The Democratic advocate., 1889-01-26
Our Oliu.
SUMMARY JUSTICE.

There was a vast deal OF swearing ana
growing that morning in the rife pits, for
the soldier ike the sailor, will spit forth
his grievances in season aud out Of season.
The night before, Grants army, in his
bloody iianking duel with Lee, had reached
Spottsylyania 20 find the same serried walls
of Confederate bayonets blocking his way.
Rations we're scant, the commiSsary wagons,
miles in the rear. were stuck fast as bricks
in mortar rain had poured all night, and
the picket detail went cut sourly 10 the
game Of dodging lead without a cup Of
coffee. GrSy skies. stcamin- earth. wet
uniforms; an exposed line, where every man
burrovod a little hole, or threw up heap
OF earth. or groyellej behind tree stamp;
a yigilant enemy not two hundred yards
away, acruss wile gully, scratching gravel
ia similar fashion. and promp, with a bul-
let a, sight Of blue cloih--it was too dismal
for any language bat the siaccato, The
rich aud varied quality Of the blasphemy
would have taxed cycn the disciplined ge-
Mus Of 4 team>ter By-and-by the sun
clambered out or the fug.banks, aud shone
with a siekly lustTe as the air lightcned,
bat with an intensity Of heat that sucked
the hraia dry Cramped limhs-lor no
one could venture To make much stiF-and
the tortaFe og thirst made every man aehe
with the curses that Pruspero laid on Cali.
ban. Ne could see the Gin, of the water
in the run. beyond which deadly tubes lay
leyeiled, as IL swept on ia glancing ripples
OF broke in baby eaiaTacts, aud the musical
tinkle Of il rayiShed as with delight that
swiftly swung back into a sharper pain,
But II the men 10 gray were for Us the
frrco guardians Of that fountain of refresh
meut. We we're the like 10 them. so we
painted and longei and vented our spleen
ou any Gutter u uniform that made rock
or stump ~ mound animate
| don { remember on which side II began.
4 white "a. was tossed upon the point OF
a hayoues Ia the twinkling Of an eye a
hundred Of these jocund signals waved on
both sides. Chanticleer crowed merrily
from scores Of threats, and lusty responses
from the other side made the air alive with
the nuscs Of rustic matin chorus. One
touch of nature had renewed our kinship,
aud discipline melted like the frost ON a
window pane. Come and have drink
( that genial challenge which puac,uates
- much Of the business Of peace was band
led between the friendly enemies, bat this
time it was for the quaihng Of vintage
more sparkhn and delicious than any cham
pagne that ever beaded in crystal What
were general orders, the starch Of military
rule, the remonsgraneCs OF authority be-
fore this great gush OF kindness and sym
pathy? The officers tried 10 keep the men
IN their lines, bat the Impulse had got such
head that il beat down oppositi n. which
was the more feeble a. the sword secretly
/ thrilled with the same sentimen; that stir
ed the bayonet \ thousand men along
half-mile front sprang out Of ambush and
stretched their legs. Rifles were stacked
add with unslung canteens the whilom foes
who had been hot for each others blood,
fastened to meet on the banks of the run
and grip honest brown paws.
How dye, Yank p How dye, John
ny went the scattered fgsilade of greet
ing, aud all gave tongue To hubbub OF
chatter and laughter Ike that of pack Of
sehoolboys just broke loose from the threat
of birch What a draught of paradise that
water was as We drank till every man was
I it to burst his skin How beautiful the
shining of it as it danced over the shadows
or lay in the still pools CHASING moSsy
pebbles in the clear cool depths How
every heart glowed with goodwill that
smoothed the ''wrinkled front of war, into
smiles, and made the vision Of reeking
shambles and savage onslaught, from which
we had emerged aud into which we must
soon again pass, like distempered dream
How the blue and the gray chaffed in sim
pie, homely fashion, or interchanged sheep
ish condolences about the girls they haC
left behind them
The scenes of this idyl set in the midst
of great tragedy were so full of rude
pathos that, though now nearly quarter
of century gone, they are as fresh as {
thing of yesterday. | can still pass IRON
group to group and hear the quaint re
marks pointed with army slang, and the
gruff haw-haw as jonathan, Hans, ant
Patrick tossed the football of talk witt
their fresh-found brethren of an hour
can still see the bronzed faces, the lean fig
ures. the tatterdemalions in homespun
mingling fraternally with the more sleel
and wei-uniformed Federals The can
teens were soon filed, and their wooleI
Jackets well soaked to keep the content
cool, and the men of both sides sprawlec
on the grass like merrymakers at picnic
| had heard of similar scenes, but never o
one marked by such friendly ease, a com
placency, however, not shared by the off
GERS. These more responsible watch-dogs
now that the irrepressible need of waite
had been met and convention made t.
stop all plcket-friug till further notice
were eager to withdraw the men into tbei
lines again. All attempts to restore tn
discipline of war for the time availed moth
ing. Human nature was to the fore, ant
it was not to be trifed with by any sucl
small matter as army regulations. Tn