Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1884-08-12
WORTHLESS FELLOW

A WORTHLESS FELLOW
Taers was tumof aa1si ~ the io't
tha. Ton O'Halloran was 20 be dischArs-
"a from che regimen, Cor drunkenness.
ana ever, body ~as .orry for h. Even
though those we're stirring days. and every
man aai woman bad their heads and
,teir heart. fau % the eSPcjiiioa against
the Ialiaas. ior ~hi,h the regimeni ~as
qrcranas. ye, each had q ,hoaghi q pity
hr Toms mother. They bad, after =
fash.oa. teloascl 70 The regimen, loassr
than any officer Or soldier incladediat' f'f
Toms father hal been band-mAs,er from
che early days o. ihe var 10 bis death.
which occurred jus, ater Tom Wa en-
rolled A. private. zone years since
while Mr.. O'Halloran. whose patience and
hihfalaess a. q nurse we're beyoad praise,
va. ealsarrl % almost every oihcefs
family by .1me battle With death whieh
they bal fought together They had
more than their share of lnsh beauty,
the.. tso. and the gray eyes which
|hastel os d,.acl aal-f Tons dark
brow.. werc. his defenders said. very lac
those whl lookel a. the world WITH such
gentle k.alaes. from beneath bis mother 3
wtie hair He Wa a siroag. clever
Young lr..hman. with an aptitude iof Do
,n. vel ANYTHING that be- was - 10 DO.
FROM 6stiins 90 mAsonry. bat With pas
..la .o- drink which L.. mothers prayers.
.t.. Co'oaels warming. and his osa rcs-
o.a,.oa. wcrc plwcriess o. overcons.
Clever anl hanisoms aal brave A. be was,
ana "Chld of the Res.msat," a' be ~As
'ok.ns.y called. his officers woii sc,ree-
ly have bal such patience With his al~ays
recurring e.,apades II :, had no; been for
h.. mother. whose love fo' hin VA 80 De-
voted. anl whose faith Ia bis promises
of reform VA 90 ansaser.ng, that The
h.rle., heart. and .olliers' hearts are
no, very hArl oas.| always yielded q her
en,rca,y 'or another chance for her boy.
Batth. time things looked very serious
f,r po1f Ton he had been dfunk while
on du,y as sentry. and being In quar-
rel.ome humor. had beea with difficulty
prevented from knocking do~n the officer
| of,ie day Who bad ordered bin under
arrest, Within a week large portion
of the regiment wAs 20 s,Ar, on an eNPs-
l,ioa of several monihs. and As Toms
company was amoag those which were to
so. the Colonel bad been heard to say that
patience ia his case had reached is limit,
for a drunken sentry oOald endAngef an
army. and nobody could possibly rely up
on Tom. sobrie,y from one hour TO an
other. punishmen, and warnings had
.lkefaled hundred times and Tom mus,
b. len behind and discharged. think
the sood Col. under whose bluff aspect
was hidden a very kindly be It. Was quite
oos.cioa. lha, he Wa in disfAvOr with all
,be ladies. and many of the officers, that
dav. ant /, was even whispered that he
had bsca repslsed with great disorder IN
aa a,,emp, 10 prove to Mrs. Colonel that
/ be "a. nghi in bis resolu,rOn. AT all
events. be carried rather gloomy eoan-
,enance about his duties. and Il was With
Ilsgging footsteps that toward evening he
entered the little hospital. There ~As
only one paiisn, at present. but he
"a. oae Who would never leave ii alive,
a man who had been a good soldier and
the colonel. orderly fo' yean.
A little woman with white AP'oa
and q quain, cap rose from beside the bed
where poor Batler lay pale little wo'
man. with a look Of Patiens trouble Ia her
.of, eyes that touched the Colonel more
than vehemen, rsPrOAehes. for this was
Mr. O'Halloraa. and 10 him. A. TO most
of the osEoers. she wAs the old and tired
friend Of many an illness and anxiety
rather than merely the mother ofa private
.oldier who WAS in a seraPe. The room
va. nsa, and pleasant, the bed and the
p.,ieu, a. vel cared for As though the
nurse had no though, bat his welfare !
and the sigh, Of this also touched the
Colonel. who would have done hrs duty
under any circumstances, aud who re-
.pec,ed the evidence Of such character
in others.
"Batler mus, not talk much. II you
pl...e. Colonel" Mrs. o'HallOran said
4. .he lef. the room and ss, down on the
lowest step Of the hall STAIR for she ~.'
trembling 50 ,ha, she could scarcely stand
Af.sr few moments the Colonel came
slowly cut. tie was surprised that hut