St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-10-12

fresh foes in merciless pursuit-who in
their turn were broken upon the front OF
the invalided brigade previously men-
toned, which had moved up from the
rear to assist in this lively work.
AS we rallied to reform behind our be-
loved guns, and noted the ridiculous
brevity of our line--as we sank from
sheer fatigue, and tried to moderate the
terrific humping of our hearts-as we
caught our breath to ask who had seen
such-and.such comrade, and laughed
historically at the reply-there swept
past us into the open field long regl-
ment with fixed bayonets and muskets
on the right shoulder. Another followed:
and another; two-three-four more
Heavens where do all these men come
from, and why did they not come before!
How grandly and confidently they 60
sweeping on, like long blue waves oil
ocean chasing one another to the cruel
rocks! Involuntarily we draw in our
weary feet beneath us as we sit, ready to
spring up and interpose our breasts when
these gallant lines shall come back to us
across the terrible field, and silt brokenly
| through amongst the trees with spout
| ing fires at their backs. We still our
breathing to catch the full grandeur OF
the volleys that are to tear them to
shreds. Minute after minute passes and
the sound does not come. Then, for the
first time, we note that the silence OF the
whole region is not comparative but ab,
solute. Have we become stone deaf
See, here comes stretcher-bearer ana
there surgeon! Good heavens! chap
lain!
The battle was indeed at an end.
XII.
And this was, o, so long ago! How
they come back to me-dimly and broken
", but with what magic spell-those
years OF youth when | was soldering
Again ] hear The far MARBLE OF blown
bugles. Again see the tall blue smoke
of camp-fres ascending from the dim val
leys OF Wonderland. There steals upon
nv sense the ghost of an odor from pines
that canopy the ambuscade. eel upor
nv check the morning mist that shrouds
the hostile camp, unaware OF its doom
and nv blood stirs at the ringing rifle
shot of the solitary sentinel. Unfamiliar
Landscapes, glittering with sunshine o.
sullen with rain, come to me demanding
recognition. pass, vanish and give plac
to others. Here i'll the night stretches
wide and blasted field, studded with hall
extinct fires, burning redly with know
not what presage of evil. Again / shud
der as note its desolation and its awlu
silence. Where was it? To what mon
! strous inharmonv of death was 1t tn
visible prelude? o, days when the wor
,, was beautiful and strange. when unfa
miliar consultations burned in tn
southern midnights, and the mockins
bird poured out his heart in the moor
gilded magnolia; when there was some
thing new under new sun; will you
fine, far memories ever cease to lay cor
: trasting pictures athwart the harshe
features of this later world, accen uatin
the ugliness of the longer and tanner life
Is it not strange that the phantoms OF
II blood-staned period have so airy graz
: and look with so tender eyes THAT
J. recall with difficulty the death and dal
u ger and horrors of the time, and withot
c effort all that was gracious and pictu
! esque? All, Youth, there is no such WI
IS ard as thou Give me but one touch
II thine artist hand upon the dull canv'
r of the present; gid but for one mome
,r the drear and sombre scenes of toda
is and will willingly surrender anoth
life than the one should have throw
u away at Shiloh.