Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-29

tied himself on one Of the high wooden
chairs, and opened the book.
"All right, little Colonel. fire away"
the man said cheerily, and as soon as
the clear childish voice commenced not
a sound was heard in the room, the
great burly fellows following with al
most childish interest and respect the
varied fortunes of "Jack the Giant
Killer.
At the conclusion the child said, a
little timidly: "Lieutcnant Fearing al
WAYS reads a little prayer when he gets
through. l haven't any book to read
it out of, but we can say one"
Then kneeling down on the stone
floor, to the utter establishment of the
men, he reverently repeated the Lords
Prayer.
One by one they joined in, and when
the little fellow rose from his knees
with a radiant countenance n trotted
off with Nilus, there were many re-
quests for him to ''come again" and
"givc us another reading.
The fever waxed and waned, but
through it all the convalescent ward
kept pretty full. /,
Day after day, no matter how hot or
windy, jerome would climb up the
steep hill leading to the hospital and
there read his little simple stories and
repeat his daily prayer. He wanted so
much to do something for them, these
rough nurses and playfellows of his,
whom he loved, and this was all he
could think of. The rough men knew
and appreciated the feeling, and well
coined their .little Colonel'' with ready
love and sympathy.
were beginning to grow. A hot ST.
rocco blew constantly from the SOUTH
ern seas, making all the foliage but the
Pride of India trees look dead and
%d.ooping. Even the ocean beat on the
cliffs below the barracks at Prospect
with q dull, sullen sound. Each morn.
ing it seemed to be harder than the last
for jerome to climb up that sunny in
cline towards the hospital, and at
length one morning he was too tired to
go at all.
When the doctor saw him he shook
his head. s
"He has got a slight attack of fever"
he said, ''but l am afraid there is not
much strength to carry itoff."
A week passed. but he did not seem
to get much better, until one night
when the stars were shining gloriously
and the sea was very still, the angels
came down from the Throne of God
and carried Jerome back with them,
leaving only his little tired body sleep
ing on his white bed.
But his father had not seen the angels,
neither had the soldiers. So, when
they came to lay him to rest in the SOL
diers' cemetery, and fire a parting sa-
Lutte over the tiny mound, there was not
a dry eye in all that regiment.
Poor Nilus! He could not tell what
it all meant. And when they went
away and left his little master with
only the sea to talk to him all the long
day and night, he lay down beside the
grave and no one could get him away.
But the next morning at the same hour
that Jerome always went to the hos
pital, Nilus was seen g%ravely vending
his way up there, and walking into
the comma took his usual place.
The men gathered around him with
many expressions of endearment. but
lie seemed to take all their advances
quietly. In about an hours time he
got up and went away, but each day
the same thing was repeated. 1t al
most seemed that, unseen to them, the
spirit of the boy still fingered among
them. And old Nilus did much to-
ward keeping warm and bright in their
hearts the recollection of his little mas
ter's gentle, loving ways. AS often as
they saw the faithful dog approaching,
their usual avocations were put aside,
and that hour for many long months
was kept sacred to the memory of their
little Colonel. Never an OATH or an
unkind word did Nilus ever hear in
his presence, and the men we're bet
ter and purer for the memory of the
child-life that had gone out from their
midst.
"Tcll us the story about the little
Colonel and Nilus," the soldiers chill
dren would say in after years as they
climbed on their fathers knees.
So the oft-toid tale was repeated with
faltering lips. 10 be treasured up in the
hearts OF many who had never known
Hmm. Y. Observer.