The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-05-05

expected he'd give in sooner or later,
but | thought he'd show fight first.
Tie other fellows shouted to him to
come aud have a glass. Pour 1t down
his craven throat ir he WON'T cried
one.
4" Throw il ia his face, said another,
and then they called him some bad
names, that | need not repeat.
eel tell yuu wont, said Will, as
loud as lie could, you may try and
pour it down my throat, but I'll never
take IT else
"'You won't, and why notr said /,
for | wanted to know what kept him
30 steadfasi. lie stood there, tremb-
ling little, but it was excitement, not
fear, and thought if our fellows were
TO be brave before the lannon's mouth
az that little chap was before that an
CRY lot of half drunken men, it would
be bad lookout for the enemy.
Il will not drink, because l. they
"'Well, out with it, Milksop,'
shouted.
because | see what il docs, and
promised my mother wouldn't
There was a quiet moment. That
made most of us feel queer, / can tell
you. A man don't like to be reminded
of his mother when he's doing what
he's ashamed OF. Wills face had turn
ed pale, then crimson, and he tried to
escape from his tormentors; but not
till one had thrown a pewter pot at
him, and struck him on the head. |
could not stand that; my heart was
h,xr 20. xx,stl,s,, at ha esal 81 %
child's bravery, so called out, There,
stop that, you COW 4rdsl Thirty to
onel Il that the way English soldiers
behave in n fn~o;ey-- i-..dr-
~ II mad turned their attention on my
self by this, and Will was allowed to
escape"
Joe and George listened with great
attention as Wi;mot proceeded, and the
former was heard to murmer, "Well
he was a brave little chap. think he
deserved tiiu Victoria Cross"
Gay, that ho did. That little scene
would not go out of my memory
And when, few days after, we had an
engagement with the enemy, in which
there was some desperate fighting, and
some of us gained our Victoria Cros
SEES, I still kept on thinking that that
drummer lad deserved it far more thar
L; for could never have faced those
fellows as he did no, not if my life hat
| depended on it. | was slightly wound
more of Will. The day | joined the
ranks again l was looking out for him
bnt skirmish took place, and missed
him. Some men were killed an(
wounded; | was helping to remove
them, when all at once | came OF
Willie, lying there with smile Oh Iii
face. My heart seemed to come into
my mouth as stopped over the brave
little chap, hoping for n moment tina
he might only be in faint. But no,
bullet had shot rim through the heart
and there he lay, as brave soldier al
ever died. for his country, although h,
was 30 small. Well, lie was burie,
out there, in foreign land, and thinl
some of our fellows were more sorr,
for his death than they were for man,
bigger soldier. There were two o
three of those who had tempted hin
that night, ill in hospital and its won
derful how soft q mans heart gets un
der those circumstances, away from hi
home, and all. Wills loss SCENE,
quite to impress them, and they said t
me, 'He was a plucky little chap; W
sha'n't forget how he stood to his col
ors that night; pity but what he coul'
get Victoria Cross for it,
"'Ay,' l said, 'for valour, that
what 1t was, sure enough. l could no
have done it as he did. I'm sorry 70
the mother of lad like him. Wei
mates, suppose we make monumeu
'"apT hhreyf al r rHigGf eefnoaas6, they said
surprised, 'but howl'
"'Wby, let us take the pledge, i
memory of him; it would have please
him most
They didn't quite take 10 the ide
at first, and said they'd think it over
but in day or two four of us signe
the pledge, and that was the beginniD
Tot our Regimental Temperance society
It's good strong body now, and III
going to tell Willie's mother all abou
1t. It's fine monument TO her lad"
Wilmot ceased speaking, ahd Georg
and Joe were silent for few seconds.
"You see now why | won't drink,
said Wilmot, "and one thing more
don't want to preach, but I've foun
out since, that Will was true christia
boy, who trusted only in his Saviour
lead him right, and nothing but tbs
could have kept him straight. You Sc
what his example has done for us, VIII
did the DEVILS own work in temptin
him to drink. .JEsviaclEi 0Sfh 81 on HON
and foreign service, and cryin
shame II is. Perhaps, some day, 20
fellows may feel inclined to follow
Willie's example as well. You coul
not do better.'
George and Joe were evidently i'm
pressed with the simple story of bo
who dared to do his duty.
Who can tell what the example c
right doing may bring, even though no
a word is spoken, aud the hero is un
decorated with Victoria Cross?-CCh
of England TEN. Chron.