The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-10
HIS DREAMCAMETRUE
A summers midday.


The warm southern breeze gently
smootnes the bearded cheek of the undulat-
ing wheat and rustles among the whisper
ing leaves of corn.
An old sorreI farm horse indolently crops
the tall timothy in the fence corner. He is
attached to an old-fashioned shovel plow.
But the pillow is lying idly on its side among
the potato vines that hedge the oornfield
round about, and the loosered bride rein
bangles against the sorrsps ears.
Now and then vigorous stamping of
hoof or swaying OF the head attests the
animals disgust as to certain pestiferous
yellow flies that alternately attack his legs
and throat. Otherwise the swish, swish
of the bitten grass and the rhythmic swaying
OF the corn are the only sounds distin-
guishable upon the summer air. The
myraid floating f1ecks of thistle doWn
noiselessly join the golden spray from the
nodding tassels and soar aloft with mill
ion Intangible atoms to fall in lanes and
burrows, while as many distinct and yet
comminglipg perfumes, the daily output of
grass and grain, assail the senses of all
animate things.
In q freshly turned furrow between the
corn rows near at hand lies youth at full
length. The dirty brown feet and legs
protrude ostentatiously from the short aud
simple blue overalls; the shock head of
neutral, sunburned hair rests upon an arm,
while the disengaged hand burrows in the
soft. warm earth. The soiled cotton shirt
is flung open at the throat, the cheap chip
hat has rolled away. & 1t is the figure of q
boy OF twelve; yet the face is that of bud
ding manhood.
A curious mound of earth is in front of
him-a miniature fort, with trench, trav-
erse. parapet, redoubt upon redoubt, en-
brasure above embrasure. Rudeiy con-
structed of the recently turned loan, it mas
{ already begun TO crumble away in the dry,
hot atmosphere of midday, while the young
engineer lies unconscious beside his work
He dreams. And as he dreams the man
nlsh look comes into his Young face his
square jaws are set and his hands now and
then are clincheG. He mutters in his sleep,
and once cries aloud, so that the old sorreI
pauses in the process of maslication for a
moment and turned his white f6ce toward
the corn.
In this vision the youth had grown to
manhood. The old, dull, hated farm life
had faded into the forgotten past. He was
soldier. He had always longed and hoped
to be soldier. He had read the lives of
the great military heroes, pored over the
romantic adventures of the soldier of fic-
ton and often sighed when he thought of
the peaceful era and unmilitary country in
which he lived Now, here at last he wore
uniform, slept in tent and cooked at a
camp tire. There were thousands of other
soldiers around him everywhere. Through
his boyish dreams had long f1oated the I'M
substantial shadow of marches and drills
and battles, the glistening steel of bayonets,
the clang Of arms, the roll of drums al d
the rumble of artillery. Now he was q
real soldier. He pinched himself for fear
| IL was only another dream
| IN &c rriN
Old schoolmates and playfellows could real
1ze his future! He would carve out name
for himself that they woulu delight one
day to honor. He was not exactly clear
just low he had become soldier or whom
ne was expected to fight, but this fac,
didn't bother him. He found him ELI
marching. 1t was a vast moving army
they marched and marched and marched
/ lie was tired almost to death but there
was 10 halt. He was terribly thirsty, but
there was no water. He thought he would
die OF thirst, and he remembered his
mothers we'll and the jug of cool water il
the shade OF the fence corners at home
Suddenly he was lying in the same kind
OF fence corner on the edge Of a cornfield
his gun poked through between the rails
The roar of battle was around him, the
enemy was In front of him. The latter
came steadily on, pouring lead and iron a:
rades struggled; in vain the hurted sho
and shrieking shell. The foe came on and
on. The cries of the wounded and groan.
OF the dying rose high and soul piercins
above the din OF battle. The enemy were
now coming on in run, close, nearer aud
nearer. just then he felt sharp pain il
his side. He fell in one of the corn fur
rows, bullet through HE body, while the
foe, with one wild yell and crash O.
masketry plunged through toe line of bat
tie and trampled him into Inconsistencies
In the excess OF his terror the boz
aWakes with the cold perspiration startipI
from every pore. The old sorrel, satiatet
with fence corner diet, has turned abou
into the corn, and, after smashing down
half dozen hills, finally stumbles over TN
somnolent youth.
DO you believe in dreams?
II you do not then stop right here.
For this Is no fancy sketch. l was tina
boyish dreamer.
Now, there are dreams and dreams
those which leave not wreck behind an
those which leave an impression whic
time cannot easily efface. 1t was many
long day OF twen;y-four hours before TO,
} got that dream l have here briefly sc
| down. Not that supposed for an instan
, mat IL was to be in any way associate
with my future life. / was but farmer
; lad Inc great rebellion which followe
: SIX years later had probably not been eve
dreamed o. by my elders. The idea that
: would ever be soldier had never crosse
my youthful imagination. was GORGE
with military and naval stories. hut thai
: would ever bear musket and bayonet
battle no more occurred m mo +hS- :. L