The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-06-26

to Playl"
Here in the fields, everything is per-
missible-"
Remember that it is my birthday,
grandpapar'
"Hurrahl hurrahl Here is the cor
net!'
Eyes, now play"
"a waltz"
mo, polka!
Polka! away with you! A fandan
gol"
dancel"
81 am very sorry my children; but |
cannot possibly play the cornet."
you, so amiable!"
80 willing to please"
your little grandohild bcgs you to!"
And your niece"
leave me alone, for Gods sake l
have said that cannot play"
"Why not?"
Because do not remember; and be-
cause, moreover, have sworn not to
learn again"
ITO whom have you sworn?"
ITO myself and to some one who is
dead-to your poor mother, my child, my
child"
ing these words.
|; 'Ah! if you knew at what a cost l
learned to play the cornell" added the
old man.
1.-THE story! the story!" exclaimed the
young people. "Tell us the story"
I'm fact" said Don BasiliO, ''it is
quite story. Listen to it, and you may
judge if can or cannot play the cornet."
And seating himself under tree, sur
rounded by the curious and courteous
young people, he told the story of his
music lessons.
In the same way Mazzepa, Byron's
hero, related one night to Carlos XII,
beneath another tree, the terrible story
of his riding-lessons. Let us listen to
Don Basllio:
Seventeen years ago Spain was agitated
by the civil war. Carlos and Isabel were
disputing for the crown, and the Span
iards, divided into two bands, poured
out their blood in fratricidal struggle.
had friend, called Ramon Gamez,
| lieutenant of my battalion, the most
clever man that have ever known. We
were educated together; together we left
college; together we had been repri-
manded thousand times, and together
we desired to die for liberty. All! III
must say he was more liberal than l or
than any one else in the whole army!
But certain injustice had been done
by our chief to the hurt of Ramon; one
of those abuses of authority which dis
gusts one with the most honorable pro-
fession. This arbitrary act made the
lieutenant of the Cazadores desire to
s GonIV ~ T T I"ii ms " ms nLoCngIs, Sne
t 70 a., ieaSe Ile Irienu, Ghe noeral 10
lii iii" biS iientSnant oo o ST" PooU 20
MI ms ileuCeli s -copgneI' haihoh was
not nc IN the mood SO early IN the morning
" S SeaI insults . anu IN JusIice. g..
aeivner my CllIeaIs nor prayers were
sulncleIG 10 uissua9s MN IRON ms pur-
pose. ne Iau decided 10 change the
ne, lHr JIG cap "lVhough Tic aDhorreu
'ilS T reDes, ..,,. A., ,.
we "eTH wlIhih InFee leagues OF The
enemy ,I ". ~ ~ was y tne nignG IN Mhicn IA
mon was 70 ueserti cola, rainy night,
melancholy ana sac, the eve OF battle.
A9ouV TWO CLOCK Ramon entered my
'oISIns' .,o
t.n maS isie :,
,.i Rasli!o' ..o ne lnurniureu Ill my ear
,, VINO Is lG'
~ Is l. Auieu!
Ihou arr gong nowF
1es; a9leu. -, r.,,
anu selzihg my nahLd-Llsten, ne
VOhVihu0u' - Oh0iS SnOulu NC pdItle
Io-niorrow, as they thihk, ana we should
meet eg IN it-,. s-.,
cum, ulluersnanu: we are irlehds'
very Well We wiz embrace ana then
nHll' sliall ule III Ilie regular way 10,
morrow however, nope 70 IraImple all
antcolonel! AS LOT thee, baslllo, 10 not
expose Ghysell W uahBer-glory Is only
smoke -.
,,1 anu HIer
lhou arr rignt; MAKE myself com
Inanaer! eAclalIneu ramon Inc pay
is is not smoKeIuhtll aIIer one mas smoked
IT, An all tiiaI is ended Tor me! -,
WhaC SAD GnoughIS,, sald, not With
out Terror. we sHall ooth survive the
Da l,1t to-HorroW.
men let us arrange 10 meet alter 4;
ward ward, ~,
WnereT =
AT the San Nlc0las lnn' at one III the
morning Death alone shall prevent the [
meeting Let us agree 10 lt'' s
agreed.
Ihen-adleu! lC
"Adleu.
Having said tins, and after tenderly 7
embracing me, ramon disappeared INTO
une shauoWs Vi JIG hlBhC' "a
III. e
AS we hoped, the rebels attacked us
on the Following day r
The action was very bloody and lasted
from three in the afternoon till it grew
lark. About i've my battalion was
iercely attacked by force commanded a
by Ramon. Ramon now wore the badges G
1t commander and the white cap of the
Carlists.
gave the order to fire against Ramon,
md Ramon against me; that is to say,
MS men and my battalion fought hand to
hand.
We were victorious, and Ramon was 7
put TO flight with the small remnant Of :
MS force; but not without first having
himself killed with pistol-shot him who
ihe evening before was his lieutenant Z
colonel, and who in vain tried to defend
himself from the fury. Of Ramon. At six 4
)'clock the action took an unfavorable
urn, and and part Of my poor company 7
we're cut off and obliged to surrender. a
They led me to the little village Of, T.
which had been occupied by the Carlists b
'ince the beginning OF this campaign,
md where it was certain they would
ihoot me immediately. The war was d
hen without quarter. f
~. v
1t was one O'Clock in the morning after
hat melancholy day-the hour of my a
endezvous with Ramon Iii
was confined in the dungeon of the ii
public prison Of the enemy. | asked for a
ny friend and they answered me: HE
5 brave man! He killed a lieutenant
,oional but he npriglad durinO tba laet