Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-06-12
NOT IN THE RANKS.

The old army overcoat that used to
be such familiar sight on 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 man wearing a
coat of this kind, which reached to his
heels, stopped at cottage little ways
out OF the town, and asked leave to rest
awhile on the porch.
E'I'm bit tIred,' he said to the wOm-
an who opened the door, ''and it you
don't mind, LII sit down and rest my.
self a spell.''
'Yon're welcOme,'' said the woman
kindly, with a glance at the martial bl1e.
Then she lett him alone, but alter Il
while returned with bowl OF coffee and
plate of white biscuit.
''Eat," she said gently; ''I had a boy
who was q soldier"
''But l am not Il sOldier,' answered
the Old man; 81 never was Il soldier, my
boy Went to the war and was-was
killed. He was all had, too. This
coat was his, seems like he is near me
when 1 have it on. L gave him to his
country; the hHndsCmeSt and bravest
boy he was, too, in the whole regiment.
God bless him. He did his duty, died
on the field, and this coat was all that
came back TO his poor dad. No, I.neY-
er was soldier"
The woman went in and brought out
some cake, and the whitest honey, and
added it to his coffee and biscuit.
Are you alone in the WOrld?" she
asked"
IsnL, - :, o,,,--ro,.oJ H. LII -
cheerfully: give got sister, but she's
that is sicklv and ailing. You see, 1
have them to work for, and they are
sight of comfort to me. Many's the
time I'd have broke down since Mary
died but for them two poor critters.
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 90 into the hospital service and
nuss the soldier, and she died there six
teen years ago, but she did a heap of
good work first, Many soldier has
kissed her shadow on the wall! Mary,
darlin', God wanted you in the ranks up
there! I've often wished that l had
been a soldier, if only to be fit to for the
little mother and Tim: but I never
was.''
He drank the coffee, ate the good food
thankfully, and offered to pay Tor it with
some boarded pieces of old worn silver,
but the woman shook her head
''Put back your money. My boy was
soldier" she said.
''But am not a soldier-wen-well, "
as he looked her in the face. ''I thank
you, and take it for his sake.''
He wished goodnight to his kind en-
tertainer, and turned away AS he
walked off slow and imping. bent by
infirmitys the long skirt of the army ov-
ereoat struck bright and blue against
the splendOrs 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 thereg A little
rOund-shOuldered woman with a small,
homely face; a 1ank over-grown boy
with sparse red hair. Aye! and of such
is these are angels made! So watching
he passed down into the shadows and
disappeared.
The woman at the gate looked after
him.
''Nos soldiers she gently said. ''bnt
wonder if the boy who died on his first
battlefield ever fought as he has, or
sacrificed as mucn for his country? Ali
the soldiers didn't 60 into the war with
flying flags and rolling drums; some of
them stayed at home and fought the
harder battles. I'm glad gave him
bite and sup! He is a soldier and
brave one too, and one day he viii know
it!''
And I think she was right.