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

awake for hours one night with his own
.oothache, which he bure rather than
brave the dark corridor! / told this
story, just as am telling it now; to the
fellows that night in the tent, as we all
stood and watched Melroe at his oysters.
l had a special reason for telling 1t.
I knew very we'll that not man in
all the regiment was SO little Under
stood as Holland Melroe-perhaps SO
little appreciated. HIS estimate there
that night, with those who liked him
heartily, too, was of q gay ,good-hunor-
ed fellow, who took his soldiers life
AZ easily As was coneistent with good
deal OF laziness and little shrinking
from any active SERVICES felt sure
that read him better than this, and
that beneath this exterior of laziness
and shrinking there lay noble quali-
ties of courage and valor. As finish
ed my story that night Dalzell called
out. You ought to have had medal
for overcoming your dragon; Mel 'Or
a GORDON Me,s,' Cam Browne suggested.
From that they all fell to talking OF the
foreign system of badges and medals of
honor, and one of the young men pulled
out of his pocket, recollect, Corn
hill Magtsi',e, and read to US Thacke-
rays Roundabout paper Son Ribbons
The final summing up OF the talk was
in great agreement with Thackery, and
the general conclusion that we ought to
have ribbon of honor mot simply a
Kearuey cross, but grand GORDON 61eat
or medal coming straight from the
heart aud hand of that grand old fel-
low, Abraham Lincoln,' Dalzell burst
out. 'Ot course we're all too modest
to ever expect to be decked in that way,
but how many of us would disdain it !'''
he concluded.
"As the talk deepened, Melroe's face
had lost Its gayety, l noticed. He
drew a deep sigh as Dalzell spoke, and
a wistful look came into his eyes.
could guess pretty we'll how it was with
him. What was he beside them
What brilliant, or courageous, or SOL
dierly, or spirited qualities had he (?
These men would easily win their corr
don 6leat, for they were without fear.
Without feari That was what was in
his mind, as he very shortly confessed
by blundering, honest question, bear
ing directly upon the subject. How
did it feel TO be without fear Every
man of them knew OF this little white
ghost of Melroe's, yet every one of them
knew that he never had failed to do bic
duty. They had laughed quietly to-
gether ovet it and said, MEL is good
fellow he will never run away, but
he never will distinguish himself-that
is certain And now suddenly with
his question arose another with them
How came he here into this voluntary
service with this characteristic But
before asking it they answered his query
one and another smiling, yet serious
and truthful.
SAT their first battle2 Yes, it had
been a shock, and then 1t was osef.
Various emotions assaiIed them now,
but none of fear. But how was 1t With
him9 they asked. They all knew
something how it was, IS l have said
but not wholly, until he burst ont i'm
pulkiyely
Well, to tell the truth, boys, will
own that / am awt1lly afraid every
time, to this day, and / cau't heIplt.'
"'But how came you here, anyway,
with that feeling and being here. Why
do you stay p asked Cam Browne.
sFor moment there was look of
surprise ON Melroe's face, a look as If
he doubted whether he had heard
Alright.
How came ~ he uttered slowly;
how would stay at home? a man
can't choose at eoch time. II I saw
an assassin enter my friends house while
he lay sleeping, | might be very much
straid OF the assassin, bat couldn't
very we'll 90 on my way in safety and
tell some other msn to go forward to
The rescue. I might recoil ten times
more from the skulking away from it
No. he went on. Il thought this all
over I knew it would h1ft-this kind
of life-but I concluded it would hurt
} great deal more to turn my back mp
On it. Why, believing as do, yot
know, 3 fellow couldn't., / can see
Hoyle and Dalzell and the two Brownee
srchsnge glances here. They two, aye;
and every one of them there. knew
4, a5aNs. I. n