St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-05

the brisk walk of two hours which
brought him to his home: Il will soon
be with father in heaven, Arthur. Be
good boy, and some day you will come
to us and we will all be happy to-
gether." The visitto the old home was
very unsatisfactory one for Arthur.
The pretty little cottage was only
wreck. The porch had been torn away,
the palingS were gone from around the
yard and the garden, the barn had
furnished fuel for the camp fires, the
walls of the house were full Of holes.
and the whole scene was one of ruin
and desolation. He peeped into the
little chamber where he had slept when
he and father and mother continued the
happieSt family in all the world. 1t had
been used for an amputating room, the
floor was stained with blood, and rags
and bandageS lay all around. His nos
trils were greeted with a horrible
stencil from an amputated limb
that still Law there. He closed the
door quickly and rushed from the house.
As old memories thronged up the grief
stricken child dropped upon the cold
ground and wept bitterly. He remem-
bered how father looked when he used
to sit in his arm chair by the fircSide
and read his. paper. He could see
mother as she sat with cheerful face on
the other side of the hearth and he
knelt by her side TO say his evening
prayers. But there was no fire there
now. father was dead, perhaps mother
to him he Sprang from the ground and
started to return to her. AS he passed
out of the grounds his eye fell upon a
drum lying by the roadside. Perhaps
it belonged to the soldier whose leg had
been amputated i'll his room. At ali
events, he would take it with him. as
there was no one there to claim it. So
he trudged back to Salem Church with
the drum slung over his shoulder. brave
little fellow that he was, wholly uncon-
sciouS of the new sorrow that awaited
him. When he got back his mother had
passed into the realms of eternal peace,
and Arthur was an orphan indeed. with
ont a friend or relative in all the
wide w0rld--fatherleSS motherleSS,
homeless ana neunileSS. Alone, alone.
Man has his misery and SutferingS in
this w0rld woman has hers; but it is
child grief that eXcites the deepest
sympathy. Now, he even had to part
with his cow and calf, and they were
driven off by the commiSsary to be
blltchered. For little while the child's
heart was crushed by the sense of utter
loneliness which haunted his mind. 1t
out friend-no one to love or care for
him. But God. who tempcrs the wind
10 the sh0rn lamb, has blessed child nat
-ure with an active recuperatiVc power.
1t was New Year i'll the camp. The
soldiers were gathered around the log
fires talking of home, and thinking OF
the happy golden time when there was
no war or rumors of wars. The colonel
OF the regiment had Just taken his seat
at the mess table for breakfast when he
saw Il wee figure of humanity coming
down the road towards his hcadquar-
tiers. 1t was ever so small boy in
ragged clothes and bare feet; but
he observed that the little fellow
had bundle on his back, and
small kettle drum was suspended
by cord across his shoulders. The
drum will be recognized as the
same which Arthur found on his last
visit to Fredericksburg, and the little
boy as Arthur himself. He marched
boldly up and explained his mission. 1t
was his tenth birthday, and he felt that
he was man enough to make his wants
known. He told the colonel that he
had come to join his regiment, that his
father had belonged TO it before he was
killed, and he wanted his fathers place.
The colonel looked down. with a half
suppressed smile. at the delicate being
before him. from whom this bold speech
had proceeded, but when he saw the
fash of determination in the little
speakers deep blue eyes, he at once felt
AN interest in his history. He heard his
story patiently, and then told him that
it would be wrong to permit one so
Young to enter the military service, but
he would give him money to supply his
wants. at is a soldier | want to be, and
not beggar," replied Arthur, as he
Strengthened himself up. And yet the
tears gathered in his eyes at the
thought of being turned off. ''And as
for hardShps," he said, Il never expect
to see greater than l have already
passed through. If / can't carry
musket, sir, | can beat
drum" Selling the sticks, he
sounded the long rolf in dashing
style. Now, colonel, please let me
ioin.'' The colonel was too kind
hearted to longer resist the Pleading of
the determined boy, so he called UP the
captain of Company q, the company
that Arthur's father had belonged to,
and instructed him to put Arthur's
name on the roll. He kept Arthur at
headquarters, however, and in addition
TO prlgiding him with new suit of
clothes, bought him little horse. and, on
the march the boy hero was always along
side OF the gallant commander. At the
battle of charlottesville the colonel
told Arthur he must stay back at the
field hospital and assist the surgeon in
taking care OF the wounded, and not to
come TO the front and expose himself to
danger. What was his surprise, there
| fore, when in the hottest of the battle
he passed down the line and discovered
| Arthur with the regiment, beating his
drum as if victory depended on every
lick he gave it. The colonel turned to
| his adiutant and said: ''See our little
hero holding his post as if he were the
StouteSt veteran i'll the ranks. But 1t Is
La pity to have such child unneeeSSar
| ily sacrificed; take him back to the
rear" The order was Obeyed, although
Arthur begged to be allowed to go on
with the regiment. But he made HIM
l7self useful at the hospital by holding in
| Struments for the surgeons while en-
| gagged in the work of amputating arms
| and legs, and by bandaging up the
| wounds of many of a bleeding soldier.
/ Although he was pet with the soldiers
ARTHUR was not Spoilt. as most children
are apt to be who are put forward and
hpetted by those older than themselves.
/ He had not forgotten to treasure in his
heart the teachings of piouS mother,
| and every day he would go to his KNAPP
! sack and take from 1t a little Bible, OIL
| the fly-leaf of which was written MAY
Murray" and, Drawer than most grown
men, he was not ashamed to be seen
reading it, or to be found on his knees
! saying the prayers that his mother had
| taught him. He was beloved by all for
his polite and unobstruslve manners,
and the colonel became so much at
| tached to his little protege that he an
| nouneed his intention to take him home
with him alter the war and adopt him
| as his own son.
On the third day at Gettysburg Az
charge led by Pickett. In the excite
ment of the battle both the colonel and
the men lost sight of their little hero.
| AS the few survivors returned across
! the plain from that hill of death, they
found Arthur lying Oh the field with his
/ left arm shattered by an exploding