The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-05-27
OLD BEN'S MEMORIAL.
STORY OF A VETERAN WHO WAS NOT
FORGOTTEN.
A Sad and Lonely Heart Cheered by Kind
Acts of Comrades-The Company saluted.
Tokens of Good wiii-Honored Guest Mt
the Feast-The Old Mana soiiioquy.


they oomel Drums a-rollin, flies a-tootin,
and there breaks the whole band into a
great swell o. music. Well, they've got a
right; they've got right
you've sat here nigh an hour waitin
fur 'em, haven't you. Old Benz An now
here they come troopin' along, the old mar
tial swing In their steady tramp, an-oh,
Lord There's Old Glory JUS as brave an
true as ever My how she floatsl Hoorayl
Hoorayl
What would you do, Old Ben, without
the comfort o. talkin TO yourself? The
dear Lord knows 'twould be hard lines II
you couldn't get somethin consolin out o.
that Some old vets would think IL ruther
tough ben reduced TO havin just them
selves fur company, but we're on toll rable
good terms with ourself, ELI, old comradeY
We've fought some pretty stiff battles to-
gether since the war, that's a fact, but
we've tried TO have good courage and keep
on the right side, an we threaten TO pull
through with whole soul yet, eh, old
boyP
Course things would "a been very differ
ent If that bullet hadn't "a stopped at little
Ben down there in the Wilderness long In
'63. Young Ben he KEEP close by Hooker
all through till one day there come confu-
sion an dismay, an one o poor Jackson's
troopers sent somethin singin right at the
heart o. my Ben.
II say poor Jackson, fur Lord knows
class 'em all together now. And that's n
good deal fur me To say-a good deal fur
me TO say. But blieve white souls with
the holy name patriot on 'em went up TO
the throne o. God out o. northern ranks
an southern ranks an I've got an idee
A. III, 81 l.. -
that no strife o. men nor clash % arms can
ever disrupt or disband-no strife O. men
nor clash o. arms can ever disrupt or dis
band-never.
But little Benz Les see, he were 90
when that last mornin o. all the world
seemed to come. There amt ever been
real bright, old fashioned sunshiny day
since then; not one, has there now, Benz
"Ah, this musicl It's got the same
stirrin old ring that marched some O. us
through Georgia an along miles an miles
o. weary trampin elsewhere, the very ring,
only it's slower today, a good deal slower,
an-oh, Lord, again Here comes Com
p'ny H. My, how they step off An
why, they re gettin upward o 80, / should
say. Can't be young Ben would "a looked
like that, can it? Gettin real gray is
Comply Ii, real gray. Lord bless 'em
forevermore! They re a good age to lean
on little. Don't look like men to let
their old fathers come to want rs they go
down toward the time for taps to sound.
All, we'll, God Almighty's good.
"Hah What's thisY Why, see here,
old Ben, one o. these comrades marchin
by must "a rec nized you or else took you
fur some one he knew, fur here's little
trim bouquet swung right into your lap as
you sit here on the burial lot steps. Now,
i call that sweet
"Hah, again. What's this? A big,
gen rous package o. fine cutl Thatll
send some o. your lonesome nominations
off in soothin smoke, old Ben, an Lord
bless the giver
WELL what's got Comply ZIP Salutin,
every blessed mothers son o them Get
up, old man, an salute back. Now they re
burstin into a grave, hearty cheer. Oh,
Lord l can't stand it'll 1 can't Where'll
l goY Where'll go2
"There, they've got past an I'm glad o.
it, though their gifts an their cheerin did
me good-dd me good. III like to think
o IL back in my room in the home tonight.
They have to excuse my turnin my back
on 'em an rubin my sleeve crost my eyes,
but got "a notion they'll understand.
must IA threw me, cute little specimen
O. Old Glory, with u silver lookin band an
roll tucked in at the top. Get out your
glasses, Old Ben, an les see what printed
here. Roll o. Honor o. Comply H
Now, that's fine-hnel Somethin else to
examine an talk over when we re- all alone.
What a help it'll be-
''Gettin tired, old manP Well, it's bout
time To go. Here comes soldier hurryin
this way. Wonder if he's lost anythingf
He looks kinder eager. One o. Comply
Ii again. I'd know that badge in king
dom come. Eth, goin to have coffee and a
nice lunch at the armoryp All the boys
say / must Gomez Well, that's good
strong arm you offer an old man. Don't
see how can refuse, but I'll have to go
slow, my boy-I'il have to go slow.
Evening. Back in our room, at the
home, Old Pen, all tired out, but pleased
for all that, pleased and comforted TO the
very marrow. 1t doesn't take so very
much TO reach an old mans heart does
itP / wouldn't "a b'lieved the comp'ny
would "a stuck to Its oolors all these years
In the way o. remembrance an loyalty for
a fallen oomrade the way IL has. Cropped
out right royalty when they come on to the
poor old father sittin on forlorn, with only
himself fur a companion.
what cheer they raised an how their
little gifts come flyin spontaneous right at
the old mani And at the table, Lord,
they'd "a given us the whole spread II
we could "a held 1.-THE whole spread,
wouldn't they, Benz
well, we've done our best all this long
while to keep our courage up-can't help
repeatin that. Mother, she didn't stand
IL so very long. Bein a woman, she
couldn't go out into the world an partly
forget her sorrow tryin to engage In busi-
ness. An then, b'lieve there's somethin
about mother that loses her only child
that's diff rent In some respects from any
other grief. Once her hearts broke that
way she's never quite herself again-never.
She may go roun the house smilin an
tryin to interest herself In what's goin on
an takin up bravely what comes In the
way O. duty, but there's room In her
deep heart that's filed with sacred pres
ence, an she lives there a good part o. the
rest o. her life.
But there's somethin amazin DRAWN
an soul inspirin keeps comm over me ev'ry
time think o. that spry steppin soldier
comm back lookin fur Ine-me, just as I'd
,hout concluded tho dav's parada xvas ovar