The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-05-28

nal sun HER MASTER HEARD, BUT
Shot here and HEEDED NOT.
there q golden beam.
It haloed now a fossy head,
Now gilt the races dancing foam.
Thus in the glowing Of the riffs
Jim looked his last upon his home.
Yet, as with measured martial tread
The long line climbed the hither hill.
And swept the curve that shut away
The calm and comfort Of the mill.
A mellow voice beside him spoke:
"Marse Jim, ain gwine say goodby.
I come fer AK you, fas' an sho,
Ter tell dem ginulmans ter try
An sen you home time coons is ripe.
I tell you, sub, dat puppy Bose
Gw1ne mex er dawg-barks lex er bell
An gut de ve'y fines nose.
Den I'm gwine haig you don git mad.
An let yo'se'i do muffin rash
Oar in Verginny when you gifts
Ter wrastlin Wild dem Yankee trash.
Tain nobody kin shoot LEX you.
Des you set back 'hine dat dar gun
An let her talk 'Bingl Bangl Bingl Bangi'
I bet she makes dem soljers run.
Unc' Ben. he say you'll wanter smoke.
He sont dis 'baccer, seben years ole.
Smell hit; hits lex dem gyarden flowers,
An yaller, bright as yaller gole.
took an made er corncob pipe:
Nanny, she cut de reed fer stem,
An say you make haste home ter dem"
"I will If God wills. Sam.'' Jim said and
| sished. s
Sam was his foster brother. Side by side
The black boy and the white had fought and
played,
Raced through the open. scrambled up the
| glade
Under white moons what time their dogs gave
tongue
| To fill the sky and make an old heart young;
Later, in manly skill and manly strength,
| The friendliest comrade rivals. All the length
OF each life held the others image clear.
promise me, Sam." Jim said. "that youll
stay here
| Till come back an keep things goin straight.
Father seems failin mighty fast Of late.
| And if-end i'll DON come back-why, then,
Treat my boys like your own an make 'em
men,"
j With eyes that could not lift for tears
Sam pledged husky word,
| And still the column forward swept,
| And still the banners stirred
| In dimpling watts Of tricksy air
Or streamed and snapped behind
When cheer on cheer went ringing clear
To greet a lusty wind.
"Deflel To right! Stack armsi Break ranks$'
! At last the buRles blew,
And no man faced his comrade then.
| For we'll each soldier knew
The train in wait might bear him straight
To find soldiers death.
They loved their cause, thrice loved their state.
| Yet choked and gasped for breath.
Battles! Jim hardly thought of them!
Big smoky blurs Of blood and flame!
But ah. how clear in memory shone
The days when Mary's letters came
| Sweet letters. breathing love and cheer
| And eloquent Of homely joys!
Now it was baby May g first tooth,
| Now the mad antics Of the boys.
"Sam does his work and yours" they said.
"And father, when the papers come
With news of victory, is like
| An old warhorse that hears the drum.
ssDown at the mill he talks all day
OF Jim. my boy that's out with Lee
| An goin ter stay thar ter the eend
I An show the grit O. Tennessee.
| They told how red the apples blushed,
How every fat field teemed with grain.
How mincingly the dear Lass stepped
With baby's hand upon her rein,
| And said, too, o~
| "Dear, I will c ~.
/ be brave
| And trust you, T -
!: ! / | !. !: !; !;
fighting for Nn
| our land, SYAM !
| To him who marks eS1 H\f
| the sparrow tXNf<E.
| fall 7k |NAS tNR
| And holds theSRSNN q IN AA1x"
| tempest in his fSNN(E1A \
| hand" NINNN \
| Dear letters, all too fWH NJ
| few and short! //JNA M ~
| Within year they LINK -NSGS<S
| came no more, w X T%
| For Tennessee in ~ MI
| length and
| breadth p
| Was vocal with the TO FIND A SOLDIERS
| cannon's roar. DEATH.
| Up every river, every plain.
The bluecoats came in flooding waves.
As winter waters rise amain
i Wha1, wild tho farnxoeSf Ger them