The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-07-03

Ssc ~ shAJ Az y
for the days pleasure, Herbert declined
to act as British General, and declared
that ho wanted to command the Ameri-
sans. He said that Barry had only lived
in Springfield for mi year and was
therefore not entitled TO the highest of.
flee the town afforded. Herbert said
that he didn't caro- to stand up and BIO
beaten, ever in play. lie swelled him.
self out and strutted and staggered
considerably over his own fancied i'm
portance,
Tho Flemings wero prominent people
in Springfield, and when Ilerbert's IA
Their learned that his son wished tn play
tho part of General Greene in tho sham
tho academy that llcrbcrt's wish must
be granted or he would no longer pat.
roniae the school.
Barry Cartwright had been in an &C.
stacy of delight when he realized that
he was to lead the American army on to
victory. He had faucicd himself riding
his fathers horse into battle, and had
imagined that staid old animal trans
formed intoa gallant charger, secthing
with foam, and prancing to martial mu-
sic! He had fancicd himself, with sword
Mt his side, shouting his commands in
warrior-liSo fashion. lie was a poor
10y. His father had lost an arm while
fighting for his country, and had to
work hard to support and educate his
family. Barry had boon Obliged to wear
u suit Of clothes thathad been awkward
ly rcmodelcd from his fathers old uni
form. Herbert Fleming had once ridi.
culcd the cut of these garments, and
Barry had been stung by the ridicule. l
am afraid that he had cherished a
grudge against Herbert ever since.
When he discovered hat he was to DO
the hero of tho sham-battlc he took con-
siderable satisfaction in thinking that
Herbert would greatly like to be in his
shoes on that occasion.
Poor Barry was not to realize his trl-
umph, after all. The teachers in the
military academy did not dare offend
Mr.. Fleming, and they decided that
Herbert should be given the coveted
gcncralship. Barry was told that he
must command the Ilessians!
Nobody knew what his ~disappoint-
mcnt was. Nobody knew how he shut
himself into his room and foughta battle
with his ugly feelings toward his school
fellow and with his own disappoint-
mcnt. The boys pride was wounded,
and he felt that he had been defraudcd.
He had taken his chances with the
other boys, and had honestly drawn the
ticket that entitled him to the favorite
gcneralship. Why should he be forced
TO give it up? lie would have refused
To take any part in the sham battle if it
had not been for his father. Barry did
not want him to share his disappoint-
mcnt. lie said nothing about the affair,
and consented to represent the Baron
knyphauscn.
1t was a bright spectacle that little
parade that marched through Spring.
fold on the Fourth of July. The women
folk had taken an interest in the affair
and had made the boys uniforms. The
band played, and, dear me, what an i'm
partial band it was! 1t played Yam
icc Doodle and God Save the Queen"
with equal enthusiasm.
The two generals made a gallant APP
pcarance-lierbert upon spirited black
mare and Barry upon his fathers sedate
old sorrcl, The two officers preceded
their armies in their march to Academy
Green, where the school principal, Mr..
Dinwiddie, made a speech and astonish.
cd the town by his eloquence. He told
of the battle hat had been fought and
won in Springfield in the year 1850, and
how the stout hearts of the Jerseymen
were shaken when they discovered that
they had no more wadding for their guns.
There was an American minister in the
thiclcst of the battle, named James
Caldwell. lie was a great soldier as
well as Il great preacher, and was called
the Rebel High Priest" His wife had
been shot by Il liessian soldier, and
the terrible news was brought to him
while the battle was in progress, and at
the time that the want of wadding was
discovered. Mr.. Dinwiddie said that
this good nal did not stop one moment
TO vcnt his grief when the dreadful
news arrived. lie did his duty before
he uttered one lament. A poem, by
Bret ~llartc, told exactly what he did:
"Thcy were left in the lurch
For the want Of more wadding. He ran to the
church,
Broke the door, stripped the pews, and dashed
out in the road
With his arms full of hymn, books, and threw
down his load
AT their feet. Then, above all the shouting
and shots
Rang his voice: Put Watts into 'em-Boys,
give EN- Wattsl"
And they did! Mr.. Dinwiddie de-
clarcd that the British army was driven
out of Springfield, thoroughly democrat
lied and thoroughly astonished at their
own defeat. They did not know that a
hcoric preacher and the peculiar merit
in DR.. Watts hymns had conquered
them!
When the grafton was concluded the
band played ''Iiail to the Chief" and
then the sham battle began.
We're | a soldier l would give you all
the details of that bloodless war. l
would tell you how the scouts came out
to discover what the enemy was doing.
| would tell exactly how both armies
advanced and retrsated. l would tell
how the old cannon doomed away on
the hill, and how the rifles were loaded
and reloaded with harmless blank cart
ridges. l would tell you all about the
real smoke, the real racket and the real
enthusiasm that accompanied this pre-
tended battle. But 1 am no soldier,
and therefore | could never do the sub
jcct justice.
On the occasion of which I write both
Generals were unhappy, and this proves
that greatness does not always bring
contentment. The Baron Knyphausen
found himself envying General Greene