Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-04-10

'"Tention. squad" he called out when he
drew himself up again, and his voice was
husky with emotion. We gave the little crea-
ture escort across the stream, and
watched her disappear among the thick
shrubbery which rose beyond.
terward that We heard hoarse shout arise
from the enemy's camp on the other side of
the hill. 1t was the welcome which those
poor half-starved rebs were giving to the lit
tie heroine and to our tobacco! We never
stopped to think but with hearty three-times-
three we sent back the cheer, till the woods
and rocks re-echoed the sound far off to the
distant mountain range. And then we looked
sadly round at each other to think how baby's
hand had spun this slender thread which
stretched between brothers divided by such
wide sea of blood and suffering.
don't know whether it was the remem-
brance of the child whose appearance had
touched him so deeply or presentment of
son seemed to lose his bright spirits. Even
his promotion, which came the next week,
failed to rouse him from the detection which
seemed to take possession of him. When ne
was made lieutenant, of course I ceased to
share his tent, and believe he felt the loss as
much as did. At any rate when he was
that might be allowed to wait onlhim. And
perhaps because was m Ore gentle than the
other men the request was grantee and staid
with him through the three days which
elapsed before he died. For he did die, but
not before he had told me part of the painful
story which he had always shrunk from ap-
preaching in his days of splendid health.
He had married young, he said, and very
foolishly. His wife had been brilliantly
beautiful, vain, capricious girl, and both had
been too young to realize the responsibilities
and cares that were to come with marriage
She had never really cared for him, but she
had born him one chlld-a baby daughter.
He was of Northern birth, although living in
the South, and when the war broke out his
married life had already been so unhappy
that it was scarcely an added pain when she
refused to live with him on account of his
political sentiments. Only the thought OF
the child bound him in any way to the beau
tiful, intractable mother. He went to her at
her fathers house and begged, for the sake
The father seconded his request, but the girl
was like adamant. She would never share
the home of Yankee, she protested The
only comfort that the wretched husband
could extort from her was the promise to
write of the child's welfare
Then came terrible DAYS in the South
Months passed, anu the once fair anu rich
came North, and in his wretehedness found
the army the most fitting place to drive away
the reccllections that haunted him. He knew
the child was safer in its grandfather's home
than it could be with him, and beside this,
the brave soldiers heart was yet too tender
to strike the mother by claiming the child.
But one day came letter from his wife tell
episode of his married life was as closed
page to him, to which he never or rarely
turned This was all his story, and he told it
to me with eyes bright with fever and lips
that trcmbled with weakness as he spoke.
30 you remember" he asked, that baby
my little one would have been just as old, and
it was wonderful how like that child was to
Louise. It was for my baoy's sake that I
kissed her; not for her likeness to the baby's
mother. And vet, poor louise"
he turned uneasily on his sile, and his face
flushed even a deeper red. He clasped my
hand tightly and then his mind began to wan
der. BY next morning he was dead.
The war did not last much longer, and at
it's close I went to New York. This is not my
own story, so shall not tell you how it came
to pass that found myself by the will of re-
lative left my own master, with abundant
means and not claim upon me in the world.
But one day was called over to Baltimore
on some business, aud there, in one of the
attracted my attention strangely.
We Northern men scarcely realized during
the war how much sympathy for the South
was felt in Baltimore. But the Southerners
knew it, and, therefore, to Baltimorean it
appeared only matter of course that Cor
federate soldier in his gray uniform should be
standing at the corner of street grinding
away at an old hand-organ. say standing,
although this poor fellow had no legs to stand
upon-only two poor deformed stumps on
which his body rested. was attracted
by the sight, but should probably have passed
on with no more than stare of curiosity, had
not child beside the soldier began to sing.
I don't know that shonld have recognized
the 'Battery's Pride" either, for the elflocks
were all braided neatly around her head and
she was taller and less chubby than when
had seen her in our camp two years ago, but
the words of the song struck upon my ear as
strangely familiar, and my memory instantly
sprang to the time and place where had
heard them before. Remembering, too, what
Ransom had said, I stopped and spoke to her.
She looked up pleased when put little
gold piece in her palm and then asked her
if she remembered me?
'She never forgets anything" the old soldier
said, pale smile spreading over his sickly
features as he looked at her.
had forgotten. She shook her head and
glanced mp shyly into my face, but declared
that she had never seensme before.
But when I recalled her childish feat of
walking into an enemy's camp alone at night
her face litup directly.
And were you theres" she asked; IT DO
not remember anybody, o yes, I d." she
geant. He took me in his arms and kissed mel"
think some of my readers must know the
feeling that one has for any old comrade at
arms that one has fought beside and suffered
with, and loved. I doubt if there is
any other feeling in the world quite like it:
That this little thing should have remembered
Ransom alone, out of score Of men who had
been kind to her, touched me deeply. had
little to interest me in the world, and I was
nearly forty. determined to find out some
thing of the child's history, and perhaps do
something tor her for Ramson's sake. And
yet I did not know then the claim she had
upon him.
out where he lived. That evening went to
see him, and, remembering that past episode,
took with me generous supply of the Lone
Jack for which Nina had pleaded so eloquent
y two years ago. It was only garrett where
the two lived, and yet the child had managed
to give it a certain home-like air, for her
pretty ways and songs brought many penny
were not in absolute vast. And some kind
ladies, too, in the house below, had helped
them, the man said, for near friends of their
own had fallen in the Lost Cause.
But the man was very uneasy about Nina.
He had taken her as q sacred trust, he said
from his dead Captain, that Capt. Ned oil
whom Nina had told Us so much. Capt. Ned
(his surname was Anderson) had rescued the
child from q house that the Federals had
fred, and although he had advertised for the
parents he had never found them. The com
mand had been ordered to q distant part Of
the country, and in time Capt. Anderson had
become so attached to the child that he could
not bear to give her up But he had always
said that he was only keeping her till be
could find her parents; the mother, he said
had been an old sweetheart of his, Mrs. Ram
son f% e
s.'Ramson" cried; fare you surer'
20, yes" answered the soldier. aCapt. An
derson knew the old plantation well, and *
did /, and pretty Miss Louise and her father
Col. Mallory. We all came from the sam,
parts. Aud when Capt Anderson died h,
gave me these papers and charged me If evel
came across any Of the Mallory's that
should give up the child.n -. 81
l looked at the little one, who was kneeiin.
beside the pale soldier, with her small hand
clasped over the gray sleeve Of the Southern
uniform.