The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-10-04

suggested. Nom that Nm ~ lsn z
talking q tke NsIeIEh system Of badge.
and medAla ii honor, and one 81 tx
young men pulled out 81 his pocket,
recollect, C0,whill Afagosfne, and reai
tous Thackeray's Round about paper sOf
Ribbons. The final summing up of tbs
talk was in great agreement with Thnck
cray, and the general conclusion thai
we ought to have ribbon Of honor,
not simply = Kearny cross. but : grand
Gordon btcu, or q medal coming straight
from Abraham Lincoln, Dalzell btirsI
out: OF course we're all too modest
to ever expect to be dscked n that way
but how many Of Us would disdain its
he concluded.
"As the talk despcMeAs Mgifoe,s fact
had lost H. gHyety, / noticed. nv ifvW
, deep Sigh as Dalzell spoke, and .
wistful look came iht5 his eyes. Icould
guess pretty Well how it was with him.
What Was he beside them? What brill.
liant, or courageous, or soldferly, OF
spirited qualities had hep These men
would easily win their Gordon blc0, fOr
they were sCikkoat fear. Without fear
| That was what was In his mind, ~ he
very shortly confessed, by laundering,
honest question bearing directly upofl
the subject. How did Il feel to Be with.
out fearp Every man Of them knew 81
this little white ghost of Melfoe's, vel
every one Of them knew that he never
had failed to do his duty. They had
laughed quietly together over it, and
said: Mel is good fellow; he never
will run away, but he never will dis.
tinguish himself that is certain And
now suddenly with his question arose
another with thems How came he
here into this voluntary service with
this characteristic? But before asking
it they answered his query, one and
another smiling yet serious and truth
fti.
s'At their first battlep yes, it had
been shock, and then it was over. Va
rious emotions assaulted them now, but
none of fear. But how was 1t with
himp they asked. They all knew some
thing how it was, as ! have said, but
not wholly, until he burst out impul-
sively:
90 Well, to tell the truth, boys,
will own that am awfully afraid every
time, to this day, and can t get over it.
"' But how came you here, anyway,
with that feeling, and, being here, why
do you stayp' asked Cam Browne
6 For moment there was a look Of
surprise on Melroe' face, as If he doubt.
ed whether he had heard Alright.
81 How came IP' he uttered slowly
how could l stay at home? A mar
can't choose at such a time. If saw
an assassin enter my friends house
while he lay sleeping, | might be very
much afraid of the assassin, but
couldn't very well go on my way il
safety, and tell some other man to q
forward to the rescue. | might recOi
from the encounter, but should recoi
4 ten times more from the skulking away
from it. No. he went on, though
this all over; / knew it would hurt-thi.
kind of life-hut / concluded it woult
hurt a great deal more to turn my bacl
upon it. Why, believing as l do, YOU
know, a fellow couldn't l can sc,
Hoyle, and Dalzell and the two Brownies
exchange chances here. They two, ay
and every one of them there, / knew
thought of the story of the boy a
school, even then manfully fighting hi!
ghosts for his principle. Those Of u
who had smiled at this ghost AMI said
MEL is good fellow; he nevel
will run away, but he nevel
will distinguish himself that j!
certain now, in contemplation of thi.
courageous cowardice, felt inclined t.
doff our hats to the simple, manly fell
low we had moderated, and to ask hi.
pardon. But there was little said il
acknowledgment or praise; it was {
tender subject, involving this foregont
lighter estimate; but there were warmth
and friendliness in the 'good-nights,
which conveyed to him a sense of sym
pathy, an assurance to his modest mint
that he had not spoken too freely.
remember Cam Browne said laughingly
as he left the tent, After all, Captain
you may win your Gordon blen before
any of us yet
"They were light words spoken hasti
ly, out of the warm, kind heart of the
young officer, as good-natured re
mark to evince his belief in that mora
courage that he admired. Light words
anu even wnie tney were peng spoken
perhaps ate was weaving tnat Gestlny
wnicn snouio make tnem no longer
,ignt WoIos IN tne memory OF us Whe
iis'eneo 10 tnem. z
The next day we fought the Battle
of Charlottesville. Toward the latter
part of the day, when defeat was be.
| ginning to stare us in the face, after
the earlier promise OF victory, which
combined and splendid action and the
the most untirlng gallantry had given,
l received a message from Major Dial.
eel to send reinforcement to the
ICY Way Mhere CapI Mefrot
an.: himself ll wele enueavorins % noio
md o oSi' ua1 h. anu Sa ~ .neiI colpls
;,1 a. lily n ~ !. lnoA: sn"S . covlu
a. sPa.e, pus ! e H, .i,e'n in,incu.aeeiy
aoa nne ". 'n hs, Da.zea wouia not nave
" ,paJ 1 ~. I:ap Unless as.: Ne .au elea'
nesd, en- t;,a - sse.
p. rns0 u, III = .,ne ~ en ny rlsls' nIa
Diie, opPul.ul.y " opseIsc me move
.nen.s s - 'Te aea' . as iookea .nrougn
10y siHoo' %" D"Aen auvance VIII
ms MS ooiuln, hoI a iarge pouy OF men,
oue company anu IN oraer. a neavy
l ioal " lhusAe'ly me. Ileni sui .ney
AeP. oa, 'noSgn : c0a -, see. tnat the
ssa n III ma1 ,a4 aI ''. Inc mex. cnarge
!. MaS n 1 la.a, as .ne shloke Cle.Feu'
NJ Me- ia, men eneE. was su obvious;
Ill, ILL., sn"m .one sa nan: i ieiow n na@
.ali e T H aG ure,I ha s.e,r = ieauer Ia -
zen. Ing column began 70 WaVer. Inc
~ aas; "a a. ',s pars,I id point
o;.i,,,p 1;ans. aa iJu. Mouiu pc espe ,
u ,,,;. ursas. a;tu ioSe - NY saua.c
W1'4 NY o1ci'eilon,. an, tnousnt,
z - vou'u onif uasn ior""r" 10 'lie
(, AT that moment saw that q new