Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-05-29
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 will-Honored Guest at
the Feast-The Old Mans soliioquy.

they comet Drums a-rollin, flies a-tootin,
and there breaks the whole band into q
great swell o. music. Well, they've got IA
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 Hooray
Hoorayi
What would you do, Old Ben, without
the comfort o. talkin to YOURSELF The
dear Lord knows 'twould be hard lines If
you couldn't get somethin consoln out o.
that. Some old vets would think T. ruther
tough bein reduced to havin Just them
selves fur company, but we're on tol'rable
good terms with ourself, Ell, old comrade?
We've fought some pretty stiff battles to-
gether since the war, that's fact, but
we've tried to have good courage and keep
on the right side, an we threaten to pull
through with "a whole soul yet, eh, old
boy2
"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.
81 say poor Jackson fur Lord knows l
class en- all together now. And that's a
good deal fur mo to say-a good deal fur
me to say. But b'lieve 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
there's "a grand Union o. souls up there
that no strife O men nor clash o. 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 30
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 music! 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, good deal slower
an-oh, Lord, againl Here comes Com
pny II. My, how they step off An
why, they're gettin upward o. 90, l should
say. Can't be young Ben would "a looked
like that, can 1t? 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 as they go
down toward the time for taps to sound
All, vol, God Almighty's good.
'Hah! What's thisS 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 a little
trim bouquet swung right into your lap as
you sit here on the burial lot steps, Now,
| call that sweet.
"Hah, againl What's thisP A big,
gen rous package o. fine cutr That'il
send some o. your lonesome nominations
off in soothin smoke, old Ben, an Lord
bless the giver
well what's got Comply HIP Salutin,
every blessed mothers son o. theml Get
up, old man, an salute back. Now they're
burstin into a grave, hearty cheer. oh,
Lord can't stand It'll l can't Where'n
goS Where'll go9
There, they've got past an m glad O.
it, though their gifts an their cheerin did
me good-did me good. I'll like to think
o it back in my room in the home tonight.
They II have to excuse my turnin my back
on 'em an rubbin my sleeve crost my eyes,
but got notion they'll understand.
Now, here's somethin else one o. them
must "a threw me, IA cute little specimen
o Old Glory, with IA silver lookin band an
a 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 flne-flne Somethin else to
examine an talk over when we're all alone.
What help it'll be.
"Gettn tired, old mani Well, it's bout
time 10 GO Here comes soldier burryin
this way. Wonder if he's lost anything?
He looks kinder eager. One o. Comply
ii again. I'd know that badge in king
dom come. En- goin to have coffee and a
nice lunch at the Armory? All the boys
say l must conner Well, that's a good
strong arm you offer an old man. Don't
see how l can refuse, but I'll have to go
slow, my boy-i'il have to go slow"
Evening"" Back in our room, ut the
home, Old Ben, all tired out, but pleased
for all that, pleased and concerted to the
very marrow. 1t doesn't take SO very
much to reach an old mans heart, does
it, l 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
fallen comrade the way it has. Cropped
out right royalty when they come on to the
poor old father sittin on forlorn, with only
himself fur companion.
What cheer they raised, an how their
little gifts come tiyin 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
1t so very long. Bein woman, she
couldn't go out into the world an partly
forget her sorrow tryin to engage in bust
ness. An then, 1 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 a room in her
deep heart that's filled with a sacred pres
ence, an she lives there good part o. the
rest o. her life.
But there's somethin amazin drawin
an soul inspirin keeps comm over me ev'ry
time l think O. that spry steppin soldier
comm back lookin fur Ine-me, Just as I'd
bout concluded the days parade was over
Come to lead me to banquetin hall, l
a-leanin on his arm. Seems to be some
thin familiar bout 1t all, oh, Old Benz
just as you've sat dreamin SO many
times that there'd come before long a real
bright old fashioned, sunshiny day, when
Old Bon, all tired out, would think the
long parade-life's toilsome march-'bout
over. An then, all at once, out from
sh1n1n ranks there'd come a Voun0 soldiar