River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-01-11

alleviate his pain. Of his former life or
history nothing was known. They had
fought side by side in several battles.
Until then he had seemed to bear
charmed life; possessed Of incredible
strength and bravery, mis- tall form was
ever to be seen in the thickest of the
fight. He was always g reserved and
moody man, evidently far superior in
intellect, education and position to most
Of the soldiers, with whom he never fra
ternized... As he lay there his eyes rib-
eted to my face, as though he would
fain derive some comfort, tried to
soothe him by pointing out te him the
way to obtain the mercy he SO eagerly
craved and repeated to him the old, yet
ever new story of Him who suffered
greater agony than he endured, even the
burden of the guilt of all mankind, and
died on the cross that he and ali men
might live eternally. He listened with
despairing eagerness, then turning away
with groan, replied:
''0hl madam, my Saviour has not yet
come must die without seeing Him.
l am jew"
Again, tried to tell him of the indn-
lite love and compassion, that even OF the
eleventh hour he might believe and lay
his sins on the "La.nb of God that TAX
eth away the sins of the world" He
mournfully shook his head and said:
"0hl heard all these sayings before,
but my Christ has not come. "0hl God
of Abraham, hear me" He begged for
death TO end his miseries. / left him,
10 send some opiate which | hoped
might reduce him to blessed uncon-
seriousness. Two days after / was near
the same part of the ground and heard
his faint voice still utterlng .he same
PRAYER TO the GOOD of his fathers" but
did not approach him. 1t was too
painful to witness such distress, with no
bower OF relief. Whether his great
agony was from the retrospect Of Ills life
or the patheic appeal of Il faithful "sot
of Abraham" diving with no priest D!
the ancient filth 10 lay the hand of expi-
alton on his substitute, was ever an I'M m
tory of thousands who were sacrificed in
that great war
One beautiful evening. after long
DAYS hard work, one oil my boys came
to me and said: "There is a little chap
out there who heard there wasa woman
from his home and he wants to see YOU"
found him at the farthest extremity OF
the hospital, with half dozen other
homeless cases. He was lovely boy,
scarcely more than child, who had run
away FROM his home in Providence
Rhode Island, TO join the "drum corps
He was brave boy and a great pet
among the soldiers, who nursed him as
tenderly as possible, but could poorly
supply a mother ) loving care. How he
longed for one more look of her dear
face and once again to hear her sweet
words of lovel He was SO frail and slight
it was q marvel how he could have en-
dured the fatigue and privation so long.
JIa ,roo not 1icfiuuraf nv wounds bnt
constant marches, insufficient food and
often sleepless nights had exhausted his
strength and he had not vitality to resist
the sharp attack of fever. He was per-
fectly conscious, but too weak to say much.
l asked the poor child what | could do
for him. ''Oh, want my motherw
sat down on the ground and taking him
in my arms tried to comfort him. He
turned his face to me saying, II am so
tired" laid his head against me and APP
peared to sleep. The last rays of the
sun touched the lovely features of the
dying boy. The long drawn shadows
vanished in the gathering darkness
Silence, unbroken save by the plaintive
the hum of the busy day. The plying
dews shed a balm upon his brow.
Fainter and fainter grew the breath and
more feeble the clasp of the little hand,
when suddenly rousing he opened his
eyes, glazed i'll death, and looking long
and earnestly in my face, said: kiss
me, lady, before / diew Clinging still
closer 10 the stranger who could but
family represent the fond
mothers tenderness he so
eagerly craved. he dropped his heavy
lids and slept away his brief life as
peacefully as child goes to sleep in its
mothers arms. | gentlyilaid the lifeless
form down on the hard earth and left
him to a soldiers burial and a nameless
grave. Poor fellow, what an atom he
seemed to be IN all that mass of wretch
ed, suffering, dying humanity Yet he
was all the world TO the heart of that
mother, who wept and prayed for her
darling's safe return TO the distant home,
that never again would echo his boyish
steo or ringing laugh.
One morning, soon after I began my
work one of the Southern boys came
and begged me to go to comrade of his,
who had been shot in the head. The
lower part of his face was entirely gone.
He could not speak, was suffering in
tense agony but no one could under.
stand what he wanted. | gave him q
pencil and card. He wrote, II am
dying for drinkw Il wac
impossible for him to swallow anything
with his mutilated face, but a lady pro-
vided cup with tube and gave him
some lemonade, which afforded him re-
lief. Nothing could be done to alleviate
his suffering. His wound cou Id be i g
ed only by repeating cloths wet with
cold water. The raw flesh was alive
with vermin. His companion, who at
tended him with the utmost devotion,
told lao ffs,nnA fallnVn- - frknr-
always called him the "praying bow"
He showed me the little Bible which
contained his mothers name and a pray
er for her darling's safety. He wanted
us to write and tell her where and how
he had died. After giving him all the
time could spare l left, promising 10
go ana see him the next day. When
went back the next merning his place
was vacant. His mothers prayers were
answered. He was safe at home in tho
house with many mansions which God
has prepared for his children.
The days flew rapidly by, each bring
ing some new experience and revealing
new phases of character. One could fill
volumes with touching incidents that
presented themselves in a short space OF
a week, but even this imperfect sketch
has grown beyond its allotted limits. On
the nth | reluctantly said goodbye H.
the boys, many of whom had become
very dear to me through their long suf-
ferng and patience. OF the hundreds 10
whom ministered the greater part have
faded out of my life as a "vision of the
night" Others made an ineffaceabie
impression, and their memories are still
craven on my heart in letters of goli.
Even at this distant day am encouraged
by an occasional word or token from
some grateful soul that glds the remem-
brance of that tragic period with unfad-
ing glory.
A Kicl<er's Misfortune.