Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1900-06-23

the stoop of his shoulders, by the look
in his eyes and by the wrinkles on his
face that he had been hard hit and
would suffer to the emo.
AS men we respected his secret and
praised his courage in bearing up IN
der his sorrows, but as soldiers we felt
that his lack of confidence in us was
an imputation. We stood ready to con-
dole and sympathize, but he kept us at
arms length. We felt sorry for him at
first that he received no letters-that
there was not one single person in all
the world to write a word of cheer-but
his careless Indifference soon provoked
our Indignation. We gave each other
the gossip of country and village as we
marched; I'VE read each others letters
as we smoked at the campfire; we
whispered our condolences in the dark
ness-all except Private Haskins. He
had no friend. He had a comrade, but
only in the sense that he shared the
same fly tent and the same rations.
When the comrade had failed to dis
cover whether Haskins was married or
single, divorced or a bachelor, man
who had been deeply wronged or
cynic-when he could get nothing what
ever from him as to his past-he turned
away from him and said to us:
Boys, l can't make him out and I'm
not going to try any further. If he
don't want to be one of us, let him
slide"
We got down on Private Haskins to
the extent that he was socially out
lawed. That meant more than l can
explain to you. We gave him credit
for his soldierly qualities-and it was
useless to deny that he was brave
man-but he was forced to live alone,
as it were, in the midst of thousands.
He noted every move made against
him, and many Of them must have hurt
his feelings and added to his burdens,
but no one ever heard him complain. |
believe he secretly was glad of his iso-
lation. 1t gave him time to think and
mediate, and he would do this by the
hour. We didn't misjudge the man,
am glad to recall, but we simply ostra-
cized him in a social way, just as socie-
ty crowds out the man WHO tramples
on the conventionalities. On his part |
he must have felt that no words of
sympathy from us could have made his
case better, or he would have 'chum-
med up and been one of us.
By and by, after two or three bat
ties, strange whispers were circulated
about regarding Private Haskins. He
courted death. He had gone down into
the fray with shut teeth and flashing |
eyes and taken such chances that he
was called q devil on one hand and
fool on the other.
Men who watched him closely denied
that he was looking for promotion or |
record. He was seeking to end it all J
on the battlefield. There was nothing
more in life for him, and it would be |
better to die with saber in hand than
to snuff. out his own life like coward. /
Our respect for the man increased, but I
yet he was still outlawed and we still |
carried feeling of resentment against |
him.
One day, in the depths of the forest, |
while winter still held it's grip on the
land, came across him lying at full
length on the ground. He was moan
ing and weeping. For ten minutes he
sobbed as a man does only when some
great sorrow has wasted his strength,
turned back his years and taken him
back to childhood. Awed and fright
ened and wondering, crept silently
away and left him with his grief. Two
hours later / met him to find that he
had conquered himself. It seemed as
if there was a new line of care in his
face and that there was new touch OF
silver in his hair, but he was not to be
tray his secret. He did not know that