The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-06-07


HE MEANT TO DEF
The first day If Gettysburg was over
Northerner and southerner alike had
fought their best, and the dead heaped
along the slope of Cemetery hill showed
that the contending hosts were worthy
Of each other On the northern side
every general engaged, save enc, had
had his horse killed under him. On the
southern side General Rddes, riding up
to rebuke an infantry battalion which he
saw, as he thought, lying down to es-
cape the Yankee fire, found that they
i were all corpses fallen in their ranks.
All around the curving line Of heights,
on which vast crescent of bright spots
marked the northern position, another
fiery crescent showed where Lees men lay
e1,carnped in readiness for the morrow's
battle, and reckless fellow of Sickles'
division. posted to the left of Towards
position on Cemetery hill, said with
laugh, as he pointed to the far extending
lights:
The Jehnnies air seein' a good few
stars tonight. but | reckon we'll make
'sm see some more tomorrow
Guess they may make some of US SEQ
EN-. too, fore all's up" growled veters
an Them rebs kin fight some. SO they
kial'
Dry up. Pete" cried third man;
you're worse croakar than .Never-die
Joe yonder. It's a mercy he's asleep, or
we'd have him tellin' as who's to die to-
morrow, and maxim us all feel bad"
And the speaker glanced at a man who
lay sleeping beside the fire, with its fitful
glare playing spectrally on his upturned
face. Bronzed and weather worn as it
was, that face was as delicate Of outline
as wolnan's, and haunted all who saw
It with a vague suggestion of one Of the
handsome, high bred, i'll fated cavaliers
of Charles L
He alters sleeps like that jist fore
fight, said one man in an awestricken
whisper; s'the only time he's happy is
when he thinks he's gwine to der
Darn my skin if l know what to
make Of him, added a second-a huge,
heavy. good natured giant from Illinois.
He'd whip Old Nick himself at fightin'
-he whipped me once, as yon know, and
faint every man kin do that; and he
1nout ha' been promoted dozen times
over if he'd liked. But no, not he! he
alters says he wants nothin' but to diep
Well, it's rough on him if he can't
find no hind Christian to obleege him in
q leetle thing like that. When I'm
a-gwine to die don't mind changin
with him, or maybe the gineral 'ud hang
him as great favor if he was to beg
hard.
He's q queer sort, that's fact. He
looks ike a gal and talks as soft as a
child, but in battle, by thunder, he's''--
Like the divil wild toothache!' broke
In 4 deep Irish voice.
Hello, Mike, are you therel Say,
boys, do you remember how Mike said
tother night that he didn't fear man or
devil, and jist then an old COW poked its
horns over the fence and went 'Moo-oo-
oof and down goes Mike on his knees
and sings out. Forgive me, Misther Sa-
tan, didn't name your
Och, be aisy, We yagabone" retorted
Mike 0'Reilly. Sure, when | hit yez
from behind wild hot pratie, didn't We
scraIne out: Lord have mercy on my
sowll FIN shotry
Amid the silence that followed the
laugh which ensued, the slumbering man
by the fire, speaking in his sleep, was
heard to say IN cold and haughty tones:
Apparently your royal highness does
not remember me.
And then. with struggle and VIC
lent start, the sleeper awoke.
Sure, is it the Prince ov Wales he's
talkin tor cried Mike, staring. "'Twas
royal highness' he said anyhow. Who
is he, thin, at all, at all?"
But the mysterious Joe, without seem
ing even to hear him, ross and went
straight up to the big Hlinoisan and held
out his hand
Dick, said he, with an unconscious
dignity that impressed even the rude fell
low to whom he spoke, eve had fair
Eight, and hope you bear me no grudge
for it, as Pm sure bear you none. Shake
hands, and let as be friends tonight, for
tomorrow one of us two must der
Ycu didn't happen to hear acJ,scFs one,
Joeg faitered the giant, who evidently
put full faith In his comrades strange
prophecy, as indeed did all the rest,
Judging by their looks of awe.
No." said the other YEARLY, ssbut /
know which wish il may be-"
4 Somehow the talk and laughter tagged
after that. and the group melted away
Ia silence.