
up the face of that battered veteran, the,
shone upon two big tears that slowl,
trickled down either cheek, making min
iature canals through the dust that coates
his epidermis. He walked up the roa,
until he was joined by several more bal
tered veterans, who came out from
i corner of the fence. Two of them Dor
keg, others carried the buckets, other
had their arms full of bottles.
'sHave You got it, boys p asked tn
veteran to whom the Bible had been PR
sented.
IAN right, my covey. Ten gallons 9
i peach brandy, keg of apple jack an
: ever SO many bottles of blackberry wine
, The old gal was wen fixed.
You made such q deuce of q nois