San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-05
SERGT. SINGLETON.

"Guide me, oh, thou great Jeho-
vah," sang the powerful chorus of
boys as mother played the sweet old
tune upon the organ.
1t was an impressive and pathetic
group, for soldiers filled the lower
part of the park, and the sound of
military music came every now d
then to break the harmony of the
hymn.
Nothing could have daunted those
fresh voices, just as nothing could
have daunted their brave little
hearts. They sang, as they were go.
ing to fight by and by, with courage
and persistence.
Wilton, the eldest, would have a
grand bass some time, and ever 10Y
the lower notes were splendid, when
they "got there" Rupert, the Sec
ond, sang with a high, clear tenor,
such as used to make the masses
splendid in the old cathedrals at
Rome.
Inc little boys supplied a ripping
treble, and the mothers tender alto
made the chords complete.
She did not look like a Spartan
mother, but she was trying, and not
vainly, to act the part.
Her two eldest were gong to join In
that terrible struggle, which bore so
many boys away, to act the part of
men, while still in the morning of life.
The father was absent with a sabre
at his side and epaulettes on his
shoulders.
All that loving and Christian
raorionr aa,lI do hnI hnnn dana for
them; her active work must be over
for a time; she could only watch and
prav!
-Welton looked grown and stately
in his uniform, for he was the kind of
fellow to carry off a prescribed dress
of any sort with dignity.
Once committed to anything, he re-
garded himself as the exponent of the
whole, and tried to reflect credit up
ON it.
Rupert looked so young and slim
and handsome that she could hardly
see him through her tears, but he
made a great effort to keep his own
eyes dry.
They were wonderful eyes, of the
blue IN see in the sky when the sun
is very warn and there are no clouds
about.
The clarion sounded the signal OF
raj The soldiers were waiting for
her darlings at the second gate.
"Oh for a last inspiration" was
her agoniz.ng thought. Some one
final message of love, that should re.
main with them through all that ter.
rible campaign.
Like a flash of answer it came to
her. She stood for a moment almost
TRANSPORTED in the girlish beauty
which maternity had been powerless
to change.
promise me, my sons" she cried,
''that every day when the twilight
comes-no matter where you are, you
will sing n verse of this hymn;
Guide me, Oh, Thou Great Jehova.
He will guide you, if you believe and
trust in Him.
They promised her, and the battle
cloud that swept the land bore them
from her sheltering arms.
The last thing they saw was hel
slender figure standing upon the
portico, with a smile upon her beauti
full face which nearly cost her heart!
blood.
That night they marched out o.
Maryland.
Two years later a dark young man
in q uniform that would have beer
tattered but for repeated and skillfu
darning, stood before his command
ing officer.
"Well Sergeant Singleton, what d.
you want?n said the veteran kindly
for the non-commissione1 officer wa!
a great favorite,
II want a leave for two days, Major,
and no questions asked. / want Il
get back my brother, who was takel
prisoner in the last skirmIsh. TIL
enemy's camp, you know, is Onl!
twenty miles from here"
"Do you wish to be taken and hun,
for a spy?" was the officers sterI
answer.
"Well, sir, 1 must run my chances
as many another fellow has done
I can't leave Rupert without maxim.
an effort to ave him, and l have
scheme which is ure to work"
Will Singleton was only 10, but hi
pluck and brains had gained for hiI
a great deal of respect. He was
natural soldier, alert, cautious anG
above all, accomplishing.
He had risen to be sergeant, an
was soon to be made lieutenant.
TELL me your PLAN" pursued tn
major, trying to hide his admiratio
under an appearance of grutfness.
SIT is something / would rattle
talk about after it is accomplished,
the boy replied, with a tinge of basil
fulness in his manner.
The major gave the required pc