Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-12-11

| bitutcHdHt, nHu was soou Hnuc Chptali
and was with my company at the battl
OF Antietam. During the day WAS hi
in the face by fragment Of shell
which knocked me down and stunned m,
for few moments, but ! soon came Il
myself, found that was not seriousl!
hurt and hurried on after the company
which had gone ahead. When l caught
| up with them the men told me that the
same shell which had upset me had killed
a private named John p. Weed, com.
pletely disemboweling him. | had just
passed the poor fellows fragments, bu,
did not look to see who it was. You
know that in the volunteer service the
separation between officer and private
was not very marked, and | had come "a
know Weed pretty well, but in the heat
of battle there was not time to be sorry
for his death. | took that out long af-
,erwsrd. He was queer, spirltualistic
sort of fellow, with no direct belief in
anything, and entirely without respect
for the moral laws Of the nineteeth GEN.
tury. We often talked together, and he
had told me that be had no kin in the
world, and be used 10 wonder if he should
be killed, what would become Of about
fifteen hundred dollars which lay to his
credit in the Grocers and Chemists Bank
of New York. He had been bon
viviant' in all ways, and it seemed to
grieve him that he had not had time to
crediiably spend 1t in luxurious dissipa-
ton before he enlisted.
"Well, | served through the war, and
came out Major, and, by the way, the
title is the only remnant Of my old life
that clings to me now, and can't get
rid of that
AFTER the war didn't think OF going
at my profession, for was too rusty in
it, and obtained a clerkship in the
Grocers' and Chemists Bank, through
the influence of friends. With the vag-
abond instincts Of soldier still in me,
devoted my nights pretty generally to
the illicit pleasures with which the city
abounded, but stuck by my work dur
ing the day, and was eventually made
paying teller. OF course couldn't raise
the deuce nights without spending lot
Of money, so my salary was always over
drawn, and | was in debt besides. One
day got to thinking Of Weed. and /
went to the books and found sure enough
the fifteen hundred and odd dollars still
TO his credit. After that used TO brood
over it good deal, and think what pity
it was that 50 much money should lie
there in the bank forever, never to do
any one any good, and what a godsend
i, would be to me if had it.
One night got into game Of poker,
and lost to one of my fellow-clerks good
deal more money than | could pay.
gave him my o q for the amount, and
he promised me my revenge whenever |
chose. The next day, just as the bank
was about TO close, man walked up to
the counter and put out his hand, say
ing:
"'HelIo, Captain. Just identify me,
will you, so | can draw my money.
"Great God 1t was John p. Weed,
himself, | stared at him in amazement
and said feebly:
"But look here, you know. you are
dead
al may be dead, but I'm alive enough
to want you to dine with me tonight
and he drew check for fifteen hundred
dollars, and /, dazed with the shock
paid it, knowing his signature well
enough.
"Now, put on your hat and come out
and take a drink with me, he said,
and my duties being over for the day.
went.
We had drink or two. and then went
out on the Bloomingdale road for drive,
after which we dined at Delmonico's. 1
tried hard to get him to explain his as
founding temperance, but he put me off
with:
".Never mind that, now tell you to-
morrow.
"After dinner, both Of US were rather
excited by drinking, Weed said
Snow, want to do the town, to-
night, and you've got to come with me-
81 protested weakly, saying that | had
no money.
"sWhat of that, I have plenty, and
ISIS my treat. But here. if you are
saueamish, take this and we'll 60 and
copper the ace. and see if we can't win
enough for you. I'll stand the losses,
and he handed me fifty dollars.
"That suited me to death; so we went
to Mike Murray's, and in half an hour l
had won several hundred dollars, with
which we started out. As we turned
into Broadway saw my poker creditor