The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-06-28
NUMBER %.
Il Companion for the Haschet.

In his youth our hero, Jonathan Niles,
was musician in the revolutionary army.
In l11S, while the treason Of Arnold was
being cousummated, and the American
army was encsmped at Tappon, on the
Hudson, General Lafayette bad command
OF the advance, consisting OF six battaliOns
of picked infantry, bis particular duty be
ing TO guard the water front and in order
that any attempt on the part Of the enemy
at surprise might be guarded against La
fayette issueo positive orders that there
should be no noise Of any kind by the troops
between the hours of tattoo and :eveille.
Our Jonathan was one Of Lafayette's
musicians and his instrument, the fife.
He was a son OF Connecticut, aud be had
manned and disabled brother who was a
cunning artificer, aud who, among other
! quaint things, had made the fife on which
! jonathan played. 1t was SO constructed
| that it could be blown to the shrill and ear
| piercing notes that belong with the drum,
or it could be so softly and sweetly breath
ed upon as to give forth notes like the gen.
| tie dulcimer.
One evening Jonathan wandered down
! by the waters edge, and, seated upon a
rock, gazed off upon the darkly flowing,
| star-gemmed flood. His Thoughts were of
| his home, and of the loved ones aud anon
/ came memories of the old songs that bad
/ been wont to gladden. the firesides. Un-
! consciously he drew his fute from his bo-
/ som, and placed it to his lips. In his mind
| at the moment, was sweet song, adapted
! from Mozart, which bad been his mothers
| favorite. tie knew not what he did. To
him all things Of the present were shut out
| and he vas again at home, sitting at his
mothers feet-and the charm was not bro
ken until a rough blow upon the back re-
| called him to his senses.
Man ! what are you doing? The gen
eral may be awake. If he should hear
! you-ah -
1t was a sentinel and even this guardian
| of the night afieI wards cuntessed that he
had listened, entTauced, TO the ravishing
music for long time before be had thought
of his duty to stop It.
On the following morning an orderly
came 10 the spot where Jonathan bad been
eating his breakfast, and Informed him that
the general wanted to him at head
quarters
Poor Jonathan turned pale aud trelubled.
He knew that Lafayette was vely strict,
and that in those perilrus times even slight
lnfractious were punished severely. AS be
arose to bis feet the sentinel of .he previous
evening came rp and whispered into his
ear:
eff it should be about the music Jona-
( than, don't you be alarmed. Not a soul,
save yOu aud me, knows anything about it.
l can swear to that So do you Just say
it wasn't you. Stick to it, aud you d come
out all right
Jonathan looked at the man pityiugiy.
/ "What my mothers son tell a lie like
that 1t would he the heaviest load 1 ever
carred-heavier than l ever mean To carry
if have my senses -
He then went TO the generals quarters
"A tent pitched on a commanding site ov-
I eTlooking the whole line he had to guard.
Lafayette vas pacing TO and fro, sad aud
moody, as though his thoughts were un-
happy.
''Cumrade, who are you p
Jonathan Niles, general
Last evening l heard music down by
the rivers bank. Were you the mus icia n?'
''It was |, general but knew not " hal
7 did. l mean, not to disobey your order
l sat and thought of home, aud of my
- mother, and
> The general started at the sound of tha
! word and the shadow on bis face grew sof
! and ethereal.
"Of ynur-MoTHER And I thought o
mine. 1t was theme of Mo1art's aue
was my mothers favorite. If you will b,
= so kind, go bring your instrument, and pla-
a for me that strain here, in my tent it vii
: do me good
z In the after years even to his dvin,
+ hour-the man loved to tell that story. :
j. Though he would never urge the trutl
j. upon any man i'm consideration of so mea,
t a thing the benefit that might result
j. ye. be could not put away the thought tba
5 the sweetest aud most blessed memory o
y all his soldier experience might have bee
5 lost to him had he grasped at sbe opportu
g uity 20 tell lie on the one occasion of Al
, his life when lie might, to some. hav
' seemed most oppOrtune and profitable