Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-06-12
FRED'S COVERLET.
A Chapter From the Life of Pri.
vate Soldier.

Yard No. Q was TO any casual in
spection precisely like the other nine
teen with which it formed the General
Hospital of Jeffersonville, Ind II
was clean, and the long rows of cots on
each side OF the wards were always in
order. But whatever the necessity for
1t, its uniformity was little trying.
The meals were served to the minute,
and the food was never known to vary
in kind or quality. This even extend
ed to the sourness of the bread. the
hairs in the hash and the flies in the
soup.
After stay Of six weeks, Fred Ray
mond. of Company b, TIL Minneso-
Ia, began to find it little monotonous.
Not meaning to be ungrateful for the
uniform kindness of his treatment
hore, he began to long for little
more variety. 1t seemed to him as
though he had about exhausted the
simple pleasures that the hospital had
TO offer. He had read several of the
memoirs of great and good men, which
formed the bulk OF reading matter;
and these, too, he had found singularly
alike. Even the interest and pleasure
to be had from a perusal of Baxter's
Saints Rest" failed after single
reading.
Many OF his comrades had a never
failing resource in writing letters to
friends, which was not open to Fred
Raymond, for reasons that will pres
emily appear After debating the mat
ter in his mind for few days, he
finally ventured on course which
might greatly relieve the tedium OF his
enforced leisure. which was likely to
last few weeks longer At some
time during his stay there had been
received from the North considerable
supply OF hospital-stores-shirts and
drawers OF all shapes and sizes, with
openings made to fit all sorts of men
with all sorts OF wounds. Upon trial,
OF course, none Of them were ever
found quite adapted to any particular
case, but by cutting open here and
sowing up there, they did very we'll,
especially as the weather was warm.
Among other things received were a
number OF sheets and coverlets for the
beds. These, although generally
plain, were not quite uniform, and in
troduced the only bit OF novelty to be
seen any where in the hospital. It
happened that the coverlet which fell
to Fred Raymond had been made by
the young ladies OF one Of the churches
In B, Ohio, and many OF the m had
written their names and addresses on
the blocks. He had studied these
over until he not only knew them
all by heart, but had formed
a pretty distinct conception OF the
young ladies themselves. There was
more character and individuality in
the handwriting than one would have
supposed, considering the difficulty OF
tracing letters on cloth. He was not
the least bit of ladies' man, or one
who would think OF answering an ad-
vertisement for correspondence"
jcct, fun and amusement" But then,
these names and addresses seemed to
say 10 him that he might write il he
chose. One OF these names had struck
him as very pretty, and the handwrit-
ing was indeed neat. He had amused
himself with picturing the writer to
himself many times, until he felt par
TALLY acquainted. To her, therefore,
he would indite very general letter,
and If she chose to reply and CORE
spondence grew out OF IL, II would give
new interest to the days that must yet
be passed before he could return to his
regiment. His letter, addressed to
Miss Lille Meline, was not an eloquent
epistle; 1t simply told the story o. the
writer's loneliness, the gratitude OF
himself and comrades for the interest
shown In the comfort of the Union SOL
diers, and the satisfaction Il would give
the inmates Of the hospital II "any OF
the young ladies should feel at liberty
TO relieve the dullness OF their life by
an occasional letter."
IL was not long before he received
reply In handwriting which he
promptly identified He was more ex-
cited when he opened the envelope
than he had been for long time, and
far moro than he had supposed he
could be over letter from a stranger.
Like his own, IL was q very simple
epistle. The girls were delighted"
IL said, Ito know that their work had
done some good. The soldiers de-
served every thing" and so on, "and II
he cared 10 hear from her, why, she