The National tribune., 1898-10-27

wooiug.
We have preacher-he's The Chaplain
of the regiment. suggested 81.
Any sort of preacher'll do for me, :"
said Nate sanguinely, $50 longs as he's n
/ preacher Hand Shell, Free VIII, C.mbeli-
lite, Winebrennarian, Methodist. Cumber-
land Presbyterian-any kind, 50 longs he's
a regularly ordained preacher, II do for me.
Won't hit for you. honey
| 'Grauddad's Il Presbyterian" she said,
/ blushing aud I'd rather he'd be Presby
terrain. Better AK granddaiu
| Nate hurried over to the grandfather, who
/ was so deeply engrossed in talking politics
the war, and the prosecutions the East Ten
nesseans had endured at the hands of the
rebels with the officers and soldiers gath
cred around that he did not want to be
bothered with such n comparatively unim-
portant matter as the marriage of q grand
daughter.
Yes. marry her any way you like. so long
as you marry her honest and straight" said
he impatiently to Nate. Then, as Nate
turned away, he explained TO those about
him: That's the 45th grandchild that I've
had married, and I'm kind o gittin used t
| hit so t. speak Nate and her've bin keepin'
company and courtin' ever sense they wuz
weaned, an bin pesterin' the life out o. me
for years t. let 'em git jined. Sooner hits
done the better. As | wuz sayin', we'uns
give so, 900 majority in Tennessee agin Secs
| sion, but ole Isham Harris - etc.
"I'll speak to the Adjutant about it, >
said ST, when Nate came back glowing with
gladness.
The young Adjutant warmly approved the
enlistment proposition, and was electrified
| by the idea of the marriage.
| III go and talk to the Colonel and the
Chaplain about it. Why, it'll be no end Of
fun. Well fix up wedding-supper for
| them, have the band serenade them and send
an account OF it home TO the papers. You 90
and get them ready, and I'll attend to the
rest. Say, think we'd better have him en-
| listed first, and then married afterward.
That'll make it regmental affair. You
take him down to Capt. McGillicuddy, that
| he may take him before the Surgeon and have
him examined. Then we'll regularly enlist
him, and he'll be one Of US, and in the bonds
of the United States before he is in the bonds
of matrimOny. It'll be the first marriage IN
the regiment, but not the first one that is
ardently desired, by long shot,"
| The Adiutant gave little sigh, which ST
could not help echoing, and Shorty joined in.
| "Well, our turns will come too, boys"
said the Adjutant with a laugh, "when this
| Girl l Left Behind Me'' as he rode back to
| camp.
The Surgeon found Nathan HEARTBURN phys
ically sound, the oath was duly administered
to the young recruit, he made his mark on
the enlistment papers, and was pronounced
soldier of the United States, belonging to Co.
q, 2O0th Ind. He had been followed through
all these steps by a crowd of his friends,
curious to see just what was the method of
'inin' the Union army" and when Co. q re-
celved its new member with cheers and
friendly congratulations the others expressed
their eagerness TO follow his example.
Co. Q was in ferment over the wedding,
with everybody eager to do something to
help make it q grand success, and to fill the
hearts of the other companies with envy.
The first and greatest problem was to provide
the bridegroom with q uniform in which to
be married. The Quartermaster's wagons
were no one knew exactly where, but GER
tainly a day or more back on the road, and
no one had started out on the campaign with
any extra clothing. Shorty, who considered
himself directly responsible for the success
of the affair, was for awhile in despair. He
was only deferred from stealing pair of the
Colonel's trousers by the timely thought that
it would, after all, be highly improper for a
with gold cord Then he resolved to make
a sacrifice of himself He was the nearest
Mates proportions of any man in the COM
pany, and he had drawn new pair of
trousers Just before starting on the march.
They had as yet gotten very slightly soiled.
He went to the spring and laboriously washed
them until they were as bright as new, and
after they were dried, insisted on Nate
trading pantaloons with him. A new blouse
was more readily found, and as readily con-
tributed by It's owner. ST freely gave up his
sole extra shirt, and another donated pair
of reserve shoes. The Adjutant came in
with Mcclellan cap. When the company
barber cut Mates long hair, and shaved him,
he was arrayed in his wedding uniform and
as ST had given him little drill in holding
himself erect, he was as presentable soldier
as could be found in the regiment and quite
as proud of himself as the boys of Co. q were
of him. Then another despairing thought
struck Shorty:
.''Taint right" he communed with ST
and the rest, THAT the bridegroom should
have all the good clothes. The bride should
have the boss toys o. the two. If we was
only back near Nashville she should have al
layout that'd out-rag the Queen o. Shelby,
if it took every cent there was i'll the COM
Duc uoh U ppu'C sou NohiA buy
yard o. kaliker stitch o. tinery within
so mile o. this clay knob"
What we might do" said ST refiectively,
would be to give her her trowso futuriOusly,
so to speak. We've just bin paid off, and
hain't hal no chance to spend our money so
that all the boys has some. Every one o.
'em I'll be glad to give a dollar, which you
kin hand her in a little speech, tellin' her
that we intended to present her with her
trOwso but circumstances over which we
had no control, mainly the distance to a
milliner shop, prevented, but we would
hereby present her with the means to git it
whenever convenient, and she could satisfy
herself much better by picking it out her
ownself You want to recollect that word
trowso. It's the elegant thing for woman's
wedding finery, and if you use it you II
save yourself from mentioning things that
you don't know nothin' about, and probably
oughtn't to mention. My sisters learned it
to me. A girl who'd bin at boarding-scho0l
learned them"
GOOD idee," said Shorty, slapping his
leg. ''Ill go right out and collect dollar
from each of the boys Say that word over
agin till git it sure"
Shorty came back in little while with
his hands full of greenbacks. = Every boy
ponied right up the moment spoke to him"
he said. And the Captain and Adjutant
each gave So. She's got money enough to
Inv ont the host milIjner Shon in This part