The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-04-28
SHADRACH PLATT.
A Calm and Patient Man Has His
Reward.

With martial tilt of his shaggy white
beaver hat. and a ponderous cane with
silken tassels, Captain AMI Platt awaited
under the big elm in his doorynrd. the
coming of his sons, Shadrach and Meshach
The Captain had earned his title at Lundy's
Lane in '12, and carried about a perpetual
reminder Of that spirited battle in the form
of an irritating British bullet in his thigh.
So he retained his martial spirit. and it was
his habit to cast a critical eye upon the
youthful militia company of the town on
the occasion of the yearly May training,
after the plowing and the planting were
done and the hoeing was awaiting its time.
That critical eye was won't to subject the
two sturdy sons to preliminary and
private inspection, but upon this bright
why the Captain was resolute in his dis
-ciplinary determination.
. Captain AmZi had named his sons, as he
had all things with which he had to do,
from the Scriptures. for he was as earnest
a Puritan as he had been Jealous soldier.
He gave his possessions such appropriate
and suggestive names from the good book
as were befitting. His farm he called Ca
naan, because milk and honey abounded
his three sons were Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego, for he wished them to be trained
as by fire, He even called a vicious and
powerful bull Nebuchadnezzar, not only
because of his viciousness but because, like
the ancient king, he ate grass
By the village people the three sons of
Captain Amzi we're addressed by abbrevi-
ated names. Shadrach was called Shad,
Meshach was curiously corrupted into Shed,
while Abednego became Bed. To his faith
er's grief and astonishment, Bed perished
with a cramp while swimming the cool
waters of Bantam on the Lords Day; but
Shad and Shed, being trained in what the
Captain conceived to be the rigorous
Scriptural way, became sturdy and strong
men, and it was with pride that the warrior
led his sons up to the LiJchfield ballot box
in '32 to cast their first votes for Andrew
Jackson.
Captain Amzi's Democracy was as sound
as his orthodoxy. 1t was Captain Amzi's
wish that one of his sons should wed the
daughter of his neighbor of the next farm
for the Captain had a practical eye, and it
had observed that the Widow Pellets farm
joined to his own would make a noble ter
ritory, unegualled. the Captain thought in
all Connecticut. But the Captain met with
someperplexity. and often did he wish that
the widow had been blessed with two
boys yearned for Jerusha Pellets smiles,
and both were gratified, for they received
these manifestations; yet both were in dis
traction, for she was impartial in her dis
tribution Of such favors. So it happened
that the Captain had fixed upon the great
May training day as an occasion the maid
should be led to discover her own mind.
Yet each of the boys was to have fair
chance. So the Captain had commanded
them to polish up their uniforms with
great care. Though these uniforms were in
no respect uniforms at all, for each mem
Der of the militia wore such distinguishing
garments as pride or circumstance dictated,
yet in one respect there was uniformity,
for the buttons were ali of brass, more OF
less polished.
soCaptain Amzi awaited under the elm
tree the coming Of his sons, and soon Shad
closely and bsde him march back and forth
. bit.
''H'ist your shoulders was the Captain's i
comment; ''set 'em well back, plump out
your chist, and look as stern as possible
Remember and don't turn your left foot in
There'n be one there to obsarve you with
And by and by Shed came and pumped
down q stout leg encased In buckskiu
breaches, and he stood erect before hi,
father awaiting inspection.
you'll do" said the vet ran. "Pitch
and keep the strap Of it just under YOU
lips; don't make the salute with your lefl
hand, IL you be left-handed DO your best
Meshach. There'll be one eyeing you
When you march set that leg down frIn
1t is a stout one and maids like strength
and bear in mind when you are marching
Meshach: that the widows woodland jinsi
our lneider."
An hour or 80 later Captain Amzi stood
in the shadow of the brick church upon ths
village green, watching with proper prida
tho evoluti0ns of the militia. These wsr,
ensre stic, but not precise IN all respects
but there at the head OF the Ole were 6ha<
and Sized. shade chest swsiIsd out yitl
military hrnness, while Sheds stOuG II
Was p1umDod With promptituda upOn ~