Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-12-01
AN IDYL OF PEACE.

uOIllltIu
discussing the probability of receiving
mail from home by the next stage coach,
and other topics of incidental interest.
There was one chanting a Greek ode:
another warbling a French love ditty.
A sad homesick voice sang of Home.
Sweet Home" and a boyish tenor
hummed a catchy air from a comic
opera.
They were cowboys by adoption, not
by profession. Some Of them were in
search of health, others of change and
diversion. One was a pale sophomore
from an eastern university. First his
father had sent him to college to be
finished" Now the doctor had order
ed him to Texas to be finished" in
another way. He was a dear lad, and
they all loved him, and when they saw
him sinking into fits of gloom they rous-
ed him with a kindly raillery and made
him take part in their interests and
amusements. His name was fOndled
into sobriquet, Tommy Tucker the love
name these older men gave him. He
was only y, and a STRIPPING at that.
Give us a recitation, Tommy" said
one of the company; cts your turn.
Pipe up, boy"
Il don't feel like it, answered the boy
in low tone.
Feelings don't count here" said the
leader Of the little company, stirring up
the brands into showers of sparks that
sprang up into the star-lit atmosphere
above their heads.
You have heard all my selections"
objected the young man.
We'll, this is an encore. We can't
have them too often. Ladies and gen
l@men, there will now be a recitation by
Signor Thomasi Tucker. Absolute sill
ence is the greatest compliment you can
pay an artist. Proceed Tommy"
Il don't see any ladies; wait until they
arrive" mUrmured Tommy with faint
mirth.
Too long, Tommy. We must make
believe the angels have come. We
should die of old age if we waited for
their real presence. Attention, fellowS!"
Tucker lay full length on the stunted
forest grass, his arms under his head.
He had been looking at the solemn stars
and thinking of a young girl, the COM
paniOn of his bOyish years, who was
back in the far east. A pain that was
sharp and physical mingled with a re-
gret of the heart that was poignant
though intangible. His soul was full of
girlish sentimental longings tonight.
They filled his eyes with tears. Sudden
ly he began to recite in a low, husky
voice, full of the deep pathOs of passion
that most beautiful of all love ballads:
that most beautiful of all love ballads:
Algiers,
There was lack of wOmans nursing,
there was dearth of womans tears
The camp was spell-bound by the
charms of the monotonorls that made a
harmony with the murmur Of the pines.
Slow and solemn the words fell on the.
slUmbrous night air, The faces of the
group were tense in the weird freight.
The boy went on until he came to the
lines:
There's another, not a sister, in the
happy days gone by,
You'd known known her by the me1Ti-
ment that sparkled in her eye;
Too innocent for coQuetry, too proud
for idle scorning;
0, friend! [ fear the lightest hearts
make sometimes heaviest mourning!"
Then he stopped and cOughed so long
that the men were alarmed. but the
paroxysm passed and he began again:
Tell her the last night of my life"
Tommy, let up-we can't stand it."
interrupted the leader; its enough to
make a man forswaar the day he was
born"
''Or bless it." answered Tommy, and
he repeated in these clear tones of his
the words that voiced the secret of each
listening heart:
There's another, not a sister, in the
happy days gone by,
You'd have known her
Boys, this is too much for me- blub-
bered a big fellow from Harvard, who
had lung trouble and was herding cat
tie for his health; 1T breaks me all up.
Let's have q jolly good song-something
that will take off the effect. I'm bluer
then indigo
But when the song was sung the same
somber influence crept over them.
It's that fellow from the Rhine" said
the Harvard senior. Say, Tucker,
where were you taught that solemn
delivery of yours? 1t may be artistic,
but it's the most narrowing style Of
elocution 1 ever heard"
Its my own, and I'm thinking of
getting it patented" answered Tucker
with a dreary little laugh.
'Why didn't you raise your voice,
Tommy?' asked one of the boys.
ga dying man would not raise his
voice." answered Tucker lightly, and
there was a silence save for signing in
the pines.
The next day there was a great sur
prise in the camp. 1t came through
Tommy Tucker, who was being finished
for good this time.
Boys" he said, as they stood around
him, you know now why you all felt
so blue when 1 gave you that recitation
last night. Who was it said a dying
man can do nothing easy? But it was
true to art, boys, the art Of the dying
soldier. Come closer, boys-cloSer-I
can't see you-are you all here"
They answered cheerily that they
were all there and smiled on him, even
while they gulped down great sebs that
told of their love for the boy.
Suddenly his eyes opened wide with
look of glad exultation in them, for he
heard as he lay there with his ear to