The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1880-03-12
The Ribbon Of Homer

hr6 OF sea COAL WHICH Tie GLzo OA SuO
room rendered necessary, even when
the furnace was, according to Patrick,
sat the top OF its hate" We were
small party-my cousin. aud my Cousins
wife, her sister, Patty Emerson-s dark
eyed, Castilian.looking girl, whom you
were constantly naming, in your inag-
ination, Sonora Inez, or Dolores any
thing but the commonplace "Patty,"
to which she really responded-and
Major Howith, an English friend OF
my Cousins and charming person,
easy, jovial and sympathetic, and with
background of personal history which
dated from the Crimea.
With myself we made just Eve, .
group unequal as to whist, but quite
equal to much livelier pastime-story
telling. The Major, good fellow, had
"opened the ball' with "thrilling
tale" or two from his Crimean expert
encee, and then for the first time we dis
covered that he was one of those heroes
who had won the Victoria cross. Pat.
ty's eyes glis;ened.
"Oh, to think ;" she c.ied out, "that
we here in America have gone through
such a war, have bad such splendid
heroes, and not a national badge or q
ribbon of honor to crown and specialize
our special heroes -
My cousin-who was himself some.
thing of a hero in the war, and WHOM
we all called the Colonel when we did
not more affectionally and irreverently
style him "Cousin Jim"-at this point
gave utterance to an exclamation which
at once aroused our interest.
"What is it, Colonel? There's bee
buzzing in your bonnet, that's certain !;
and, as I've told all my stories for to-
night, you might as well open up your
budget" put in Majo Howith. We
all joined in this Invitation or sugges-
tior, and, after a minHte or two, my
Cousins pleasant voice was telling the
story of the evening-the story of s'The
Ribbon Of Honor.''
"You remember Melroe 2" he began,
glancing 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 won his captaincy, though he was
but twenty three years old. The night
before his last batele, l recolleet, was a
specially merry evening all round, ow-
ing to Melfoe's wit and hutnotous
drollery. Dalzell Of The Fifteenth and
Melroe had tent together. and Hoyle
and the two brothers, Atchy and Cam
Browne, together with myself, were
Invited in that night to little supper
Of AIel's giving. / recollect perfectly,
As I went in, seeing Melroe bending
over the oysters which he was cooking
upon a spirit lamp. He was great at
all those things, and Cam Browne was
running him as only Cam Browne could.
you've missed your vocation, Mel !;
you should have been spprenticed to
Soyer,' Cam was saying. 'You always
had kuack at that kind OF messing !;
and remember turning to the rest of
us, 'when he came . little urch:n to
school, ard he actually, at that tender
age, bad furnished himself with sundry
tin cups and various conveniences for
brewing messes, aud be was forever at
it." As heard this / recalled the
first time I met the yonngster myself.
l was at tho same school, one OF the
seniors, and he was a little chap not
yet turned into his teens, very fond of
play, Se.y fond of his lineup business,
and very much afraid of ghosts. I used
TO meet bin running down the corri-
dors after dark. And once [ remember
very well when we were all in our
rootns shd the lights were being put
out, how little white face looked in
and s little shsky voice cried, King,
will you lend me your tocthache drops?'
I questioned the boy, Got tie TOOTH
ache, Mel p NO, he answered, sbut
MortY has, $50 you braved the ghosts
for Mofty's toothache,' / retorted, VIC
lOusly; 'and what's more, to my think
ing, the cold.' told him / didn't
think / should crawl out of my warm
bed on such an errand tbst Jack
Frost. the very wbitest ghost / ever
saw; was waiting for him in that entry.
The little chap hared up like rocket.
DO you think I'd let chap have q
toothact.e for all the ghosts in the
world r he cried ott,. passionately,
winding up with, 'Oh. hate you big
boys you are all SO selfish = tiled
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