The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-01-09

I nAn PnunEen al Tue Pi1f@s1SHSI@ $780,
life ever since. Sickness had broken
his constitution, and reduced him to o
shadow. He was weak and feverlsh.
His n great desire was to get home to
his mother, whom he seemed to idollze'
Taking my hand, he said,-
1T was pretty hard, sometimes, when
there wasn't anything to eat and l was
sick, and it was wet and cold. Some
times I was so lonesome and homeslck l
couldn't help crying, and it seemed as
if l never should get home. But ITS all
over now. I'm going home to mother.
[ wish you knew her, lieutenant. Shes
the dearest, l~ovelist mother in the
world, and oh, l do love her so! Do
you suppose she'll know me?"
why, of course she'll know You,
and she'll be very proud OF you, too"
replied.
"Do You really think she will? You
don't think these wall make any differ
ence, do you?" he asked, chokingly, os
he pointed to his crippled feet.
"No. no, no, my dear boy. She will
only love you a thousand times the
more"
I'm glad you think so, lieutenant"
and he went on to picture his coming
home-how his mother would fold him
IN her arms and kiss him again and
again. and how his little brother and Sis
ter would listen to his stories with wide
open eyes, and how he would run out to
see his old school-fellows-here, as the
thought of his poor, useless feet flashed
through his mind, his voice faltered, a
tear stole out from under the long LASH
es, as he laid his head on my shoulder.
But it was only for a moment. The
brave little soul was up again.
you see l amt used to it yet" he
said, with q pathetic smile, as he brushed
away the tears. As he talked of his
PARKWAY home his eYcs grew so bright
and he seemed 50 fresh and strong that
[ began to think perhaps he would live
to reach home. But he soon wearied
and fell into a restless sleep, his head
still on my shoulder, his hands clasped
about my arm, as if he feared that some
way in his sleep he might be taken
away.
As I passed out, I asked a surgeon if
it would not be we'll to send for his
mother. He said it would be useless,
as the boy could not possibly live the
week out. That night / obtained leave
to remain at the hospital a day or two.
When I went down next morning my
little friend was expecting me, and
when he saw me coming his face lighted.
Good morning." said /; chow did
you rest last night?"
"Tm glad you've come early, lieuten-
ant. I've Had the strangest dream, and
is was splendid, too. l want to tell you
about it,"
His eyes were unnaturally bright,
his cheeks flushed, and his whole face
aglow with pleasure at my coming and
excitement about his dream. I bathed
his face and hands, brushed the cluster
ing hair, and told him meanwhile that I
was going TO take care of him for a day
or two, and was amply paid for it by
his delight and grateful happiness.
"And now" said l, ."let's hear that won
derful dream"
"You see," he began, "after you left
me last night / went right to sleep, and
thought / was somewhere else, only /
didn't know where it was, but / could
look up and see the stars In the sky.
1t seemed to me there were never so
many before. And they kept twinkling
SO that / thought that something must
be the matter, and / found out some
way that they were all very angry be-
cause the moon had been coming up SO
early the last few nights.
"Then, all of a sudden, while I was
thinking about the stars, there was my
old drum lying by my side. Where it
came from / didn't know, and / didn't
care, either. Oh, but / 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 sounded just as it
used to, and there wasn't q single thing
broken or wrong about lit. You can't
guess how good it seemed to be at it
again
"Then / thought I'd see if I could re-
member all the different calls. I be-
| gan with the Assembly, and I could
play it just as well as ever / could, and
l beat and beat and forgot everything
else, till / looked up a minute, and
then. what do you think?
"The sky was just as full as could be
Of shooting stars. / couldn't imagine
what ii all meant; but I watched the
stars, and / saw, pretty quick, that
they had heard the drum-call and were
~hurrying up from every direction, and
falling into line just like soldiers.
1The biggest stars were the generals,
the next biggest were the colonies, and
then came the lieutenantrcolonels and
the majors, the captains and l~ieutenants
and the sergeants and the corporals
and the littlest stars of all were the priv
ates.
well, when I saw what they were
doing. i kent right on at the Assembly.