The Republican journal., 1897-08-26
The Lost Beans.

At the recent 29th annual reunion of the
lilo 29th regiments of Maine volunteers on
Long Island Portland harbor, Miss Charlotte
Cutter read the following original selection
from the pen of her father, John E. Gutter. A
member of the regiment The Portland
Press says: "Miss Cutter showed herself to
be lady of considerable ability in the art
OF elocutlon and her rendering of the seec-
ton was listened to with great interest"
THE LOST BEANS.
Old Company K grew up in the woods
Where the sprucy gales in their roguish
moods
From the forest tops unwind the skein
That winter spins on the hills of Maine.
Well faithed and truthed their lives had
been,
And the forests gave them discipline
AS they learned the trend of its darkening
lines,
And felt the grace of its serried pines,
And they swung the axe with a stroke as
free
AS their fathers gave for liberty.
From the pages thumbed in the district
schools
They had learned, with the Fundamental
Rules"
OF Boston's tea, and of Lexington
And oft caressed with loving hands
L nc illAtCu lOGh VI Tile SAME Ola gun
That argued the case with the Briton
bands.
And their hearts We're latent with the fires
That burned in the lives of their stubborn
sires.
So when there was need of Company X
They shouldered their arms and marched
away.
But squad of other mould and grain
Was Company E. From the thoroughfare
OF the town they came, and from strife for
Where shrewdness wins from caliber,
And pulls at anothers tackle blocks
But they never shrank from the dryest
knocks.
Good soldiers, whom wars iron dew
Fell lightly on,-though notion loose
That strategy was for home use
Did stay with them the service through
Nlrglnlas winter, chill and gray,
Found Company E and Company X
Lined out by Rappahannocll flow
Some twenty years and more ago.
AS the fires glow, the hold within
Deep hid, while their hot energy
Drives the great ship through storm and
So burned the army; till again
The stars shone out from their blue field,
And all the charging crests We're stilled
But yalor oft on fancy beams,
And this most charmed the boys in blue, =
Best put the drills and marches through
To dream of home, and wake for beans.
Oh beans, as every soldier knows,
Back up right we'll patriots blows!
So oft came X with plate and cup
Where the fat kettles yielded up
Their glorious contents, and partook
(Wlth reverent homage to the cook y
One day the clouds in low hung flight
Almost shut out the better light
That silver-lines the thickest mists-
AS poets say, and moraists-
w hen X, with most substantial plan
For comfort of the inner man,
With patient care and loving wish
Was fixing for the favorite dish.
Pat Collins had dug an elegant hole
Where the ashes feathered the glowing coal
AS they settled the kettle, and covered it
With earth, piled top of the ''contraband'
door
From a neigboring barn then of good to be
They dreamed from taps to reveille.
Morn came, and called for Company X,
And they sought their beans, but found
dlsmayed
The door was off and the ashes strown
Round the vacant hole whence the beans
had flown,
And III grief of soul old X made moan.
The fantng sun hid his beams away,
And never rose till another day!
Oh, many grief the soldier knew,
And some We're worse than others but few
Can guess how it tries hungry man
When the coffee spills from the tipping can,
Or the kettle goes where the wood bine
twines,
And he sits in the cloud, while the good
sun shines,
Where Company E,-or crooked OF square,
Has beans for breakfast, right over there!
j, E. CUTTER
Company K, 29th Maine.