The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-27

in their turn. and still the hooking
words were relished by the urchin mob.
For nearly thiTty-fOur years the now
gray bearded and solitary man had
been the butt of his native township.
ONgirl had in that time walked with
him or danced with him, although he
had been a straight and handsome
YOUTH nor had he been a sharer in the
sports Of the young men. AS ne grew
older he was allowed no part in the
councils of the village. If he desired to
vote at a presidential election he did it
only by running the gauntlet Of a thou
sand sneers. Manife6tly, it seemed alb
suTd tab a man who had deserted in
the face Of his country's enemy should
have a say in the choise of his coun-
try's chief executive. He was tabooed;
he was oStraciSed; he was outside thee
camp.
As the lonely years passed by and
many of the soldiers who had fought
while he ran dropped out of life, his
punishment became softened to a great
extent He lived so consistently apart,
and was so long suffering under torture
and also, so many new and interesting
events happened, that people began to
forget if they never forgave. For a
large part of the year, therefore, Abel
place from his patch of farm and be
cOntemptuously ignored. But on one
day of each year, even of those years
when a new generation was springing
up, his humiliation was freshened and
complete, his agony of shame peculiar
~ acute. This always happened on
Decoration day. When the schools were
closed and flags were limped; when the
War-ScaTred veterans limped to fife and
drum, and rosy cadets claimed their
fathers cheers; when wreaths of laurel
and the best loved flowers were piled on
heroes graves, and the modest monu-
ment on the green was surrounded by
the swaying crowd who listened to the
orators-then Abel hid himself away.
May and springtime were to him no
season for rejoicing, but period of
pennance and remOrse. Then the story
of his shame was certain to be retold.
and, if he dared to go abroad, his ears
must hear the old refrain
''Abel went war one day,
Dropped his gun and ran away!"
He was young when first he had been
called coward "a lad of IS. Now he
was stopped and grayer than some
men older than he, but his hard work
lis 1l4C III LiIc open anu G1lIDSt ueC6SSl-
tated abstentiOn from ali revels had
kept ] } strong and active. He had
suffere, soul but not in body. Now,
when he was over So an old, familiar
call came to his solitude, a call unheard
for many years, a call which rang out
until every citizen from the Atlantic to
the Pacific heard 1.-THE bugle call to
arms. Abel heard in the store and saw
in the paper what had occurred, and he
fell on h knees in his lonely house and
scobbed and prayed.
If I am permitted another trial" he
cried, give me strength, oh Lord give
me cOurage!"
There was a recruiting station in a
large town not far from the village.
and there gathered many of the region
who desired to enlist for the war
against Spain. Thither went Abel Tut.
telling no man of his mission. A ser
geant, selected for the service because
of his smart and prosperous figure.
stood at the door of the offices, and to
him Abel applied. Many young fellows
were hanging about and when he sray-
beard arrived his presence occasioned
curiosity and smiles. The sergeant,
however, was sufficiently cordial in his
manner.
I've come to list" said Abel,
4 guess said the sergeant. not I'M
kindly, this war can be fixed without
calling on the veterans. The doctors
only passing young men and hearty.
How old are your"
Fifty odd
Grand Army?''
No. sir.
Thought maybe you'd been in the
civil war"
IL was in the army
We'll. it's great to see the way you
veterans are eager to fight againi" the
sergeant said with an approving smile.
you shame lots of the young chaps.
But you old hands at the trade have
had your iii of glory. SO don't grudge
the new boys their chance"
Glory" cried a voice in the little
crowd. and youngster from Abers
township pushed forward with a loud
laugh. GLORY. Him. Great Scott,
but that's good. It's Abel Tut, the
deserter. who would have been shot
for running away if President Lincoln
hadn't pardoned him when his mother
went TO him crying. Him want to
enlist That's good. You amt as spry
on your feet as you used to be, Abel.