The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-04

THE RIBBON OF HONOR.

drawn no around the nre-an open hreoi
sea coal, which the size of the room rem
derod necessary, even when the furnace
was according to Patrick, cat the top OF
its hate."s We were a small party-my
cousin, and my cousins wife, her sister,
Patty Emerson, a dark-eyed, Castilian-
looking young woman, whom you were
constantly naming in your imagination,
Sonora Inez, or Dolores; anything but
the commonplace patty" to whi h she
really responded-and Major Howith, an
English friend of my cousins and n
charming fellow, easy, jovial and SYM
pathetic, and with a background of per-
sonal history which dated from the
Crimea
With myself, we made just five, a
group unequal as to whist, but quite
equal to much livelicr pastime-story-
telling. The major, good fellow, had
cope ned the ball" with thrilling tale"
or two from his Crimean experiences, and
then for the first time we discovered that
he was one of those heroes who won the
Victoria Gross. Patty's eyes .glistened.
"Oh, 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"
NV cousin-who was himself some
thing of hero in the war, and whom we
all called the colonel, when we did not
more affectionately and irreverently
style him "Cousin Jm"-at this point
gave utterance to an exclamat ion which
at once aroused our interest.
"What is it. Colonel? There's n bee
ouzzing in your bonnet, that's certain;
and as | have told all my stories for to-
night, you might as well open up your
budget" put in Major Howith. We all
Joined in this invitation or suggestion,
and, after minute or two, my Cousins
pleasant voice was telling the story of the
evening-"The Ribbon of Honor"
"You remember Melroe9" he began
glancng at us three Ladies'. "He was the
brightest, gayest little fellow, this Mel
roe" addressing himself to Major Howith,
"the life of my regiment, and he won his
captaincy, thourh he was but twenty
three wears old The night before hi, last
battle, recollect, WIS speci lily merry
evening all around, owing to Meloe'
wit and humorous drollery. Dalzell, of
the Fifteenth, and Meroe had tent to-
gether, and the two brothers, Cam and
Archy Browne, together with myself,
were invited in that night to little sup
per of Mplrop's giving. Irecollect per-
fectly, as | went in, seeing Melroe bend
ing over the oysters which he was cooking
upon spirit lamp. He was great at all
such things, and Cam Browne was run
ming him AS only Cam Browne could.
"'You've missed your vocation, Mel;
you should have been apprenticed tc
Soyer,' Cam was saying. You always
had knack at that kind of messing;
and l remember turning to the rest OF
us, when he came little urchin to
school; and he, actually, at that
tender age, had furnished himself with
sundry tin-cups, and various convenien-
ces for brewing messes; and he was for
ever at it, As heard this | recalled the
first time I met .he 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 corridors after dark.
And once remember very well, when we
were all in our rooms and the lights
were being put out, how little white
face looked in, and little shaky voice
cried, king, will you lend me your
toothache drops? | questioned the boy,
Got the toothache, MelT No. he an
swered, but Morty has, so YOU braved
the ghost' for Morty's toothache,' re-
torted viciously: 'and what's more to my
thinking, the cold l told him didn't
think / should crawl out of my warn
bed on such an errand; that Jack Frost
the whitest he ever saw. was waiting
for him in the entry. The little char
flared up like rocket. Do you think Pt
let chap have toothache for all thu
ghosts in the world? he cried out, pas
sionately, winding up with, oh, ! hate
you big boys; you're all so selfish!
tried to mol ifv him by Offering to light
him back, but he snatched the drops and
banged the door in my face; and hearc
him running down the corridor, gaspine
every inch of the way for fear of th'
ghosts, and all for Morty Richmond
(his room mate's) toothache: and
know of this little mans lying awake fo
hours one night with his own toothache
which he bore rather than brave the darl
corridor. I told this story, just as l an
telling it now, to the fellows that nigh
in the tent, as we all stood and watche'
Melroe at his oysters. / had specia
reason for telling it. l knew very wei
that not man in all the regiment wa
SO little understood as Holland Melroe-
perhaps 50 little appreciated. His esti
mate there that night with those VIII
liked him heartily, too, was Of agay
good-humored fellow, who took his sol
diers life as easily as was consisten
with good deal of laziness and littl
shrinking from any active service. / fel
sure that read him better than this, an
that beneath this exterior of lazines
and shrinking there lay noble qualities c
courage and valor. As I finished m
story that night Dalzell called out, 'Yo