The Delawarean., 1900-06-16

peneve ne secretly was glad or his lso-
lation. 1t gave him time to think and
mediate. and he would do this by the
hour. We didn't misiudge the man.
am glad to recall. but we simply ostra
cized him in a social way. just as socie
ty crowds cut 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.
rs and by. after two or three bat
ties. strange whispers were circulated
about regarding Private Haskns. He
courted death He had gone down into
the fray with shut teeth and flashing
eyes and taken such chances that he
was called devil on one hand and q
fool on the other.
Men who watched him closely denied
that lie was looking for promotion or
record. He was seeking to end it all
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 a coward.
Our respect for the man increased, but
vet 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 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, l crept silently
away and left him with his grief. Two
hours later | met him to find that he
had conquered himself. 1t 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
his struggle had been witnessed, and
was dumb as to what had seen.
A week later Troop G was sent out
on a scout and rode into a tight place.
1t was reported that all of us did our
duty in the half hours hot fighting, but
there was only one hero. Even with
the pistols flashing and the sabers
whirling watched Private Hasl1ins as
he waved his saber on high and thun-
dered into the thick OF the melee. He
fought to kill and be killed, but death
passed him by.
We whispered to each other that he
was hero, deserving of a medal of
gold, and we esteemed and exalted
him, but the circle did not open to let
him in. He was not of us-he had not
been for year-and no act of his in
battle could make him so. He knew it
as we'll as we did, and he made no ad-
vance. He had our respect and admi-
ration in the fullest, but he did not
have and did not wish for our COM
radeship and sympathy. We knew that
there are things which must lie buried
in the human bosom forever and ever,
no matter what the cost, but yet we re-
sented it when our sympathy was re-
fused.
1t was two weeks after our fight
when l was detailed on vedette duty
with Private Haskins. We were to
take the post together In the winter
camp behind us there was the hum of
preparation for the spring campaign.
In the quarters of the enemy, a dozen
miles away, there was the same excite
ment. We rode to post on the high
way and dismounted under a tree.
remember that the sun shone warm,
the buds were starting, and here and
there robin was raising his glad song.
Little was said between us, and by
and by Private Haskins fell into one
of his moods.
From the corner of my eye watched
his pipe puff at longer intervals until il
finally died out. He looked straight
ahead of him across the field or the
wall as his ears drank in the notes OF
the birds He forgot that | was near
His thoughts went back to the old
grief. and | saw the changes in his sou
written on his face. There We're JOY
and gladness: there were grief and