The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1890-05-24

it, father. All the students are volun-
teering," he wrote.
Never mind, MOTHER" said the farm
er, at sight of his wife's wet eyes. ''We
gave them to God when they were
babes, and if He chooses to use them in
helping to save the country, His will be
done"
Jacks patriotic heart would have
| tempted him to follow the example of
Dan and George, but Mr.. Gibbons said:
swat a bit and see how times go. Old
men like me and slips of boys like you
are not worth much on long marches, so
for the present we had better stay at
home and raise something upon which
to feed our soldiers." ....
Jack listened quietly, and then with
out word went back to the pillow he had
left standing in the furrow.
A year passed away, and with it
poor Jacks bright hopes of the future.
A hundred dollars that Mr.. Gibbons
had placed in the desk in the room ad-
joining his disappeared mysteriously,
and circumstances pointed suspiciously
towards him as the thief. Though obe-
dent and tractable, the boy was high
spirited, and resented, as base, any in
situations that called his honesty in
question. His indignant denial would
have had much weight with the consci-
entious farmer had not Ben, the Glib
bons' baby, asserted boldly that he had
! seen Jack ''fooling round the desk more
than once"
In the eyes of the parents this proof
was conclusivee besides it accounted for
the many petty thefts that, in the last
few months, had sorely puzzled the
worthy couple. The soul of honor him
self, Mr.. Gibbons would not tolerate
any departure from recti tude, especially
in one for whom he had done 50 much.
The result of the trouble was that Jack
packed up what few things he needed
for change, and went out from the
home where his happiest days had been
spent. "
"God will not forget your kindness to
a poor, friendless orphan" he said, as
he took mother Gibbons hand at par
ting. ....
Going directly to recruiting Office,
he enlisted in Michigan regiment,
and in less than twenty-four hours he
was on his way to Tennessee, where
General Halleck was just then laying
siege to Corinth. In spite of his youth
and ,consumptive tendencies Jack made
a good soldier and came out of the
bloody conflict without his fair name
being furnished.
Instead of returning to the home that
had sheltered his boyhood, he went
West and settled upon claim, taking
up his lonely life as rightful heritage.
Not SO kindly did the four years of
warfare deal with the poor old farmers
lads, for when the boys in blue came
marching home, not one of the stall
wart sons who had gone forth to battle
walked in the ranks. George and Ben
had come home in pine collins many
days before, while Dan was left sleeping
beneath the bright Southern skies.
After Jack had gone away Ben gained
his fathers consent to become soldier,
but before year had passed he sick
ened and died, but not until he had
taken upon him self the theft that had
sent the orphan boy alone into the world.
More than a score of years afterwards
an irresistible desire to look upon the
faces of the friends of his youth sent
Jack back to catch glimpse of the old
familiar walks. 1t was on the Both of
May that he arrived, and the little town
was gay with flowers and banners. Join
ing in the PROCESSION that was vending
its way to the cemetery he passed quiet
~ to the grave of his father, now
marked by a marble slab. In the same
row., a little to the east, he read the
names of George and Ben Gibbons, and
an old veteran who was scattering flow
ers on the graves of the brothers in
formed him that Dan closed his life in
Southern prison and that the two daugh-
tiers of the same household had died
within week Of each other, leaving
the old folks childless and almost pen
niless. Waiting to hear no more, Jack
fastened to the old farmhouse, and
without making himself known listened
to the pitiful story Of the old people,
~