The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-05-24
NUMBER II.

Her dress was much dlSOrdercd, her
hair had fallen down and her face was
red and swollen with weeping. / took
her hand. which was cold and limp.
and tried TO say something 10 comfort
her. She turned her head away and
remained sullenly silent At last i
said, in kind OF desperation:
Mrs. Jackson, promise you that
| will bring your husband safely back
to you. l will make him my especial
charge. l Will watch over him and
protect hiId. He shall not go into bat
tie, l viii keep him out of harms
way"
She looked at me now for the first
time and seemed n trifle Modified.
Il forget" she said, presently.
No, madame, I viii not forget. /
answered. .'lf die can not answer
for your husband, but if l live 1 VIII
bring him safely back to you. Now
let us shake hands upon it, and then
must go"
rode away, dimly conscious that /
had made fool OF myself. but still
glad to have given the woman "A little
consolation.
Well, the regiment was soon full and
we had marching orders. We were
sent down into the border TO point
where we were not likely 10 see many
battles, but where there would be
plenty of sllirmishing. One of tho first
things 10 be done was to throw up IA
sort Of cmbankment, on which some
large guns We're to be mounted, com
manding one OF the principal thorough
fares lending to the interior. l de-
tailed jackson at once to take charge
OF this work. Not that he was partic-
ulariy well fitted for it, but l thoughtit it
would keep him ont of danger. and he
did as well rs another, for all know
TO the contrary.
We had not been in camp many
weeks when orders came for me to
intercept a railway train. which would
pass within a few miles, loaded with
supplies for the Coniedcracy. II was
not very dangerous expedition, but
/ did not choose that jackson should
be in it, and when he found that he
was not to go with us he showed
considerable disappointment. or
course he knew better than to be in
subordinate, but it was easy to see
how he felt and, indeed. / overheard
him grumbling to one OF his COM
rades. -
That night as we lay on the ground,
waiting for the approach of the train,
! thought a good deal about jackson.
l had him safe for this time. but Il was
very evident that he was eager for ac-
tion and / might find it a hard matter
to always keep him back. l abused
myself roundly for meddling with the
matter, but at the same time / re-
solved that, come what might, / would
keep my promise to his wife, would
take jackson home safe and sound
Well, we captured our train without
losing a man and got back to camp in
safety.
Next time, Colonel, you'll take
me, won't ycuP" pleaded jackson, the
next day. l had been looking at their
embankment and giving some direc-
tions about the mounting of the
guns l walked away without making
any answer. ."COnfound you" | said
to myself.
About an hour later, / was quite on
the other side of the ground, when
saw one of the men running toward
me. He was laboring under great ex-
citcmcnt and l saw at once that some
thing had happened. WAITED for him
TO come up.
- Well, what IS it, my man?' 1 said
as he came near.
" jackson dead" he painted out
- Impo ssible, l cried; u saw him
not an hour ago
cs, sir; but just after you left the
embankment gave way, right where
jackson was standing, and one of
those heavy guns fell over upon him
and crushed him. We've just got him
out and he's stone dead. The surgeon
says So
Well, sir, was dumbfounded. Here
was this man, whom l had taken into
the very hollow of my hand, whose
safety had vouched for, whom | had
undertaken to guard as If | were the
Almighty, dead The first man in the
regiment 10 die. | couldn't say n
word. l had the body embalmed and
sent to his wife at my own expense. l
promised her / would bring him safely
home, and that was the way kept my
promise The very means l had taken
to save him proved his death. l tried
TO write to her, but l hadn't the heart
to do it, and | gave it up.
A few weeks later one of the men
told me that her barn had been struck
by lightning and the crops, which her
neighbors had harvested for her.
burned. After that 1 heard that she
was in an insane asylum.
1t was a lesson to me. had tried
to play the part of an overruling Prov
idence and had failed. never tried
it again.-Jube a Sabine, in Spring
field (AIass.) Republican.