The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-24
Selected Storp.
Thompson OF Ours.

the Ii or and shOrtenS The temper; that
comes whisting round your mud hut
with nortLw west wind from off the
shows, and cracks the shrlveled skin
off you like old parchment.
The colonel blew on his fingers,
howed for fresh wood to be piled upon
the fire aud I, II to the contemplation of
his thumb, which was frost-bitten.
Before him upon the table lay the
loathsome sheets of foolscap known
as the " Annual Confidential Reports"
Some of these were already filled 10,
some blank as vet. Each was headed
by the name Of an officer, and fringed
by the impertinent personal riddles set
yearly for commandants to answer.
Now, even when forced 10 look from
the point of view Of disapproval upon
any one of his boys" this honorable,
kindly English gentleman held the svs-
tenn of confidential disparagement in
horror. But really this morning, what
with the cold, and the maggots in the
rice which had put HIM off his break
fast, and the extraordinary delay 10 the
mail letters, he felt inclined to scold
every man of them, himself included.
With roaring blizzard searching your
blood, and nothing decent TO eat, you
don't feel like certifying that every soul
under your command is remarkable for
all qualities that go to make saints upon
earth.
Anyhow, the colonel did not feel like
it. He began turning over the she cts
with that sickly, languid feeling of re
volt with which monotony in its unplea,-
ant forms is apt to inspire one after
long years OF patient grind. He hated
these grim skeleton sketches in black
and white. 1t was always the same
thing-the same weary struggle to
combine strict truth with fair words, TO
put Yes" where it ought to be mo"
and "No" where it ought to be Yes"
For were they indeed - all these
youths-zealous in well doing, all tai
ented, all tactful, all Of equable temper?
Had they every one of them been en-
bowed from their cradles with unuat-
ural sagacty and aptitude for com
mand? Were they, in short, ready
made generals from the moment they
entered the service. Alas, mol The
colonel's eye wandered to his crippled
thumb again and then back to the
sheets under his other hand, and pres
emily fell upon a certain name heading
one of them. Whereupon he cursed
the authorities in his heart for pack
of fools, and sighed. Ii was Thomp-
son-Lieutenan William Thompson
known by the name of " Billy"
The colonel took it in his hand and
sighed again. There was not one, or
hardly one, of those cut aud dried
questions that could be answered grace
fully yet conscientiously as regarded
this young man. I" l could describe
him in three words" groaned the
colonel: harum- scarum young devil"
Then, for he liked the lad, he began
to wonder how on earth he was TO fill
up that report. He was keen soldier
himself, and, if the truth be told. had
partially for the type 30 pithily de-
sciibed in those three words. He would
rather have such with him in the field
than some othersfor whom, perchance,
more could be said on paper. OF such
he knew was the kingdom of heroes.
The ghosts of many haunting TRACE
dies came crowding into the old SOL
dier's mind as he sat lingering that in
fernal paper. Did any of these harsh,
moral photographs of them, with
"Yeses " and Noes" in the most I'M
becoming places, lie rotting still per.
haps in the adjutant generals offices?"
He got up shivering and kicked the
logs into blaze, then returned with
stern determination to the study of the
vexed questions in hand What could
he say for Billy Thompson? The lad
had the temper of bull terrier, the
tact and judgment of Newfoundland
puppy and about as much ability and
requirement as the average schOolboy.
The thought of Billy Thompson as or
namented with the complete list OF
Confidential Report" virtues was no,
thing less than grotesque.
He glanced down the list. Why,
that very morning he had spent bad
half-hour in wigging the youngster for
shortcomings in almost every item
Late again for parade. Violent with 6
Sepoy. Hadn't the faintest notion OF
his drill, and so on.
"What on earth am l to say for you
sir?" he had asked angrily, tapping the
bundle of Incorporating papers a
which Billy glanced with rueful despair
in his honest eyes. "You are dis.
tinctly careless, wanting in tact, use
less at office work-what's the use Of
complaining of your writers, sir-inat
tentive and argumentative. Ride? OF
course, and that's about all you're fl
for. That and tennis, but unluckily
these won't advance you in your pro
fession, nor gain you respect, nor fl
you for command"
Then the colonel had stolen look a
the frank, bright face, and thought TO
the milliOnth time how ridiculous it al
was. The lad was honorable and brave
Why not trust to time and training Il
do The rest? He wanted tight hant
over him, of course, but why be forcec
to send up nasty disparaging repor
of him to headquarters?
Somehow the colonel could not fine
it in his heart to do it, and was still
worrying over it when telegram wa
brought in addressed ITO the Office
commanding" This was followe
shortly by knock at the rough doc
opening outward on to the cold, vino
swept inclosure, struggle to shut tn
and Toll lnnEins, of IN