The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-08-02
Patriotism and Virtue.
BY CARL BRENT.

IOIo SOIuleT! eAC1sllnleU Il lone WI
dow in East Tennessee, as a battered
veteran in blue appeared at the door,
and meekly asked for cup of cold wa
that You are tired and thirsty, and that
YOU YOU would be powerful glad to get a
drink of water, not to speak of o little
suthin to mix with it."
"Thank you, mum; but I belong, to
the Daughters of Temperance, and can't
drink, unless it is a little in the way of
medicine, and do feel very weak, as |
have marched more than forty miles
to-dayn
"Forty mile! The laws have massy!
How could you do it? Why, it would
kill mule"
at is very hard; but we getused to it.
| wouldn't have minded it, if | had any
thing to eat
"Sakes alive! Do come in and sit
down. Pore sOldierw
The good old lady brought out a black
bottle, from which the battered veteran
poured teaspoonful into glass of wa
ter, and took a vigorous pull at the bot
tie when her back was turned. Then
she placed before him substantial sup
per of ham and eggs and corn bread
and coffee, upon which he advanced IN
in gallant style.
Gard you are mighty young to be a
soldier" she said, looking at him benig-
nant1y over her spectacles.
eyes, mum; am the only son OF my
widowed mother; but my country
called me, and duty to my country is on
| ly second to my duty to my Creator"
":sho? Why, you talk as peert as 4
minister
Il was studying for the ministry
when the war broke out"
| 'T had a notion that the soldiers were
all so wicked; but I'm glad to find out
| that they amt. You have seen q power
of fghtin', reckon"
| "a great deal, mum. 1t is hard for
! Christian to take life but the enemie!
of our country must be punished"
"Jess so. Have you ever been wound
"ve1y often. was once shot through
the heart"
"Through the heart! Law sakes
Didn'tit Kill you?
'NOt quite. The intercOstal muscle
was penetrated longitudinally and eX
travasated with varicose veins; but th'
bullet ranged across the left lobe of tn
arachnoid artery, producing a cOmml
nuted fracture of the anterior process o
the cerebellum, and causing a lesion o
the spinal viscera and the hypOphOs
pilates of the fibula, and that delayed
my recovery" r-.o,
through all that!"
monument of the mercy OF Providence.
"ShOuld think so. What was tina
noiseq It sounded like somebody dow
the celler."
Nothing but rats. Don't be alarmed
madam, I am here and will protect you
once defended the house OF a WldON
when it was attacked by q dozen que
rillas:I was obliged to kill seven Q
them, and the rest ran away"
apo tell! Should think you ought t
be an officer"
"The President has tried to persuad
me to accent commission as genera
but / have believed that can serve m
country better in my present sphere
Thank YOU, don't care if | do take
: spoonful of that. | must be going nov
with my thanks for your kindness.
| is nearly time for our evening prayer
meeting, and must be there to open j
Have such thing as a pocket Bible
= snare? Mine was spoiled in the La!
battle, by being struck by bullet !
nv coat pocket. It was the last git
of my beloved mother, and it saved IN
"I,awful sakes Which pocket?n
E"The behind pocket, num-"
"What blessed thing it is to have
Bible! There is one that belonged
- nv Matilda Jane; but know that yC
will make use of it. | will rememb'
!. you in my prayers, pore soldier"
AS the lastrays of the setting sun ligh
ed M the face of that battered vetera
thew shone upon two big tears tn
slowly trickIed down either cheek, NAL
ing miniature canals through the dtl
: that coated his .epiderms. Z
!! walked up the road until he W
Joined by several more battered vet
rams, who came out from corner OF
fence. Two Of them bore a key, .othe
carried the buckets, others had the
arms full of bottles. -,
"Have you got it, boys W asked t
veteran to whom the Bible had be-
All right, my covey. Ten gallo
of peach brandy, a keg of apple ja
and ever so many bottles of blackbe
vine. "The old gal was well fixed.7
fsYou made such a deuce of a moi
o that she would have smoked you it
hadn't been there to throw her of t
track. Let's go and divide. | oug
tohaye the biggest share, as l had t
hardest part Of the work.
It is thus that patriotism and Writ
are rewarded.