The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-06-01

flash fire, and he astonished us by the
tierceness with which he turned upon his
questioner; frightening the latter so that
he backed away in startled apprehension,
thereby tumbling himself into an empty
flour barrel that happened to be standing
ready to receive his diminutive form The
mishap, while it saved him from the
effects of tie other mans anger, placed
him in very absurd and undignitied posi-
ton, as it shut him up like the tradition
al jackknfe, his body disappearing from
sight, and his feet and head being forced
| into close and uncomfortable proximity
to each other. And there he remained,
struggling violently to extricate himself,
and swearing at us for laughing at him,
instead of helping him to regain more
natural position.
| 'Liakim had paid him no further atten-
ton, but with his face whittier than we had
ever before seen it, had turned and walked
slowly to his own tent, and We saw little
more of him that day.
The next morning he seemed much like
his former self, as to complexion and
general appearance, but that was all tol
he was never again the same light heart
ed fellow as before. He was, if anything,
more kind and thoughtful than ever,
when occasion required: but there was a
subdued sadness about him that was
almost pitiable, bespeaking as it did
| mental suffering OF the ketnest sort We
all felt sorry for him, and would have
| been glad if he had given us a chance to
! pass our opinion upon his trouble, and SO
/ have the satisfaction OF tlying to console
| him. But he was SILENT and SO the days
| passed, and Liakim went his ways, mute
/ and patient performing all his duty as
usual; but we remembered afterwards
that he Sang no more hymns, nol elected
his peculiar style of music from his self
made instrument Of melody
And then in the early summer, there
was another skirmish at the front, and
| Lialim was brought in, badly wounded
a rifle ball had passed through his chest
and at the first opportunity, that same
day, went to the hospital-a collection
Of rude huts in the woods-to see him.
He was stretched upon cot, with a
blanket defining his long, quaint figure,
| which now seemed more attenuated than
ever; and as approached, red ray from
the setting sun found its way through the
open door, and lay like bar of gold upon
his CHASTITY face.
He recognized me at once, and a well
coming light came into his fading eyes,
and joined the smile that struggled to
his white lips. He was unable to speak
and thus he remained, holding my hand,
until the early morning, when the end
came, and poor 'Liakim was summoned
to the final roll call.
His blouse lay near by, and as | picked
it up to place it over his dead face, |
CHANGED to take hold of it in such way
that something fell from an inside pocket
r n latta MIL
out doubt the letter which had wrought
sucha change in our cemrade. | picked
them up, and was about to replace them,
when some impulse caused me to look at
the picture. 1t was crude country made
photograph and showed a big eyed,
saucy- faced girl, her small nose decidedly
''tip-tilted,'' and her mouth smiling in a
way that bespoke nc great strength of
character, as she gazed ont at me in the
dim light.
Under the picture in 'Liakim sprawl
ing, lily formed characters, was: "Hetty,
Malvin's Wood, June 3, 1907
scrap of newspaper had fallen from
the envelope, and lay upon one of the
dead mans hands; it was the announce
ment of the marriage of Mehitable Har-
vey to John Raymond.
Poor ''Sister Lair" the secret of his
heartache was now in my possession, and
there it remained; for placed the picture
and chipping in the envelope which con-
tanned the letter, and slipped them in over
his heart, buttoning his shirt securely
over them, for greater safety.
And there they rested when, that same
morning, we laid him away, rolled in his
own blanket, as we'll as in two others con-
tributed by his comrades. And as we
turned away from his grave, a broad bar
of yellow sunshine shot through the pines
and lay across it, just as the setting sun
had gloritied his face the evening before.
And there he rests-poor ''Sister Liar, :"
good natured, tender hearted old Liakim.
He was not hero, but simply an every
day, commonplace man; and yet his life
carries with it lesson which we, his old
comrades, will never forget. For he lies
there under the pine trees,-
GA living image to the ages, as they pass,
That simple duty hath no place for fear
For Over Fifty Years,