Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-06-10
ruE CHARMED LIFE.

The lines of fatciui war were set
In battles grim array
Aud ccasoloss tell the shot ana shcil
Through all the ghnstly day.
ON either side the army strotchco
Along the meadow green,
And broad aud white, FROM ie', ''s
The road way wound betweeh
Tho mfr v,s bind with throbblns heat,
And, ns the sun rose hiRhoi, O.,
haze OF tropio are
Tn, curying road was dashed with gore,
And every up.turncd clod
was stained with blood whose living flood
soaked all the grassy sod
The shr,eks aud groan. OF dying men
Rang through the tumults roar,
Till one whose ear was forced to hear
Their erica could bear no more.
lie rushed To- whore tho goncrtl stood
Il crave your leave To- bring,
For men who die In agony,
Water from yondcr SPRING
"They moan aud shrek with maddeniug thirst,
They writhe In their despair,
While might take the druught TO alato
The torture that they bear"
"Nay, Sergeant kirkland. you Will Eot
bullet through your head
And, foolish lad, you viii but add
Another to the dead"
"Sot SO pray you let mo go,
without u word OF Chatc,
For God, whose care Is everywhere,
think will keep mo satc.'
"why viii you ask my leave togo,
where not living man
could meet the strife secure ot lite
But-iie may keep who can ~
lie spang with derry haste away,
but in u moment more
The stalwart form, all flushed and warm,
Was back within the door,
lie dung II handkerchief abroad
Have your leave TO wave
This signal white amid the fight
sign come to save 20
" No, no :" tho General shook his head
BetwiNt sigh and groan
You choose to go, brave fellow 50
The risk must be your own 90
The laundering guns stu rent the air.
Tho battle ragged ~ hot,
And all around the soldon ground
was plOwed with kissing shot
Yet straight between the DclChing lines.
Leaning the road side wall,
Right through the clnng the sergeant sprang,
And dared to face tt all
In either stoadfaat hand he held
A brimming watCr.CRu,
which through the crash OF cannon hush
He bore from man to man.
with blessed draughts the minting soul
He reused to lite again,
And parching lips were -uothcd with -ips
That dulled tho stress OF pain.
lie raised tho dying to hls knee
From OF the wclturing sod.
And with word none other heard
Dismissed his soul tu Cod
1t mnttercd not NJ ON hc moved
" here dead and wounded Law.
II, tried and true. they wore the blue,
Or truo ana tried, the gray
And, rs to many u gaspng mouth
lie held the full CantC"n,
Hts hurrying form amid the storm
OF raking shot was seen.
\ gradual luIl hushcd down the ruor
pause tell on the strife,
A. though 1t were foul wrong tu dare
To touch 50 charmed a life
And slow and slower doomed the guns
Along each watching line,
A. To and iro they saw him go
On errand so divine.
And whom the sultry hours were passed
And mid the wounded none
Had missed unquanCd the healing draughl,
And Kirkland work WAS done.
4 shout that rent the very heavens
FROM either army rHng,
A. er the wall, alert and tall,
The sergeant lightly spmng.
And not u man among the ranks,
Who saw the odds be bruvcd,
In blue or gray, but seemed to say,
" ThGgk GOd mat he's Surcd 90
--ndrgare! J. Preston, ~ June BrO"ac.