Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-10-24
AN INCIDENT OF THE GRAND
ARMY ENCAMPMENT.
Written Cor the Ga7etie.l


Army encampmont in Washington,
when riding fome on the Mount Yer
non electric train a little episode oc-
Cured under my observation which
made so deep an impression on my
mind that | cannot forbear an attempt
to describe it, although it was one of
the incidents of every day life, the
actual circumstances and naturalness
of which no mere words of relation are
adequate to properly portray.
Near to me in the car sat Grand
Army veteran and his wife, as i sup
posed, who was much younger looking
than her gray bearded partner. Her
face was quite classic, and her tout en-
semble was patrician. On her lap she
held a child which apparently had not
gotten far beyond her second birthday
anniversary. She had her mothers
comely lineaments, her blue expressive
ewes, her prominent forehead and cheer
fal countenance. What the little
traveller was thinking about as she was
hurried along to her destination through
green fields and skirting woodlands,
beautiful with the varied tintings OF
the early days Of October, no body of
course could divine. She was evil
IDENTIFY in a happy frame of mind, how
ever, from the serene expression of her
face. But a surprise awaited her, when
three new passengers entered the car
and seated themselves in the three va
cant places near to her. Three Jolly
wayfarers they were-well dressed and
fine lookinp-nnen of importance and
standing among men, evidently. They
did not seem old enough to claim fra
ternity from war experiences with the
veterans of the encampment, but they
were profusely decorated with their
badges and insignia. One of them, the
only one particularly connected with my
story. was stalwart in form with a face
denoting not Only a high order of intel
ligence, but also nobility of character,
not every day met with in railway
train. He sat very near tothe child we
have described, and from the first seemed
to be attracted by her winning appear
ance. In little while he began talk
ing to her in kindly, paternal way, and
very soon he had won her confidence and
attention; and they became good friends
for the time, to the delight of both, and
the way opening after the first parleylng
he reached out his hands, took her from
her mothers lap and gently placed her
upon his knee. Then happy thought
struck him. 1t was to decorate his new
acquaintance. He took off his own pref
ty badges and gracefully and lovingly
fastened them ON her white dress, while
she sat with curious and wondering look
at the proceedings. Then turning to his
companions who had been watching his
movements. he took off their badges also
and set them with the others. Not sat
isfied with this profusion he drew from
his pocket some ornaments, he had
bought, perhaps, in the morning of the
street venders in the capital, and ad-
ded them, one by one, to the general dis
play, making the little white dress look
almost as fantastic as lhc ehoia~o"S"
coat of field marshal
By this time the attention of all the
passengers in the car was diver ed to the
unusual circumstances before them. But
oar patron look no note of this. His
proceeding was so natural and unstudied
that he was all unmindful of what others
were thinking about his kindly and
spontaneous offices. Evidently his act
was not for notoriety nor to attract at
tension. :,
The mother was evidently well
pleased with the strangers acts to-
ward her darling, for her modest face
beamed with approving smiles. But
there was something more than smiles
noticeable at length as the interesting
episode progressed. Tears which she
had vainly tried to repress came to her
ewes. for she was evidently deeply
touched as well as pleased by what she
had seen. How could she have done
otherwise than betray the emotions Of
her motherly instincts.
The man, though a stranger and all
unknown to her, had favorably impressed
her as he had the other passengers
around her. 1t was evident that his
sympathies were with the conditions
and needs of children and that he loved
their companionship. He might have
had group of them in his home in
some remote neighborhood of the re-
public whom he fondly loved and who
were anxiously waiting his return Il
them. And the remembrance of th'
pleasure he was deriving from hi
kindness to this child of another whom h
had here met for the first time, would, lie
us hope, be an abiding benediction err
long to intensity the joys Of his hom
reunion.
Butall pleasant things of this life have
an ending. So had this little episode oi
the railway train. The trolley whistl
sounded for the next station. Our her
of the hour returned his little protege t
her mother lap, hurriedly placed SOM
coins in hpr liffta xvh;ta bond orova ha