The Van Buren press., 1875-06-01


grass had been within her reach, by which
means she had held her lead above the
fatal mud. 1t was no easy matter to ex
tricate her from the miry pit as the work
man had to be very careful that he did
not himself lose his footing At length.
however, she was drawn forth and jerome
led her towrrds his post.
who comes theref cried a voice
from the gloom.
Juste ciel.' gasped Jerome, stopping,
and trembling from head to foot
What is it asked Lisette.
Grand Dieul | have been longer away
than / thought answered the soldier. 1T
took me long time to get you out
Who comes thercY repeated the
voice.
jerome heard the click of musket
lock, and he knew that sentinel haze
been stationed at the posts She had left
The relief had come while be had been
absent
Friends with the countersignr = he an
swered to the last call of the new senti.
mel
He was ordered to advance, and when
he had given the countersign he found
himself in the presence of the officer of
the guard. In a few hurried words he
told his story, and had the officer been
alone, he might have allowed the matter
to rest where it was but there were 9th
ers present-some OF the sentinels who
had been releved--and with SO many
such secret would not be safe but when
ordered to give up his musket, he obey
ed without murmur, and silently accom-.
! panied the officer to the camp, where he
was put in irons, and placed under
guard
On the following morning Jerome Du.
bois was brought before court martial,
charged with having deserted his post
He confessed that he was guilty, and
then permission was granted him to tell
his own story.
lie told how the little child had fallen
upon him in the storm, and how she
plead for her dying mother, At first he
had resisted the impulse--he would have
died readily to save Lisette, but he feared
dshonor. The child still plead, and he
thought Of the poor woman--the woman
who had done so much for the comfort
of his regiment suffering the tortures
Of lingering death, in the dreadful NO
rass, was more than he could bear He
had not meant to be gone long; he had
not known how far he was away but he
was farther than he expected, lie knew
he had done wrong. but might not the
popularity OF the circumstances he al
lowed to mitigate the offence. Was there
true hearted man in tt't" iment who
would not have : e.. fe y, matjnilarly
situated nc did not T,r Susie ,o!4
The cdSss. Beside ~. ~ ould have !,
sentence of oT2sih,,et oNs oftTSs, Sers
thereof signed a pettlon'5e Wing that Jc
rome Dnbos might be pnrdoned; and
this petition was sent to the chief of the
brigade, and through him to the chief Of
division, by whom it was endorsed and
sent up to the marshal
Lefebvrc was kind aud generous to his
soldiers almost to fault, but he could
not overlook SO grave an error as that
VIII ch had been committed by Dubois,
The orders given to the sentinel had been
very simple; and foremost, OF very ne.
cessity, was the order forbidding him to
leave his post until properly relieved. To
certain extent, the safety OF the whole
army rested upon the shoulders of each
individual sentinel and especially upon
those who, at night, were posted nearest
tho lines Of the enemy.
Il am sorry said the gray haired old
warrior, as he folded up the petition and
handed it back to the officer who had
presented it i am sure that the man
meant no wrong, and yet a great wrong
was done. He knew what he was doing,
he ran the risk, he was detected; he has
been tried and condemned and he must
suffer
They asked Lefebvrc if he would see
the condemned.
mo, no y the marshal cried, quickly.
! Should | see him, and listen to one-half
his story, might pardon him; and that
must not be done Let him die that
thousands may be saved
The time fixed for the execution of
Dubois was the morning succeeding the
day of his trial The result of tho inter
view with Marshal Lefebyre was made
known to him, and he was not at all dis
appointed. He blamed no one, and was
only sorry that he had not died on the
battle field.
Il have tried to be good soldier. he
said to his captain, who came to visit
him after the narshars decision was
known, and have intended to do my
duty. | know that according to militia
ry rules must die, but hope my com
panons will remember me with kindness
and compassion. feel that have done
no crime tha. should leave stain upon
my name.
The captain took his hand, and assur-
ed him that his name should be held in
respect, and that his memory should be
held in love- Towards evening Pierre
Valiant, with his wife and child, were
admitted to see the prisoner. This was
a visit which jerome would gladly have
dispensed with, as his feelings were al
ready wrought up to pitch that almost
unnamed him; but he braced himself
for the interview, and would have stood
it like hero had not little Natalie, in the
eagerness Of her love and gratitude,
thrown herself upon his bosom, and of
fered to die in his stead This tipped the
trimming cup, and tears flowed freely
Pierre and Lisettc knew not what to say.
They wept and they prayed and they
would have willingly died for the noble