Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-11-21

the last few nights.
Then, all Of a sudden, while l
was thinking about the stars, there
was my old drum lying by my side.
Where it came from didn't KIN ow,
and didn't care, either. Oh, but
l was glad to see it once more
Il picked it up, slung the strap
over my neck, and began to play
to see if it was all right. 1t sound
ed just aS it used to, and there
wasn't a single thing broken or
wrong about it. You can't guess
how good it seemed to be at it
again
'Then l thought I'd see if could
remember all the different calls. |
began with the Assembly, and l
could play it just as we'll "a ever
could, and | beat and beat and for
got everything else, till looked up
a minute,-and then, what do you
Think
'The sky was just as fall as it
could be ofshooting stars. Icouldnt
imagine what it all meant; but |
watched the stars, and ! saw, pref
ty quick, that they had heard the
drum-call and were hurrying up
from every direction, and falling
into line just like soldiers.
THE biggest stars were the gen
erals, the next biggest were the
colonels, and then came the lieu
tenant.colonels and the majors, the
captains and the lieutenants and
the sergeants and the corporalsj
and the littlest stars Of all were
the privateS.
'Wel, when l saw what they
we're doing, kept right on at the
Assembly, until there was a great
army OF stars drawn upright across
the sky. didn't know what they
were going to do, but | guessed
they were getting ready to attack
the moon, and drive 1t back ont OF
the sky.
'ADd so when every star was in
its place and the ranks all dressed,
| sounded the Advance aud the
army moved Off just like veterans.
There wasn't a single break in the
line. When they had marched up
pretty near to where the moon was
intrenched, | beat the Charge, and
the brave little stars rushed night
up into the face Of the enemy.
'Then l thought there was ter
rible battle. But before long | be-
gan to see first one poor, pale little
star, and then another, and an0th-
er, fall back and drop down, down,
down through the sky, until they
were lost out of sight, and | thought
Oh, the poor fellows, they must be
the killed and the wounded and the
missing.
tAnd all the while the moon
didn't give way at all. Pretty soon
my poor stars began to fall faster
and faster, until thousands and
thousands went dropping, falling
down out Of the sky.
'And / just couldn't stand it any
longer, for you see, | was on the
stars side, so beat the Retreat as
hard as could, and then the army
began to tall back. But there were
great gaps in the line and hun
dreds of stragglers. Every little
l while some poor STAR that had been
wounded and couldn't keep up any
i longer, would go sinking down out
D Of sight.
20 lieutenant! How sorry | felt
5 for them. And noticed that the
s night had grown darker, and !
S thought, that is because so many
n bright stars were killed in the fight
s and because the eyes Of the rest are
S all full of itears for their lost com
Q rades and their defeat.
'Then they all looked so tired
. and sleepy that sounded Taps at
S once, and the whole army put out
c their lights and turned in and went
J to sleep right away.
/ pretty soon | thought it was
0 sunrise, and l jumped up and beat
0 the Revelle, and while | was
d rafting away | thought part OF
IS Gen. Sherman's army came march
s ing by. There were the cavalry
: with their jangling sabres, and th'
G artillery, with their brass guns a
bright as gold, and then thousands
= and thousands Of infantry, Will
| their muskets all at right.shOulder
d shift. And | thought there wa
t one splendid drum-corps. TIN
t flies sounded out loud and shrill
t Just as they used to, and thC
drums,-there must have becI
& twenty-five of them,-and the rat
Q tat.tat of the snares, and the boom
is boom, boom of the big bass fellow
fairly set me crazy.
d ooh, | was wild to be marching
along with the rest There wer
|. playing when Jonny Come
It Marching Home, and | struc
I right in with the old drum an,
played my very best | don
It know what it was happened then
Ia but | think the drum must have
" got wings some way, for it ros
IS right up in the air, and | with il
T. and we went up over the roofs am
d chimneys, and the woods and tn
-, hills. but all the while | could hea