The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-27
TO BE READ WITH DRY EYES.
A Camp Fire Toast 10 "The Boys Who
Never Got Home"

Pecks Sun.
AT q recent camp fire, given by W. II
Sargent Post. No. 20, G. A. R, Of james
vile, Wis, Comrade Thomas L. Croft, reat
letter Of regret from one OF the invited
guests, George N. Peck, who was unable
to attend. 1t is an amusing production
Says the writer ~ don't know what It Is
but there is something in beans that makei
men sociable and reckless. Beware O
beans, Tom, as you value your future hap
piness. Look not upon the bean when Il
is baked and giveih its color in the pan, fol
at last it swelleth like cucumber. But
would like to be there, Thomas, and take
the old soldiers by the hands and look into
the eyes that are becoming dim, aud notiCt
the effect OF Father Times penCiling on tho
face OF the boys " no twenty years ago were
full Of vitality and as kitteny as any man
that ever kept step to the rafting OF can
teen against a Cartridge.box.
Boys, do you realize that you are grow.
ing DID, 1t is hard to realize it, but II an
other war were TO break out your little baby
that you left in mothers arms twenty yeart
ago, growing at the 'hand.me.down' blue
uniform in which you are disguised, would
be the chap the government would want.
Boys, you are rapidly becoming old back
numbers Though you feel young enough
10 stub around home, you are exempt
now. Do you realize that the little baby
girl that chung 10 you as you said goodbye
twenty years ago, with tears in your eyes
as big as a glass paper.weight or an
editors diamond pin, Is now q
woman married, and that another
baby is trying to utter the word grandpa,
when you come in putting on your youth
ful airs. 1t is pleasant now to chase the
festive bean around the home campfire
and talk Of the nights when you slept on
the ground in pup.tent, or on some
battle. field, when your wet and muddy
pantaloons legs were frozen stiff as dried
Goldfish, while you dream that every star
that was looking down from above was the
eye OF a dear one at home reckoning you
to Hold the Fort, and hurry up and get
through with the foolishness and come
home.
You can laugh now as you think how
you got up in the morning after such a
nights rest, looking as though you had
been drawn through brush fence. You
who are left have right to be happy; but
in the midst Of your bean banquet let me
ask you to stand up with your tin cup OF
black coffee and drink to The boys who
never got home, the brave fellows who re-
turned not to meet the loved ones they
parted with twenty years ago. Let US hope
that the great congress above removed the
disabilities OF the boys who made vacau.
cies in their regiments, and that the
few chickens they took in the way OF bust.
ness from the enemy will not be entered
up against them on the Big Book, but that
the provost guard on duty at the gates OF
the New Jerusalem will present arms to
them and tell the boys that they are wei.
come to the best there is, and that when
we all get in our work hero, and are ready
to join our regiment in Heaven, that the
fellows that we buried years ago may stand
on the parapet as we come struggling in,
and give us the old soldiers welcome,
with three times three with tiger.
And We shall say to them: All right,
comrades, we should have been here be-
fore only we were detained by business a"