Daily Republican., 1879-06-06
THIRD EDITION.
Jouathan Niles and his Fife

was 6nCaWptu dt ldppdh, VI sno A1~"
son, Gen. Lafayette had command OF
the advance, and, in order that any
att, mpt on the part ol the enemy at
surprise might be guarded against, La
fayetts issued orders that there should
be no noise Of any kind by the troops
between the hours of tattoo and re-
veille. Jonathan Niles was one OF La
fayettes musicians, and his instrument
the fife. He was son OF Connecticut,
and he had manned and disabled
brother, who was cunning artitlcer,
and who, among other quaint things,
had made the fife on which Jonathan
played.
Ii was so constructed that it could be
blown to the shrill and ear-piercing
notes that belong with the drum, or 1t
could be so softly and sweetly breathed
upon as to give forth notes like the
gentle duloimer. One evening Jona'
than wandered down to the waters
edge, and seated upon a rock, gazed
upon the dark flowing, star gemuied
hopd.
His thoughts We're of his home and
of loved ones there; and anon came
memories of the old songs that had
been wont to gladden. the old freside.
Unconciously he drew his flute from
his bosom and placed it to his lips. In
his mind, at that moment, was a sweet
soug, adapted from Mozart, which had
been his mothers 5 favorite.
IL. knew not what he did. To him
all things of the present we're shut out,
and he was at home, sitting at his
mothers feet; and the charm was not
broken until rough blow upon the
back recalled him to As senses.
"Man what are you doingl The Gener-
al may be awake. If he should hear
you-ah!'
1t was sentinel; and even this
guardian OF the night afterward con
fess.d that he had listened, entranced,
to the ravishing music for a long time
before he thought it his duty to stop it.
On the following morning an orderly
came to the spot where Jonathan ha
been eating his breakfast, and informed
him that the General wanted to see him
at headquarters.
Poor Jonathan turned pal. and trem.
hled. He knew that Lafayette was
very strict, and that 10 those psrilons
times even slight nfractions Of military
orders were punished severely.
As he rose to his feet, the sentinel OF
the previous evening came up and
whispered in his ear:
''lfit should be ahou: the music iona.
than, don be alarmed. Not a soul
save you and me knows anything about
it; can swear to that. So do you just
y it wasn't yoa. Stick to it, you II
cone out all right"
jonathan looked at the nan plying
Il. "\Vhat. My mothers son tell a
lie iik- that! ltwould be the heaviest
loui lever carried-heavier than ever
mean TO carry, i'll have my SENSES"
lie then went to the Generals quar-.
t-rs, tent pitched on commanding
sit, overlooking, tho whole line he had
10 guard.
Lafayette was pacing to and fro, sad
and moody, as though his thought.
wc"e unhappy.
''Comrade, who are you?"
Jonathan Niles, General"
Last evening heard music by thu
rivers bank. Were you the musician
1t was |, General; but | knew no
what did, meant not to dsobay you
oder. sat thinking of home, and O
Jay mother, and"
"ha General started at the sound o
thai word, and the shadow upon hi,
,arn crew soft and ethereal.
OF your mother? And | thought 0
mine. 1t was theme of Mozart's arc
was my moth RS favorite. lfyou will b'
s. i;ind, go bring your instrument, anc
Ildv for me that strain here in my tent
1t will do me good"
In after years-even to his dyinh
hour-tbe man loved to tell that story
Though he would not urge the truth
upon any man in consideration Of 81
mean thing as the benefit that might
result, vet he could not put away tht
thought that the sweetest and mos
blessed memory of all his soldiers eX
perience might have been lost had h
grasped Al the oppor unity to tell III
ON the one occasion Of his life when
lie might, to som,, have seemed mos
Gpportune and profitable.