Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-10-01
YF3a}R SERGEANT OF FF&}R Fa&}R eVaRD>
Rx p. z. BLACK.
Copyright, 1898, by the Author.
CHAPTER

tie of beer had been opened, command
ed silence and leaned his fingers on the
little table of Mother Revell's kitchen
in the manner Of an accustomed after
dinner speaker.
"Ye'll axcuse me bowldniss," said
he, "but Oi'm afther roisin to perpouse
hilth an long loife to Misthress Revell
an sure Old betther be namin her
Mother Revell at onct, fur it's that the
whole rigimint names her, more power
to her. )"
"Hear, hear!' cried the newly made
sergeant, patting his mothers wrinkled
hand, hand of boiled looking white
from much laundry work in the old
troop.
GOOD boy, Healy," cried old Fin
Strait, the farrier. "Wait till I get a
pencil to report that speech "
"Ye're an ignorant ould blatherskite,
Fin. Ye couldn't report nothin. Whut
wud the loike Nv youse be doin wild a
pincil?' the corporal asked, grinning.
"Shut yer face till Oh be through sp'ak-
in. Martin, ME son, ye be young to be
a sargint, but faith it's natural ye
shu'd jump over me, who's bin corp'ril
an bruk an corp'ril an bruk in the rigi-
mint tin tonnes over. It's iver bin me
plisint practice, Martin, an yer mothers,
too, to tache promisin young noncom
the roight way to do his duty, which
has bin fruitful Nv thrubble an foight-
In OWN to the consated freshness Nv
young noncoms ginerally, who think
they know it all. But youse wuz BORN
wild the throop an c'ud larn his drill to
any Johnnie come lately frum Wist
pint. An fur them manifowld blessin's,
Martin-sure Oi shud say Sargint Rev
ell-ye'll thank yer mother, fur why?
She's bin the bist fri'nd Nv iv'ry man
in the ould throop since youse wuz In
frocks, me son. She's saved miny a
wan frum a bobtail discharge an miny
a wan frum hell, God bless her. An
what we wudnt do fur Mother Revell
an her boy amt worth doin, begab an
begob. That's all, an now ye can blow
off all the gas ye've a mind to, Fin
Strait, fur Oi'm through wild me sp'ak-
in"
Hear, hear!" old Fin croaked. "I'm
no orator like Healy, Mrs. Revell, be-
cause I've nothin to say. Only we're
here to wet Martins stripes, so we'll
open another bottle to his health. He
was bugler when he was l6 all a cor.
poral at 20, an now he's sergeant at
%, an there's not a man jealous of
him either. Martin, I spanked you
when you was small for the love of you,
an I'm proud to think them spankin's s
helped to make man of you. Keep on,
my son, an you'll be first sergeant of
the old troop in another year, like your
father before you"
"Achoow
Healy was seized with an attack OF
sneezing so that he buried his face in
his handkerchief. Little Mother Rev
ellis tanned and wrinkled face whiten-
ed, and she looked reproachfully at the
farrier with big, gray. sorrowful eyes
Fin himself turned red and opened sew
eral bottles of beer in his confusion.
"And I'll bet my father made a good
one," said the young sergeant. "Eh,
mother? You never tell me much about
him."
"It was so long ago, DEAR" the laun-
dress answered in ID whisper.
There came a rap on the door, per-
emptory and official, and Martin rose
and opened it, letting into the room a
shiver compelling gust of wind and q
whirl of snow.
Hello, Seddonp' he cried What 8
up? Come in!'
A snow despatched orderly, coated
and befurred, entered with stamping
of overshoes.
with the majors compliments to
Mrs. Revell," he said formally, land
he know when stripes should be wetted. "
The orderly grinned and placed two
bottles of wine on the table and dashed
out again to resume his post at the
house of the major commanding.
Tears sprang to Mother Rcvcll's eyes,
and her son rcddened with pleasure.
"How kind of the old major, she
said. Hes been good friend to me-
To think he should remember your pro-
motion, Martini"
"Ah, it's you he remembers, mother,
cried Martin. "Do you think he forgets
how you nursed him when the Apaches
gave him that bullet in the ribs?'
Faith" Healy muttered, ian may
be he moinds further back than that, me
boy, whin he wuz only sargint hisself
in the war, an yer mother nursed more
nor him through the bullet fever"
''Healy" cried Mother Revell nerv-
ously.
MAN." said the long legged, red
haired corporal, "shall be afther open
in bottle Nv wine:'
sis it shampeen, cried tho farrier
excitedly, "or maybe sherry wine"
"Pass me the bottle, Fin, av ye
please" said Healy, San Oil be afther
tellin ye It's naythur. It's port, an
old fashioned yintleman' vino. Mi9h-
tress Revell, me grandfather had dozens
Nv it in his castle in the ouldcountilry. "
"Give it here" the farrior cried,
waving corkscrew.
Fin Strait" said the corporal, sud
denly snatching it, while he frowned