Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-11-25

As for Parsons, he grew almost to
worship the handsome and sweet-voiced
| lad.
| One luckless afternoon Parsons, Or
| phee and l strolled off together, leaving
miss Anna to the mercies of our mess,
| but, tormented by some vague PRESENT.
ment of evil. I induced my mpanions
| to return little earlier than they intend
| ed. As we neared the tent my ear caught
the sounds of derision that came first
from our Virginian and were caught up by
the others, and ended III peal after peal of
laughter.
| We pushed eagerly in. Alas! "Miss
An na,'' decked out in the most ridiculous
| toggery, had been tied between four
stakes driven into the ground, and the
men were engaged in picking her with
| pine burrs until the poor animal fairly
writhed in agony. In minute we had
freed her and Parsons held the poor bleed
| ing creature close to his breast. His
small, square figure seemed to rise and
dilate with certain sense OF superior
power as he turned his blanched face and
blazing eyes upon the crowd.
'You call yourselves gentlemen" he
said, harshly, "you who have tortured the
| poor, dumb, defenceless creature left in
| your care. Thank God. my meaning of
the word is different! You have no ex-
cuse. You are ell supposed to be men,
and honorable men, men who are fighting
for the rights of their country, and yet
| you can amuse yourselves with senseless
cruelty such as you have practiced this
| afternoon. You have branded yourselves
! as towards and liars, for-his voice broke
suddenly-"I trusted you"
There was an ominous, threatening stir
in the little tent, and several men
| stepped out toward the speaker, pictures
que in his very npicturesqueness, whose
grotesque figure stood out sharply
against the bit of landscape showing
through the opening of the tent. But
this face awed them back. The goat
nrned and moaned pitifully, rubbing her
nose against Parsons coat, with mute in
sistence. His face sOftened wonder1 ally !;
he seemed to forget the men, his anger,
everything and he whispered to her in
| soft, caressing tones: "You have fol-
| lowed me through thick and thin, Miss
| Anna When the overflow came, and we
were starving, 1t was you who staggered
back to Us through the water, and it was
| your milk that kept US alive. Everything
depended then on your strength. We
called our baby after you, and when the
poor little one died it cut me cruelty
cruelty. l can never forgive this days
work. Be brave, Miss Anna be brave"
and putting his cheek on "Miss
Annals" head the tears fairly rolled out
of his eyes.
He stopped a minute, drawing in his
breath in short, quick little sobs, and
threw out both hands with forlorn ges-
ture of abandonment.
30, Great God! was lonely when wife
and babies all were dead, and loved Miss
| Anna then; [ love her new as the one
relic left me of that beautiful, vanished
past. Then the war came, and [ tried to
| leave you, thinking it would be best, but
| you followed me, to be ridiculed des pissed
and even tortured. All the conduct of
the last week breaks over me, and [ see
what a blind fool I have BEEN
| Parsons, you are TO go on picket duty
| ton1ghb, and you had better start now"
called in the voice of our Lieutenant. The
men, now thoroughly ashamed of them
| selves, came nearer, and we're about to
offer some heartfelt words of apology,
but Parsons turned away, and delivering
Miss Anna" over to Orphee said, plead
ingly, eff anything should happen to me,
you will take care of herr"
Orphee's eyes filed with tears as he
pressed the extended hand. Without an
other word Or look Parsons strobe out in
| to the dark.
"We're -cowardly brutes," said
our Virginian, disgustedly.
| II would rather face million Yankees
than hear that mans story told in that
voice again." said another.
That night was weary one. We could
not forget the solemn figure, the dark,
| patient face, the broken, harsh, tender,
! voice, and the pines above and the river
| far away seemed TO mingle their grief at
our eowardice and brutality. Meanwhile
"Miss Anna" slept peacefully on the best
| blanket of the mess, while we lay there
speechless, thoughtful, unhappy, even the
| greater issuse of the war momentarily for
| gotten.
! With the dawn came action. The Yam
KEGS were upon US, and we fought Like
wildcats.
IS evening came on the fight was sus-
| pended, and when our mess met every
body was there, miss Anna" included,
except Parsons.
We had made up scheme to beg his
! forgiveness and to swear to be gentle
men, at least. Each of US had separate
speech of apology to make, expressive of
shame and contrition. When night set
tied down, and Parsons did not appear,
we grew anxious and sat around, not
daring to breathe the great fear upper
most in our minds. miss Anna" too,
walked up and down uneasily, shifting the
air and rubbing her nose against any con
venient shoulder.
AS we sat thus, our lieutenant called in
to me:
! Harrison, step here minute"
! I arose and went out a little INSTEAD
lily.
parsons was hurt last night on guard
and has asked to see y.u. Go now; there
! isn't much time, I'm afraid
He turned to lead the way.
II may tell them?" | asked.
mo use,' he answered shortly, as Or
pieces stricken face appeared in the door
way.
Well, / followed him to the rude hat
selected for our hospital. 1t was lighted
by torches, and the surgeons were busy
with the men who had fallen in that day IS
| fight In the farther corner of the room