Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-02-16
SELECTED STORIES.
An UNLUCkY NINg. A LITTLE SOLDIER.

We were all boys when the war began,
or rather "broke out, 4" TO use the common
phrase. OF course everything connected
with it was Of interest TO us Not one
was too small 10 feel the enthusiasm which
swept the whole country. The baby In its
nurses arms would be seen with a flag IN
Its hand; the toddling boy would have a
lath To represent q sword or a tobacco
stick for musket.
The Oldest Of us was Richard, or Rich,
as we affectionately called him. He was
10. though rather small for that age. At
the sight Of a soldier his eyes glistened.
We had looked on with pride once when
a member OF the captains company, dur
Ing pause In the exercises, had lent Rich
his musket and put him through some OF
the movements. "He'll make a soldier be-
fore very long" the man said. "Ain't
quite tall enough yet to get out of mud
hole II he falls In marching long the
road. Rich WINGED little at this, but
felt all right when another soldier said:
"Boys like that amt got no better sense
AN TO hight. Yankee got to kill 'em or Grip
Pile 'em once 10 stop 'em fighting"
This and much more was said, all OF
which was marked by US and report OF II
made when we got home that day. Child
as was, there IL one thing / still remem-
Der about it. When II was told at the
table where we were ali seated, happened
to look from Rich's proud face to his moth
er's, and saw on II such look of sadness
that 1t perplexed me until was old enough
to know what it meant.
Ina month Rich was To become soldier
Time never crept more slowly than IL did
through those 80 days, so Rich thought,
though do not think that his mother
thought 80. No lover ever counted the days
when his sweetheart was TO be his bride
more anxiously than Rich counted those
days. At last the day came. We were all
to see him off, and our cousins from the
ghborhood were assemb bled TO dine with
the young soldier. Uncle Billy led the sor-
rel colt up to the gate. IL was Planet
colt, and Rich had broken IL himself, not
without several falls, however. The blan.
ket rolled up behind the saddle looked very
soldierlike. Rich kissed all the girls and
shook hands with us boys. We felt that
we were IN the presence OF hero. The
last person he said goodby to WAS his moth
or. wondered then why she held him so
long IN her arms and still more why there
were tears in her eyes. l remember that
all she said when she let him go was, "Be
a good boy, my darling and say you
prayers" She knew as well as we did,
80 we thought, that Rich would be good
soldier and would kill whole lot of Yam.
KEGS and come back home general.
We had finished supper and were all to-
gether In the little room and were having
a good time. We were listening to one Of
Cousin Fanny's ghost stories, and Rich .
mother, who had been going In and out
doing thousand things, had just taken
her seat, for she said she wanted to hear
the story too
The fire was so low that she leaned oven
to count the stitches on her needle and
heard her say-but that was because was
30 close TO her and was leaning on her
shoulder when she whispered IL TO herself
with heavy ss~valry boots It will take
10 more stitches" And just then the door
opened. and there before us was Rich s
ghost. knew II was ghost and did not
find out that II was Rich until he threw
himself into his mothers arms and burst
out crying. Then / knew it was not a
ghost, for Cousin Fanny alwaya said a
ghost did not shed tears.
And this was the way It happened: As
Rich was riding merrily down the road
and was about 70 Rallop across the bridge,
which he would not have done except that
he was so anxious TO get To the army, two
men stepped out and said "What are you
In such hurry about, sonnyi Seen any
Yankees" And Rich said no; he only
wished he could. Then one Of the men
said, GOOD many Of 'em about, amt
therei" And Rich said, "They better not
be about where our men are, for they
won't be there long" "Why notf" asked
the man. And Rich said, Cause well
drive them away" But the biggest man
said, "Maybe they are like that colt that
amt got any collar mark on him and
won't drive" But Rich said: "Yes, they
will, and Pm going over to help drive
them now. And haven't got any more
time to lose, and / must GO"
But the man with the blue overcoat on
said, "Sonny, you can drive 'em fast
enough on foot and don't need horse, 30
get down" At first Rich said he wouldn't,
but the point Of the bayonet looked very
sharp and was so close to his face.
So Rich got down. But he told the man
he would report him to General Lee; that
General Lee was his mothers cousin. But
the man said General Lee was great
friend OF his and said Rich must give his
love to General Lee and tell him his friend
Charles Demoines from Iowa sent his love
to him.
Then It came to Rich for the first time
that the Yankees had him, and that he
was prisoner. He wondered what they
would do with him. Would they march
him off to prison, or would they carry him
before their general, like the soldiers did
the young Roman In history
He did not have to wait long though,
for one OF the men got OH Rich s colt and
rode away very fast, and the other man
said to Rich: lbs time boys like you was
In bed. Le' me see how fast you can drive
long that road you Jest come and give
my love to General Lee when you see him. I"
-Roawall Da0a A., phiIaJalpb;a Draoa