The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1880-12-10
Jonathan Niles and his Fife.

| In his youth, Jonathan Niles was must
clan of the Revolutionary Army. In 1878
while the American Army was encampcd al
Tapptn, on the Hudson, Gen, Lafayette had
| command of the advance, his particular duty
| being to guard the water front and in order
| that any attempt on the part of the enemy al
| surprise might be guarded against, La Fay
cite issued orders that there should be nc
noise of any kind, by the troops, between the
hours of tattoo and reveille.
Our Jonathan was one of LaFayctte's mu-
| sicians, and his instrument the fife. He was
q son of Connecticut, and he had q manned
| and disabled brother who was cunning ar
tificcr, and who among other quaint things
had made the fife upon which Jonathan play
ed. 1t was so constructed that it could be
blown to shrill and car-percing notes that be-
long with the drum, or ii could be softly and
sweetly brcathed upon as to give forth notes
like the gentle dulcmer.
One evening Jonathan wandered down to
the waters edge, and seated upon arock gaz-
ed off upon the darkly flowing, star-gemmed
flood. His thoughts were of his home and
of the loved ones, and anon came memories
of the old songs that had been wont to glad
den the fireside.
Unconscously, he drew: his flute from his
bosom and placed it to his lips. In his mind,
at the moment, was sweet song, adapted
from Mozart, which had been his mothers
favorite He knew not what he did. To
him all things ofthe present were shut out
and he was again at home, sitting at his
mothers fect-aud the chasm was not broken
until rough blow upon the back. recalled
him to his senses.
MAN what are you doing? The General
may be awake. Ifhe should hear you-ah "
1t was q sentinel; and even this guardian
of the night aftcrward confessed that he had
listened, entranced, to the ravishing music
for a long time before he had thought of his
duty to stop it.
On the following morning an orderly came
to the spot where Jonathan had been eating
his breakfast, and informed him that the GEN
eral wanted to see him at headquarters.
Poor Jonathan turned pale and trembled.
He knew that Lafayette was very strict, and
that in those perilous times even slight in
fractions of military orders were punished Sc
verely. AS he rose to his feet the sentinel of
the previous evening came up and whispered
into his ear:
"If it should be about the music, Jonathan,
dou't you be alarmed. Not soul save you
and me knows anything about it. can
swear that So, do you just say it wasn't
you. Stick to it, and you'll come out all
right"
Jonathan looked at the man pityingly-
What my mothers son tell n lie like that ?
1t would be the heaviest load ever carried
heavier than ever mean to carry, i'll have
my senses.
He then went to the Generals quarters-a
tent pitched in n commanding sight, over
looking the whole line he had to guard La
Fayette was pacing to and fro, sad and moody
as though his thoughts were unhappy.
Conrad, who are your
Jonathan Niles, General"
Last evening | heard music down by the
rivers bank. Were you the musician %
at was /, General, but l knew not what
did. l meant not to disobey your order |
sat and thought of home and my mother,
and"
The General started at the sound of that
word, and the shadow upon his face grew
soft and ethereal.
OF your-MoTHER! And | thought of
mine. 1t was theme of MoZart's and was
my mothers favorite.
If you will be so kind, go bring your instru-
ment and play for me that delightful strain
here in my tent. 1t will do me good"
In the after years-even to his dying hour
the man loved to tell that story. Though
he would never urge the truth upon any in
of so mean a thing rs the ben
eft that might result, yet he could not put
away the thought that the sweetest and most
blessed memory of all his soldier experience
might have been lost to him had he grasped at
the opportunity to tell lie, might, to some,
have seemed most opportune and profitable.