The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-07
"THE SOLDIER TRAMP"

Yer honor, | plead guilty, I'm a hummer;
dom deny tho cop here, found me drunk,
don't deny that through the whole long SUM
Tho snn- warmed earth has been my only bunk.
! Amt been Abic fur to earn y liyin',
A man with ono lsR planted In the tomb.
Can't got = iob--an' I've = strong mipgivin'
'Hont bein' coopod up In II soldiers homo.
"Whnr did / lose my Lon at spottsylyanis.
Perhaps you've read about that bloody tighta
Bat then, guess the story won't restrain se
From doing what Tic ! . " ssts down ~ right,
And 40 fur drunk we'll, all mon have their
And. judge, I xuess I've had my lawful portion
Of rough OK periance in prison vaults.
An al ths boys II ray done what's right
Their ain u man kin tuy that Abrsm i,urgoy Nj
War ever found ah irlfing II : tight.
night ,Hh IN H. he ~ rn. fris,,iul rsar o. battle H.
darksoIne wood,
Amid the finding smoke and musket's rattle
You'd always find me doin' the best l could.
eve mad a brave OF fellow for a colonel.
We called INN sweety, but his name was
BuesL-- # ~ osA - ~
Why, Judge, l swoar II by the Great Eternal.
That brave oil Gus. would rather fight than eat;
And you could bet yer bottom dollar
In battle Sweet d nc Yor hunt y trenr--
He'd allus dash into the front an holler-
Brace up, my gallant boys, and follow me-
well. Just afore the Spottsylvania battle.
I tell you. Abs, faint many things II rattle
A tough oil weather-beaten cuss like me-.
But In my very soul I've got \ fealin'
An faint no use for mo TO be concealin'
The skittish thoughts that in my bosom pay.
"'For many years you've been my neighbor.
Bursey.
And have allus found you squar' and true;
RaNk In Onr Hftia town in OIL New J0rfGY N
NO one has got II better name than you
An, now | want yer promise, squarly given,
An you yourself are left among the living,
You'l take ms back an lay me by my wife,
We'll, Judge, tina. day amidst the most internal
An desperate bloody tight ever seed,
Way up in front | saw the DARN colonel.
Throw up his hands and tumble off his steed;
An seeing that he wasn't killed outright
l loaded him upon my back and bore him
Some little distance back out o the tight.
THE blood from out : ghastly wound was flow
An, 50 !, .natched the shirt from off my back.
10 die unless l held that red tide back.
And purity soon [ seed he was reviving.,
An heard him whisper: ABE. you've saved
Yer oil wool shirt, along with your oontrivin'.
Has kept me from that grave beside my Wife
JNAECs WAi1AQ J. 6UoOA ~ SCSANV AAAA1A
scheming
Tn how to get him in a DOCTORS care,
A ten-pound shell toward US come screamin'
Just like 4 ravin' demon in the air;
An when it passed l found myself a lynn
Across oil Sweety's body, an l sec
That tarnnl she'll that by us went a flying
Had TUX my log along for company.
Well, judge, that's al, 'cept when tho war was
over
l found myself q cripple, an since then
I've been a sort of shiftless. worthless rover.
But Just as honest as the most o men;
l never stole q dime from living mortal,
Nor never harmed a woman, child nor man.
I've simply been a buma an hope the courtn
Be just as easy on me as ii can"
Then spake the Judge: such helpless, worth
less creatures
Should never be allowed to bum and beg;
Your case, tbs true, has some redeeming feat
ures,
For in your country's cause you lost a leg;
And yet ! feel the earth needs an example
To check the tendency OF mento roam
The sentence is that all your life your camp IL
BE in the best room in my humble home"
The soldier sta%red-dumb, silent as a statue,
Then in y voice Of trembling pathos said:
Judge, turn your head and give me one look at
you; .
That voice is like an echo from the dead
Then forward limped-his grimy hand extended
While tears adown his sunburned cheeks did
roll,
And said, with slang and psthos strangely
blended,
why, Colonel sweety, darn your brave old
soul!'