Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-08-23

try and shield him from the filnmakers,
and was finally joined by Orphee. who
became his more ardent and eloquent
partisan As for Parsons. no grew al
most to worship the handsome, sweet
voiced lad.
One luckless afternoon. Parsons,
Orphee and l strolled off together.
leaving 'Miss Anna" to the mercies of
our mess. but tormented by some vague
presentiment of evil, | induced my
compan ons to return little earlier
than they intended. AS we neared the
tent my ear caught the SQUADS Of do
rision that came first from our Virgin
ian, and were then finally caught up
by the others and ended in peal after
peal of laughter. We pushed eagerly
IN. Alas, miss Anna decked out
in the most ridiculous toggsry, had
been cd between four stakes driven
into the ground and tho mon were en-
gagged in pricking her with pine burrs
until the poor animal fairly writhed
with 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 W th certain sense of superior
power, rs he turned his blanched faco
and blazing eyes upon tho crowd.
You call yourselves gentlemen,
he said harshly, you. who have tor
tured poor. dumb. defenseless crea-
ture, left in your care. Thank God
NV meaning of the word Is different!
You have no excuse. You are all sup
posed to be men. and honorable mon.
men who ARE fighting for the rights Of
their country and yet you amuse
yourselves with sesseless 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 0minous. threatning
stir in the little tent and several men
stepped out toward the speaker,
picturesque in his very picturesque
ness. whose grotesque figure stood out
sharply against the bit of landscape
showing through the opening of the
tent But his face awed them back.
The goat turned, and moaned pitt
fully, rubbing her nose against Par
sons coat with mute insistencc. His
face s0ftened wonderingl,. he seemed
to forget the men. his anger, every
thing and he whispered to her in soft,
caressing tones.
You have followed me through
thick and thin. Miss Anna. When
the overflow came and we were
starving. it was you who struggled
back to us through the wafer. 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. / 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 minute. drawing in his
breath in short, quick little sobs and
threw out both hands with forlorn
gesture of abandonment
20! great God! was lonely when
wife and babies all were dead. and |
! loved Miss Anna then; love her now
as the one relic left me of that beauti-
tifu, vanished past Then the war
came and tired to leave you, think
ing it would be best but you followed
me TO be ridiculed, despised and even
tortured. All the conduct of the last
week breaks over me and see what Il
blind fool have BEEN"
Parsons. you are to 60 on picket
duty tonight. and you had better start
now" called in the voice of our
/ Lieutenant The men, now thoroughly
ashamed of themselves. came nearer
and were about to offer some heartfelt
words of apology, but Parsons tnrned
away, and delivering 'Miss Anna ov-
er TO Orphee, said pleadingly:
'If anything should happen to me.
you will take care of her?"
Orphee's eyes filled with tears as he
pressed the extended hand.
Without another word or look Par
sons strobe out into the dark.
We're prutes, cowardly brutes, "
said our Virginian, disgustedly.
81 would rather face million
Yankees than hear that mans story
| told in that voice again" said another.
That night was n 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 cowardico and brutal
| Il1. MeullWHllo MISS anna Slcpt
peacefully on the best blankets of the
mess. while we lay there sleepless.
thoughtful, unhappy, even the greater
issue of the war momentar'ly forgotten.
With the dawn came action. The
Yankees were upon us. and we fought
like wildcats. AS evening came on.
the fight was suspended. and when
our mess met everybody was there.
miss Anna" included, except Par
sons. We had made up scheme TO
beg his forgiveness and 10 swear to be
gentlemen, at least. Each of us had
a separate speech of apology to make,
expressive OF shame and contriton.
When night settled down. and Par
sons did not appear. we grew anxious
and sat silently around. not daring to
breathe the great fear uppermost in
our minds. Miss Anna" too walk
ed up and down uneasily, shifting the
air and rubbing her nose against any
convenient shoulder. AS we sat thus,
our lieutenant called in to me-
Harrison. step here q minute"
l arose and went out little I'M
steadily.
Parsons was hurt last night on