Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-11-09
ANGELS DEEDS.
A STORY OF THE GREAT WAR.

The cid army overcoats that used to
be such a familiar sight IN our streets is
one of the rarest now; indeed, it is so
seldom seen that we involuntarily turn
and gaze after it as something that
brings sad and often cruel memories.
The other day an old maa wearing a
coat of this kind, which reached his
heels, stopped at a cottage little ways
out of town and asked leave to rest
awhile on the porch.
'I'm bit tired" he said to the We
man who opened the door, "an' if you
don't mind I'll sit here AID rest myself
a SPELL"
you're welcome" said the woman
kindly, with glance at the martial
blue. Then she left him alone, but after
a little while returned with a bowl of
coffee and plate of hot biscuit.
Eat" said she, gently; 81 had boy
who was a soldier"
But I'm not soldier" answered the
old man. az never was a soldier: my
boy went to the war and was-was kill
ed. lie was all had, too. This coat
was his; seems like he's near me when
| have it On. I gave him to his country
the handsomest and bravest boy he was,
too, in the whole regiment. God bless
him He did his duty, died on the!feld,
and this coat was all that came back
to his poor old dad. No; never was
a soldier"
The woman went in and brought out
some cake and the whitest honey, and
added to it the coffee and biscuit.
Are you alone in the world ?" she
asked.
"On, no." answered the old man
cheerfully; GIVE got a sister, but she's
old and lame, and she has a daughter
that is sickly and ailing. You see l
have them to work for, and they're a
sight of comfort to me. Many's the
time [ would have broken down since
Mary died but for them two poor crit
tiers. Mary was my wife, ma'am; she
was a master hand to nuss sick folks,
and she thought after Tim died as it
were her duty to go into the hospital
service and nuss the soldiers, she died
thls sixteen years ago, but she did a
heap of good work first Many a SOL
dier had kissed her shadow on the WALL
Mary, darlin' God wanted ye in the
ranks up thereI I've often wished
that had been q soldier, if only to be
fit for the little mother and Tim; but I
never was"
He drank the coffee, ate the good
food thankfully and offered to pay for
it with some boarded pieces of silver,
but the woman shock her head.
"Put back your money. My boy
was soldier" she said.
"But am not soldier-Well-wel ="
as he looked into her face, 81 thank
you and take it for his sake"
He wished good night to his kind en-
tertainer and walked away. AS he
walked off slow and limping, bent by
infrmity, the long skirt of his army
overcoat struck bright and blue against
the splendor of the sunset; he shaded
his eyes with one trembling hand and
looked wistfully at the rose and anne
thyst door that seemed to open in the
west. What saw he there2 A little,
round should woman with small
homely face; a lank, overgrown boy
with sparse red hair. Aye! and of
such as these are angels madel So
watching, he passed down into the
shadows aud disappeared.
The woman at the gate looked after
him.
mo SOLDIER" she said gently, "but 1
wonder if the boy who died on his first
battlefield ever fought rs he has, or
sacrificed so much for his country?
All the soldiers did not 60 into the war
with flying flags and rolling drums;
some of them stayed at home and
fought harder battles. I'm glad 1 gave
him 4 bite and q sup! He is a soldier
and brave one, too, and one day he
will know It'll"
And she was right.