The National tribune., 1899-07-20

any eyes, and read the letter all over again
several times. Then came the disturbing
| thought of how he was to care for and pro
| tect the precious mlSSiye? He could not
| bear to part with it for single minute, and
| yet he did not want to carry the sacred
| thing around exposed to the dirt and moil of
daily camp-life and the danger of loss. He
| thought long and earnestly, and at last
went down to large suffers store, and
purchased the finest morocco wallet in his
stock. Even this did not seem suffi-
GENTLY rich caSket for such gem, and he
bought a large red silk bandana, in which
he carefully wrapped letter, dress fragment
| and wallet, and put them in the pocket of
his flannel shirt, next his breast. Next
came the momentOuS duty of writing an
answer to the letter. Yesterday he was
| burning with desire to make an oppof-
tunity to write. Now the opportunity was
at hand, the object of his desires had ac-
| tually asked him to write her, and the COM
pleteness of the opportunity unnerved him.
| "The first motion before the house said
he, "is to git some paper and envelopes and
ink. | don't s'pose they've got anything
here fit for a gentleman to write to lady
with" He turned over the suffers stock OF
stationery disdainfully, and finally secured
full quire of heavy, gilt-edge paper. and q
package OF envelopes, on which was de,
picted a red-and-blue soldier, with flag III
one hand and gun in the other, charging
bayonets through a storm Of bursting
shells.
"It's true I amt one O. the color-guard
yit," unused Shorty, studying the picture
| 'but the Colonel sorter hinted that might
be, if Cap McGillicuddy could spare me
from Co; Q. which amt at all likely. Now
| Mister, le'me see some pens"
Here's some-Gillott's- quality
said the suffers clerk.
Nav" said Shorty contemptuously;
"Don't want no common steel pens. Coin
| to write to lady. Gil me your best gold
ones"
Shorty made quite pretense of trying
as he had seen penmen do, the temper of the
pens upon his thumb-nail. but chose the
| largest and highest priced one, in an elabor-
ate silver holder.
I'm very partickler bout my pens," said
he TO the clerk. Il must have 'em to Just
suit my hand. Some folks's very keerless
about what they write with, but wasn't
| brung up that way
"If you'd ask my advice" said the clerk,
| I'D recommend this thing as the best for
you to use. It'd suit fine Italian hand
| better'n any pen ever made"
And he held up a marking-po and
brush.
"Yotang man." said Shorty, solemnly, as
| he paid for his purchases, "the condition O.
! your health requires you rot to try TO be
| funny. It's one o the dangerousest things
| in the army. You're exposed to a great
1
ii send you to the hospital as suddenly as
bein' funny"
| The next thing was studio where he
could conduct his literary task without
interruption, and Shorty finally found a
rock surrounded by bushes, where he could
| sit and commune with his thoughts. He
got the cover of n cracker-bOX, TO place on
| his knees and serve for desk laid his
stationery down beside him. re-read Maria s
| letter several times, spoiled several sheets
| of paper in trying to get his fingers timber
enough for chirography, and then begun
| the hardest, most anxious afternoons work
he had ever done, in writing the following
| letter:
Camp ov the Two Hundredth Injianny
"Voluntear Infantry,
"Mishun Rii, mere Chattynoogy, Aprile the
tenth. 1864.
Miss Maria Klegg,
Respected Friend.
(This part of the letter had cost Shorty
nearly an hour of anxious thought. He
had at first written "Dere Miss Maria" and
then recoiled, shuddered and blushed at the
thought of the atfectionate familiarity i'm
piled. Then he had scrawled, one after
another, the whole gamut OF beginnings
before he decided upon addressing her, as
was her right, as formally as he would the
wife OF the President)
"Yore letter was welcomer to me than the
visit ov the Pamaster after six months
exclipse ov hiz cheerful mug"
ca think mug is the word they use for
face in good society" mused Shorty, with
the end of the penhOlder in his mouth. "At
least l heard the Kurnel use it one day.