The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-21

Out ol VIC low WluuOW COulQ DO seen
three hickory trees placed irregularly in
IL meadow that was Respondent in
springtime green. Farther away the
old, dismal belfry of the village church
doomed over tho pines. y horse medi-
tating i'll the shade of one of the hick-
cries lazily swished his tail. Tho warm
sunshine made an oblong of vivid vel.
low on the floor Of the grocery store.
Gould you SEQ the whites of their
eyes?" said the man who was seated OIL
soap box.
Nothing of tho kind replied old
Henry warmly. Gust "a lot of fitting
figures. and lot go where they peared
to be the thickest. Bang!'
Mr. Fleming " said the grocer. His
defcrential voice expressed somehow the
old mans exact social weight "Mr.
Fleming, you never was frightened
much i'll them battles, was you?''
The veteran looked down and grin
! ned. Observing his manner the entiro
group Uttered. "Well, 1 guess l waa, +"
he answered finally, pretty we'll scared
sometimes. Why, in my first battle [
though the sky was falling down. [
thought the world was coming to an
end. You bet was scared. =
Every one laughed. Perhaps it seem
ed strange and rather wonderful to them
that man shOuld admit the thing, and
i'll the tone of their laughter there was
probably more admiration than if old
Fleming had declared that ho had al
ways been lion. Moreover, they know
that Inc had ranked as an GSderly Ser
geant, and so their opinion Of his hero
ism was fixed. None, to be sure, knew
how an orderly sergeant ranked but
then it was understood to be somewhere
just shy of a major generals stars So
when old Henry admitted that he had
been frightened there was laugh
Tho trouble was said the old
man, Il though they were all shooting
at me. Yes, sir, thought every man
i'll the other army was aiming at me i'll
particular, and only me. And it seemed
so darned unreasonable, you know.
wanted to explain 10 'en what an al
mighty good fellow / was, because |
thought then they might quit all trying
to hit me. But couldnt explain, and
they kept on being unreasonable-blim
-blam-bang! So rum
Two little triangles Of wrinkles ap-
pcared at the corners of his eyes Evil
IDENTIFY he appreciated some comedy i'll
this recital. Down near his feet how
ever, little jim, his grandson, was Wis
IDLY horror stricken. His hands were
clasped nervously, and his eyes were
wide with astonishment at this terrible
scandal-his most magnificent GRANDPA
Their telling such thing
THAT was at charlottesville. OF
course afterward got kind of used to
it. A man does. Lots of men, though
seem to feel all right from the start. L
did as soon as got OH to it, as they
say now, but at first I was pretty tius-
tered. Now, there was young Jim Conk-
lin, old ST COnklin's son-that used to
keep the tannery you none of you recol-
lect him-he went into it from the start
just as if he was born to it. But with
mo it was different. I had to get used
to it'll
When little jim walked with his
grandfather, he WAS i'll tho habit of
skipping along on the stone pavement
i'll front of the three stores and the hotel
of the town and betting that he could
avoid tho cracks. But upon this day he
walked soberly, with his hand gripping
two of his grandfnther's fingers. Some
times he kicked abstractedly at dandc-
lions that curved over the walk. ANY
one could sec that he was much trou-
blcd.
There's Sickles' colt over in the
medder, Jimmie said the old man.
Don't you wish you owned one like
him.
UNI said the boy, with Il strange
lack of interest. lie continued his re-
Elections. Then finally he ventured,
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES that true what
You was telling those menu
WHAT asked the grandfather.
'What was telling thcm:'
"Oh, about your running
why, yes, that was true enough.
Jimmie. Ii was my first fight, and
there was AN awful lot of noise, you
know
Jimmie seemed dazod that this idol,
OF It's own Will, should so totter. His
stout, boyish idcalism was injured.
Presently the grandfather said ::
Isl les colt is going for drink.
Don't YOU wish You owned Sicklcs' colt,
Jimmie"
The boy merely answered. "Ho amt
us nlco as cur'n." He lapsed then to
apo;her moody silence.
One of the hired mon, q Swedo, de-
sired to drive to the county seat for pur-
poses of his own. The old man loaned a
horse and an unwashed buggy. 1t APP
peared later that one of tho purposes of
tho Swedc was TO get drunk.
After quclllng some bosterous frolic
OF the farm hands and boys in the garnet