The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-01-05
The Ribbon Of Honor.


necessary even when the furnace was, &C.
cording to Patrick, ,'at the top of its hate"
We were small party-my cousin and my
Cousins wife, her sister, Patty Emerson Ia
dark eyed, Castilian looking girl, whom you
were constantly naming in your Imagination
Sonora Inez or Dolores; anything but the
commonplace "Patty,") and Major Howith,
an English friend of my Cousins and charm
ing person, easy, jovial and sympathetic, and
with background of personal history which
dated from the Crimea.
With myself we made just five, group
unequal as to whist, but quite equal to
much livelier pastime, storytelling. The
major, good fellow, had "opened the ball'
with thrilling tae' or two from his Cri-
mean experiences, and then fer the first time
we discovered that he was one of those he
roes who had won the Victoria cross. Pat
ty's eyes glistened.
sob, to think" she cried out, Chat we
here in America have gone through such a
war, have had such splendid heroes, and not
national badge or ribbon of honor to crown
and specialize our special heroes?'
My cousin, who was himself something of
hero in the war, and whom we all called
the colonel, when we did not more Affection
ately style him "Cousin Jim," at this point
gave utterance to an exclamation which at
once aroused our interest.
in your bonnet, that's certain; and, as Pve
told all my stories for tonight, you might as
well open up your budget" put In Major
Howith. We all joined in this invitation, or
suggestion, and, after a minute or two, my
Cousins pleasant voice was telling the story
of the evening-the story Of "The Ribbon Of
Honor"
'.You remember Melroe2 he began,
gancing at us three ladies. "He was the
brightest, gayest, little fellow. this Melroe,'
addressing himself to Major Howith, ''the life
of my regiment, and he had won his cap
taincy though he was but three and twenty.
The night before his last battle, I recollect,
was specially merry evening all round, ow-
ing to Melroe's wit and humor and drellery.
Dalzell, of the Fifteenth, and Melroe had
tent together, and Hoyle and the two broth
ers Archy and Cam Browne, together with
myself, were invited in that night to little
supper Of Mel's giving. I recollect perfectly
as went in seeing Meroe bending over the
oysters which he was cooking upon spirit
lamp. He was great at all those things, and
Cam Browne was running him as only Cam
Browne could. "You'Ve missed your voca-
ton, Mel; you should have been apprenticed
to Soyer,' Cam was saying. you always
had knack at that kind of messing; and |
remember turning to the rest of us, when
he came little urehin to school, and he ac-
tually, at that tender age, had furnished him
self with sundry tin cups and various con-
veniences for brewing messes, and he was for
ever at it, AS heard this I recalled the
first time ret the youngster myself. / was
at the same school, one of the seniors, and he
was little chap not yet turned into his
teens, very fond of play, very fond of his tin
cup business and very much afraid of ghosts.
used to meet him running down the corri-
doris after dark. And once remember very
well, when we were all in our rooms and the
lights were being put out how a little white
face looked In and a little shaky voice cried,
King, will you lend me your toothache
drops% 1 questioned the boy. Got the
toothache, Mel?' No. he answered, but
Morty has, so you braved the ghosts for
Morty's toothache,' 1 returned viciously;
and what's more, to my thinking, the cold.'
told him didn't think should crawl out
of my warm bed on such an errand, and that
Jack Frost, the very whitest ghost he ever
saw, was waiting for him in that entry. DO
you think I'd let chap have toothache for
all the ghosts in the world? he cried out,
passionately, winding up with, ooh, hate
you big boys; you're all SO selfish! | tried
to mollify him by offering to light him back,
but he snatched the drops and banged the
door in my face; aud l heard him running
down the dark corridor, gasping every inch OF
The way for fear of the ghosts, and ali for
Morty Richmond, his room-mate's toothache;
and know of this little mans lying awake
Eor hours one night with his own toothache,
which he bore rather than brave the dark
corridors. told this story just as l am tell
ing il now to the fellows that night in the
tent, as we all stood and watched Meiroe at
his oysters. had special reason for telling
it. knew very well that not man in all
the regiment was SO little understood as Hol-
land Melroe-perhaps so little appreciated.
His estimate there that night, with those who
liked him heartily, too, was of gay, good
natured fellow, who took bis soldiers life as
easily as consistent with good deal of laz-
ness and little shrinking from any active
service. felt sure that l read him better
than this, and that beneath this exterior of
laziness and shrinking there lay noble quail
ties of courage and valor, AS l finished my
ssory that night Dalzell called out, sYou
ought to have a medal for overcoming your
dragon, Mel Or Gordon bleu,' Cam
Browne suggested. From that they all fell to
talking of the foreign system of badges and
medals of honor, and one of the young men
pulled out of his pocket Cornhill Magazine,
and read to US Thackeray's Roundabout paper
'On Ribbons The final summing up of the
talk was in great agreement with Thackeray,
and the general conclusion that We ought to
have ribbon of honor, mot simply Kear-
ny cross, but grand Gordon bleu, or a medal
coming straight from the heart and hand of
that grand old fellow Abraham Lincoln Dali
zell burst out. 'Of course we are all too mod
est TO ever expect to be decked in that way,
but how many of US would disdain it? be
concluded.
''As the talk deepened, Melroe's face had
lost its gayety, I noticed. He drew deep
sigh as Dalzell spoke, and wistful look came
into his eyes. l could guess pretty well how
it was with him. What was he beside them?
What brilliant, or courageous, or soldierly, or
spirited qualities had he? These men
would easily win their Gordon bleu, for they
were without fear. Without fear. That was
what was in his mind, as he very shortly con-
fessed by laundering, honest question bear
ing directly upon the subject. How did it
knew of this little white ghost of Melroe's vet
every one of them knew that he had never
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
will never distinguish himself-that is GER
tain.' And now suddenly with his question
arose another with them: How came he
here into this voluntary service with this
characteristics But before asking it they an
swered his query, one and another smiling,
yet serious and truthful.
cat their first battle? yes, it had been a
shock, and then it was over. Various emo
tons assailed them now, but none of fear.
But how was it with him? they asked. They
all knew something how it was, as have
said, but not wholly, until he burst out i'm
pulsively:
"'Well, to tell the truth, boys, will own
that l 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.
"For moment there was a look of surprise \
on Melroe's face, look as if he doubted 1
whether he had heard Alright.
How came I?' he uttered slowly; how 1
could I stay at home? A man can't choose
at such time. If I saw an assassin enter 1
my friends house while he lay sleeping, /
might be very much afraid of the assassin, but
l conldn't very we'll go on my way in safety,
and tell some other man to 60 forward to the
rescue. might recoil from the encounter, |
but should recoil ten times more from the |
skulking away from it. No. he went on, I |
thought this all over; knew it would hurt ]
this kind of lite-but L concluded it would
hurt a great deal more to turn nay back upon
it. Why, believing as l do,syou know, fel
low couldn't 1 can see Hoyle, and DalzelI, |
and the two Brownies, exchange glances here. |
They too, ay, and everyone of them there, / 1
knew, thought Of the story of the boy at |