San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-03

AIS lJ4IIOW Win MS lett ndnU and deal
ing it heavy blows with his doubled
right fist.
II should like to kill hinp he said.
thinking of Du Bots. ITO kill him! To
kill him." He seized the bolster with
both hands and smOthered with it an
imaginary Desdemona. Then he was
very much ashamed of himself there in
the dark, and thought how his dead
mother would have grieved could she
have known of his violent and absurd
elnOtiSus.
That fair, delicate mother had been a
QuakercSs. Often she had taken him
with her connecting, and he had listened
to the mild, sweet, drawing speech Of
the Friends whom the spirit moved to
speak It had had I'll influence Upon
him. Had he chosen a profession ne
would rather have been surgeon to
heal men than a soldier 10 kill them.
But now all his nature WAS altered. aud
he felt there WAS no possibility of follow
ing the steps Of his father and grand
father as dealers in groceries, Her speech
concerning the superiority of those who
had distinguished ancestry who had
never engaged in trade seemed to rlug
in his ears. III be a soldier" lie sud.
I'll go to the war. No one can despise
asoldier."
In imagination he saw himself staying
men like this Du Bots. He rode into the
ranks Of the enemy uuscathed. He
bears charmed life" he heard them
say, but knew that he feared nothing,
because the life in which Beulah had no
share had no value for him. He threw
himself back upon his pillow, rose in
imagination from the ranks to a captain
cy. was major colonel, major general,
fell asleep then ana dreamed that in
wild, smoke yelled contest he stood face
to face with Du Bots, the man whom
Beulah loved. Then-he never could re-
member what followed, but he awoke
determined to enlist.
The poor old father uttered a groan
when lie came home enc day and told
him that he had done so, but he felt
little thrill of pride notwithstanding.
But what vas done could not be I'M
done.
EFF wasn't too old I'd go along with
you" he said. "Td like you and me to
fight side by side. wonder eff they'd
take me-"
mo, no, dad" said Reuben. IN be
back soon"
Il shall pray for YOU" said old Spicer,
"bUt dunno rs I'm listened to-" He
was thinking of the prayers he had
offered to heaven that his boy and he
might never Iy parted And it had all
come TO this. H. knew why.
Just a pretty little girl, and there's
such lots of little girls" he thought;
"anl he's only got one old dad, living
on borrowed time, tCU, and fOnder OF
him than words can tell, and he amt
uothin' to him compared with one little
girl" But he babe his son godspeed,
and waved his large red handkerchief as
the regiment marched away. and stepped
20 the music little himself, and whistled
his way home, but his hair got winter
after that, and il was at breakfast time
next lAs.U!ng that black Sally noticed
for The FIRST tine that he was beginning
to 50. pu
rs for Bealah, she not been well since
the night Of the birthday party Not
well enough to see MIR Du Bots when he
called to say goo3Gy. and had been SC
gallant to her mu,ner that the Old lady
stood before the mNurt mirror Tor ten
minutes after he had gone, and said to
hprs,lT that she luu-f be wonderfully