Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-07-20
L SOLDIERS LITTLE AAHcR.

4 SOLDIERS LITTLE NAHCR.
He sat in the seat in front of me on the
train, and curious-looking little man he
was. Not more than FIVE feet high, l
should say, but squarely built, and erect.
his face was covered with bushy, curling
black beard, and his eyes twinkled mer-
rlly from under his bushy eyebrows. The
uniform of private in the army which
he wore made him noticeable, even if his
actions did not. He was as restless as
child, now looking out of the window,
moment later whisking his little body into
the other end of the seat SO as to command
an uninterrupted view Of the aisle, and
every now and then throwing himself
down lengthwise in the seat or attempting
to go to sleep. 1t was during one of these
vain attempts that he first engaged my
interest. He had just seemed to get quiet,
with his curly head nestled into his cap on
the window-sill, when the brakeman
slammed the door of the car behind him,
calling out in stentorian tones the name of
station In an instant the little old
soldier was on his feet, his cap in some
way adjusted straight on his head, and his
hand making the military salute. In his
half-unconscious state he had taken the
slamming of the door and the brakeman's
call for the challenge to sentry, and had
tried to come to "parade dress" before
his superior officer caught HIM mapping.
1t was a comical and yet pathetic sight
to see him jump to his feet, make the
salute, and then, as q consciousness of his
whereabouts stole over him, sink back into
the car seat and pull the jaunty cap over
his eyes.
But it was not long before his restless
ness drove him out from behind that
refuge. Across the aisle were some little
children, and in their prattle and play the
little old soldier took the greatest delight.
His twinkling eyes watched over every
motion of theirs. He laughed when they
did, and his face assumed serious express
sion when the youngest, a golden-haired
little girl, bumped her head against the
back of the seat and was taken, CRYING,
into her mothers arms to be consoled. But
how differently he looked at the mother |
The woman was dressed in the height of
fashion. She was pretty, too. And she
knew it. Fatal defect. And as she took
the lovely little child in her arms she took
care that the girls shoes should not soil
her fur-trimmed garment.
The little old soldier seemed to notice
everything about her. For man whose
face was nearly covered with bushy
beard, his face was remarkably teil-tale.
There had been nothing but kind emo
tions expressed on it while he was watch
ing the children. But when his attention
was drawn to the young mother, a hard
look, almost repellent, came into his ewes.
1t certainly would have prevented any
woman who noticed it from seeking aid
from him, and yet no child would have
hesitated to ask favor of him.
watched him for an hour. 1t was al
ways the same. Smiles for the ch .ldren
Cold, Indifferent, almost cynical, looks for
women. There was reason for it, l was
sure. l leaned forward and spoke to
him:
'Fine day, cap'nr'
He turned with friendly nod and a
merry twinkle in mis- eye
You've hit the bulps-eye, sir; but I
amt Captain, only private, sir. Amt
that now. See here"
He pulled some piece of paper from his
pocket and showed me an honorable dis
charge from the army, and then took his
cap from his head and pointed to the front
of it. The insignia of the arm of the
service to which he had belonged was not
there.
'Pm mustered out p he exclaimed with
something very like sigh.
"Well, it's hard life," said, consol.
ingly:
"Right again, sir. No home, nothing
cosey about it; here to-day, and away to-
morrow. No mind of your own-every-
thing planned out for you. All you have
to do Is to obey. 1t is all obey in the
army, sir, and no way of your own for
private. But there's some that takes to it
for that very reason"
'You did not, Pll warrant"
81 did, though"
'What, man that loves children as YOU
do?"
"Ha! ha! you've found that out, have
you? Well, amt ashamed of it. But
you can't have children without having
wife and-and-"
"You don't want wife ?'
81 had one, sir"
"Then you might have had children ?'
Il had little girl, sir"
"Ah, ha. you joined the army to get
away from them," exclaimed, becoming
suspicious of my new acquaintance.
"No, sir; l Joined the army to forget
them"
"They are dead ~
"To me-"
"But you love the little one yet -"
"l-I-yes, sir, guess l do, You see,
it was this way. 1t was a long ii me ago,
at least it seems long time since was
hearty young fellow in New Hampshire
village. And like big fool fell in love
with the prettiest girl in the town. was
bright-looking lad in those days, sir.
with as curly head of hair and as natty
mustache as any about. / could dance.
and sing, and shoot with the best of them,
and, if | do say it, there wasn't more
popular boy in the Granite State than N.Y.
self"
"And they're fine lot" / said, inter-
rupting him.
That they are. Well, it's no wonder,
then, that Nancy said she would marry
me. It's bright eye and curly mus
tache and good leg that catches the coun-
try girls, just as money catches the city
ones"