Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-05-15

lasted, and there were no more birds song
heard. The white streets Of the camp
were gone, and confused mass Of men.
some wounded, and all bitter. were there
instead. And the fight had ended. the en-
emy had disappeared. and these men were
victorious!
Throughout the fight they all remem-
bered to have heard the drum. They re-
membered seeing young Charley hatless.
his 1.-the, boyish figure in the ,hickest of
the ight-for there had been small order.
it could not be otherwise. And some of
them said he had been seen with musket
in his hand, loading and firing, brave and
soldierly.
/ And now there was silence-those
were not his drum-taps, and somebody
else sounded the roll call, as these men
Stood up to answer to their names.
There were many gapes in the roll
| many men who would answer to hut one
roll call more, the mighty Roll of the Last.
And when Charley's name was called.
there was no response, and many eyes
turned to other eyes in mute inquiry, So
on the roll went; and at last, Sandy
| Green's name was called--no answer.
Again it was called, and then-then Sandy
| Green's voice answered from far away
and they saw him coming. limping up the
hill, Charley on his shoulder, white and
wild. The men cheered-yes. they did
and cheered! And Sandy stood in the
midst of them, his leg wounded by hall,
and told how he had been found by Char
ley, when a bayonel was going to make AN
end of him; but that Charley had used his
own bayonet to dreadful purpose, and
Sandy had been saved.
| But, strange to say. the boy had not
seemed to recognize him. Sandy bad
taken him on his shoulder, for the boy had
grown faint and white, had called his
name; but blank look was all the reply
he received. Charley's mind had stopped.
There he was, looking at the men, u smile
on his face, but an unmeaning look in his
blue eyes.
They looked at him, they shook him by
the hand but he said nothing-he recog-
nized no one.
The surgeon came and shook his head.
Frightp" he said.
| But Sandy Green cried -" It's a lie,
begging your pardon! The boy wasn't
frightened"
For all that, it made small difference to
Charley. Day after day, as this portion OF
the army made intrenchments where they
were, and prepared for winter quarters,
lor this point must be guarded. Charley
loitered about the hospital, not sick, not
ailing, but with his mind clouded. One
Of the boys had hunted for his fiddle, but
only the fragments and the strings were
eft, and these Sandy Green had taken
charge of, as he lay in his cot; for, u
said he, " the sight of these things might
make the boy worse"
/. The surgeons studied the case. 1t was
. new to them, fine opportunity for exper
lment-and experiment they did, and
made nothing of it. And still Charley
! smiled and went about seemingly happy
knowing no one, speaking to no one, miss
; ing nothing he had before known.
The men, when they met him, called
> out, Hi, Charleyr and he seemed to be
pleased at that-nothing more. Often
they would look at him, speak of him, fol
you see they had all so liked him. Anc
Sandy Green was grieved at heart. though
his manner was as gruff and rude as ever
After while the surgeons came to 6
strange conclusion. They said that the
life of Charley, from the first surprise or
that memorable evening, that night he haC
, seen The fight, was blank. They said there
was no bridge to connect the time before
, and the time after that terrible experience
They cited vast authorities, and confused
themselves about them, and so far confus
ed Sandy Green, who was hobbling about
that the rough man looked on Charley a.
I though he were a ghost.
One day Sandy Green, feeling in hi
pocket, found the letter which Charlie.
4, had written 10 Aunt Teddy, and which ha'
5 never been posted. and had been forgotten
Il ever since. At sight of it, he went 70
: paper and pencil Immediately. That nigh
, ne told the boys that he had written Il
Charles aunt, getting the direction from
= Charles unposted letter.
V "Aunt leddy's coming to camp, boys.
) said some of them, in faint remembrance
of their old hnmor over Charles relative
u SANDY Green has written to her tellin,
Il her about the boy"
ol Lo! lo A few days after, tall appar
d ton. gaunt and grim, dlaped in grey
e made its appearance in the hospital, ask
ing for Charley Morgan; and in less tina
IA AN hour, it was known all aroud, tina
ID Charley Aunt Teddy had come.
"a ! AL WIZ COuluy pttSb III
N dow Just to p, ep at her; but they did nc
N 20 twice, for her fierce look was somt
thing dreadful, and it was everywhere :
nd once. They were afraid of her. The
i'd might face the enemy but Aunt Tedd
was something more. And Charlie
% she Just went up 10 the poor lad, and too
s. his face between her two bony hands.
Mt "Charley!" she said. And he turne
a his smiling, meaningless face to her, an
n. laughed low, and did not know her.
N She sat quietly down. and rocked hel
lie self to and fro, No: Aunt Teddy coul
r. do nothing, either.
,e So the days wore on, and some of tn
.r boys saw her sitting beside Charley, holt
ing his hand in hers, and looking fiercel
d about her like lioness guarding he
@. young. She would not have him stir froi
t. her. and he seemed perfectly contente
I'd beside her.
re- And when the men saw her sitting thel
fierce and on guard, holding the boy
,e hand in her own, and he smiling and hal
py.looking, they felt a lump in the
a throats; and in way they respecte
Aunt Teddy more than if she had crit
d. over him, calling him loving names. ft
ar they SAW strength there, like their own
30 strength for protection.
bt And do you know, it was said. ths
Id when Sandy Green saw her coming G
ed that day, he hobbled out as fast as
by could, and with white face; and
would not 90 near her, when she asked f
We the man who had written her about Cha
a ley he, too, WAS afraid-the guant, gri
apparition.
,at To the doctors she was little mo
DIV concilating, and, although she told the
nj. they did not understand their business y
ht when one Of them leaned down. and tri,
Ie. to take Charleys hand from hers to gi
ara 1t friendly shake, she said:-
AT Don't please! want to hold him
me, for he all I've got" And the doct
on could not help grasping hers. with gre
choke in his throat.
en IF we could waken him to some mel
mir ory of the past, said the doctor to ht
get one day; "if we could bring him ba
no to the day before the fght-if he cou
nd recognize something he had known the
he we might save him perhaps"
he "Tm not rich woman" was the repl
Nd "but I'll write. this instant, to my age