Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-02-03
The ANGEL OF SHILOH.
By AN Ex-ARAfY SURGEON.

t'SAhocONs
You found the tavern fullp.
The speaker was handsome ;ntall;
gent-looking gentleman Of perbsns SO AZ
evidently citizen of the village. and
resident OF the handsome but unpreten-
nous dwelling-house in front of which
he Was standing. -0A
Yes" | replied; ST was too late nv
me-" iiieu
You shall be welcome here. if Won
fare" p.'AAi
The tone of voice, no less than the
words uttered, assured me that the offer
OF hospitality was sincere, and with a
grateful heart and simple expression of
thanks L passed through the gate and
clasped the extended hand of the man
who, although had not even known Of
his existence till that minute. and who
had every reason TO suppose foe of the
cause represented--a rebel to the Gov
eminent whose uniform 1 wore. vet in
whom recognized friend and brother
=" You are very kind" said, "more
kind than you know, for am not only
weary but i'll, or 1 should not have
sought lodgings indoors while NV com
rades were exposed to the privations OF
camp life"
" | am glad of the opportunity to offer
hospitality to a professional brother y
he responded, "for know from the let
ter on your hat-band that YOU are sur.
geon, and / am a physician. This
would have been sufficient to have
prompted me to invite you in, but some
thing else, q sudden but unexplainable
impulse, which | could not resist, i'm
PEELED me to it."
BY this time / had been led into the
family room--a most cheerful room. A
beechwood fire blazed and glove upon
the hearth; a bright carpet with warm
colors covered the room an old-fash-
ioned mahogany sideboard stood to the
left, and a bureau of the same rich wood
faced 1t on the other side of the room.
and IN one corner clock of Eye olden
time, " and known by the title of wall
sweeper, counted off the seconds with
stately precision, and sounded the knell
of the dying hours in solemn mono
tone. Easy-chairs stood back against
the farther wall like sentries on an inner
picket line, while the others were
grouped about the cheerful fire, and
these, as we entered, were occupied by
persons whose faces ] could never have
forgotten had / seen them but for a mo-
ment, and which are now photographed
upon my heart forever and aye. There
were three persons in this group, ven
cradle old gentleman, q white-haired,
matronly and kindly-faced old lady, and
a golden-haired, blue.eyed young lady
father, mother and daughter of my
friendly host, DIR. Jewell.
There is something in name, else
how should these people be so appropri-
ately named? l wondered and pom
dered the more when learned that the
brightest and richest and rarest gem in
the group had the beautiful name Of
Lillian.
/ beg the readers pardon--I have not
told him or her, as the case may be, who
| am, or when, how or where all this
happened.
My name is Alden; lineal descend
ant / nm from John and Priscilla Alden,
whose romantic history you have doubt
less read in poetry if not in prose. My
ancestors had gone West almost centu-
ry ago, hence those provincial preiudices
so characteristic of those descendants of
the Mayfower party who still cling to
the crags of Plymouth Rock had been
lost in the broad and fertile valleys of
the Ohio, or they had wandered off and
found hower-bespangled grave on the
boundless prairies of Illinois. At any
rate they found no place il my heart.
The time of which I write was Janua-
ry, 1862. Place, Southwestern Ken
lucky. Grants army was making a
grand reconnaissance in force, with q
view to feeling of the enemy before
making an attack upon Fort Donaldson.
A cold, pitiless rain had pelted us all
day, and was still pouring down upon
soldiers and officers alike. When the
village of b. came in view, at o'clock
in the afternoon, had trudged through
the mud and waded swollen streams
from early morn, having surrendered my
horse to sick soldier of the brigade to
which / was attached, and was, there
fore, worn and weary, and almost Ill.
Immediately after the order had been
passed along the line to halt and pitch
tents for the night, large number OF
officers galloped on to the village and
sought shelter beneath the roof OF the
hotel il contained. 1t had been my
purpose to get hot supper and dry bed
also. but nv professional duties detained
me for some time, and when / reached
the door OF the inn / was informed that
not only all the beds, but every square
loot of the parlor and sittlng-Toom floors
had been reempted.
Tt was while sadly vending my way
back to camp that / had the rare good
iortune. or fate, to attract the attention
t DR.. Jewell. Ny boots were covered
eith mud. nv clothes dripping WITH
sat r. and felt as if chilled to the mar
r,w of nv bones and the center OF my
heart 1t took but brief time to warm
ne however. for the elements Of warmth
we're abundant. At his request FOL.
owed the doctor into his chamber and
lonned suit OF his clothes, while ne
sent nv OWE by a colored boy to the
itchen to be dried. Returning TO the
n,rlor / observed a large bowl OF steam
ing punch, fanked by goblets, upon
table which had been drawn up near tue
ire. and by which an easy chair nad
been placed. The family arose as the
loctor and advanced, and the old gen.
tIeman delivered very brief out very
eloquent temperance speech. de SAID
nYou Nertherners have peculiar no.
ions about the use OF liquor, at Least
ONE af you have. L have been TOTO
that in some places it is an insult to
nest to offer him glass of hot punch.
We Southerners think differently. With
= Il IS an act of hospitality to invite ouI
friends. and even strangers, to join us II
social glass. / do not know what youl
views are, but, believing that punch Is
GOOD medicine for man who has neen
irenched by cold rain, l ordered some
prepared, and hope you will JON us IN
,lass before supper. But II you navt
nv conscientious scruples we shall re,
meet them, and at once send the bow
from the room.