The National tribune., 1895-02-14
AgzlgiEIk'ESsH- :!
s in oupow
Written for THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
BY FRANK RosSER.


mild September night has again spread
her sable mantle upon our side of EARTH ant
we stand with 10000 others upon the Vet
eTans' Reunion camping-ground in a south
ern Kansas city. We come to meet and tall
with our old war comrades-especially
those of Co. E, - Cav.
The old musician takes down his bugl,
10 sound tattoo" The notes from his IN
strument are not so clear and perfect as h'
made them so years ago, and an occasiona
balk is slurred over. HIS comrades are
pleased, ana all say at once:
Why, Bill, you blowd it jest right
'Zacily like you used to-"
But Bill knew he had not, and he only
said
Most forgot; haint tried hit afore for SC
many years"
Further down the row of tents six men
sit around little campfire, whose dying
embers, famed by the gentle br-ezes, cast
fitfnl CLEANS OF light, that rest for a mo-
ment upon their grizzly hair and boards.
Thirty years have glided by, recording
their joys and sorrows upon the lives OF
these old men since they had sat together
by mess-chest and campfire
Thirty years ago, when the war was over
and their discharge papers were handed 10
them by the musterlng-out officer, there
were IL members of original Co. E; to-
night there were six There are none
others in camp tonight; none are scouting
none ioraging; none on guard; there are
none 10 come into camp from anywhere any
more-forever.
Since the company's organization in Mis-
souri,, in one OF her beautiful cities, nearly
4 L.
calls had sat by her campfres-all just as
brave, just as true as the six who sit here to-
night, IL may be, in her last assembly.
All, Time-the relentless leveler, the great
est soldier of afl-had laid his bony fingers
upon the brow of each. Yes, Time had
wrought his changes. hut he had not yet
made strangers Of these aged veterans.
Why is it that reckless, good-natured
Allis Roe seems not to hear, when asked if
he married his old girl when he went home
from the war?
If the gloom of sadness lies not upon his
soul, why is it that the bravehearted Hardy
of old now turns his face away from the old
boys, as he steps into the little tent near by,
ostensibly for his pine? What is it he
dashes from his eyes? He places live
coal upon his pipe. while his gaze seems to
..
Well, Stallin1," he said, "whar on the
earth did ye stop after the war; or did We
stop at alp What ever become Nv yer
pardner, Mart Pearson? Yer know we all
used to ray you an Mart would get married
after the war an live together. Mart was a
good, brave boy, he was; an / rec0llect
/ used 10 think lat he jest went in like as ef
be wanted to be killed the fust one. Some
h.sr- -
hard hit when that little gal, the Cap'u's
sister, went off home up in 1llinoy or Mis-
soury with her ma an all at onct up an
married citizen duffer. Ye certainly re-
member when she were visitin' her brother,
the Capin. She boarded over to the hotel
whar most Nv the officers wives stayed
when we wuz at Camp Davidson; must "a
been in '63. Let Is see; what wuz her name?
don't see how I could forgit il. Some Nv
yer ought TO rec'lect. Ii wuz Ei-EilIa-yes,
ELLA Strehor. Course you all reclect him
Jim Strebor. He wuz Fust Lieutenant
when our fust Cap'n wuz killed. Come,
Stalling. tell us bout you an Mart. ] heard
more N year ago bout him a-bein' dead,
but that wuz all we could ever hear"
Several comrades join in Hardy's request
for Jark Sialling to tell them of himself
and their old comrade, Mart Pearson. But
poor old tender-heartcd Hardy d not wish
TO listen just yet, and went Oh TO say:
You must rec'lect Mart thought a pow
erfnl signt NV that little gal-an' she wuz a
purity little thi1g-so sweet an innocent
lookin'! Don't yer rec'lect Mart wuz always
gittin' another boss an n side-saddle? Well.
Mart an that little gal would take the
longest rides-all round in the country;
hfl IN ~ a mr.
know'd it-uv course he did but he kuow'd
Mart, too. He knOwd Mart WIZ irue-blue
an straight as a string, an powerful quick
an dead-sure with his pistols She'd Just
come up an talk to all us boys, an joke an
laugh but it always ended up by her goin'
10 Mart an goin off with him ridin' OF
walkin'; an i tell yer ef she didn't love
Mart Pearson better'n anybody else in the
world, it's curious, cause Jim Rule, twas,
b'lIeye, an George Ford, were up at the
depot, am L weren't fur away, when she
started away TO her old home. Mart was
thar, too. He wuz standin' right ia front
NV her on the platform nv the car with his
soldier-cap in his ham an his big, bansome
eyes lookin' right iHtO her OVID Nhatd
she do, did you say? 1t was the last thing
saw, boys, but s'help me, she Jest
straighten'd her little self up right before
Cap'n an all NV 'cm at was thar. put her
arms round Mart's neck, and kissed him
twice. / saw Mart, too, as be swung his
great big arms round her shoulders like he
was goin' to take her away from the cars"
Jack Stalling-big Jack, we used TO call
him-was a Scotchman. kind and generous
He was always modest, and even now, in
his old days, disliked talking of himself
But the old boys must have history tonight
He began without preface, dates, or particu-
lars Of any kind.
Well, after we got out'n the army at Ma
con, | said we'll 20 home awhile, an we
went on down to st. Louis. Next day, when
twas time TO cross The river TO 60 up TO the
old home settlement, Mart went down to the
ferryboat with me an stopped an jest says:
Jack, when will you come back2 pll
wait for you here
begged him 10 so with me, but he only
said:
Not now, Jack; you know I have no.
body TO 20 10 see there now, an III Jest wait
here an be ready 10 go West when you re-
turn
II found Mart at the ferry landing, right
where i left him. Two months later we
were in the silver mining districts of Mex
leo, an next year, mebby, we'd be up in
Calilorny. We two Jest lived together all