Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-07-02
"A BORN SOLDIER.

8AA AAAHMNa MNAQ WV AA
was In ful6llment Of his own long
cherished ambition that he had
been sent to West Point. Since
first he could read he had delighted
in martial tales. His heroes were
Bonaparte, and Caesar, and Alex.
ander, and Hannibal, and Won
Moltke, and Grant. AS a boy, be
was forever organizing his com
panions into military companies
and drilling them with wooden
guns. He could discuss the
tactics of Caesar intelligently at
-, and could tell the reason why
Napoleon lost Waterloo.
So it seemed right and proper
that he should be a soldier, and
his father exercised sufficient in
huence to get him appointed to
West Point. The entering exami-
nation troubled him not a little.
he had not the mathematical
mind and he wiggled through
his examination in that branch
literally by the skin of his teeth.
Perhaps he would have passed
rot at all but for the fact that his
marks in history and physics we're
so high and he was so enthusiastic
and altogether so promising a lad
and then there was the influence.
Anyway, he was admitted to the
academy, where he distinguished
himself in department, drill, histo-
~ and tactics, but fell down so
woeful in mathematics that they
felt compelled to throw him out at
the end Of the first year.
Before he went he walked into
the Office Of the superintendent,
saluted, and, looking him straight
in the eye, said:
''Sir, l know 1 am disgraced and
barred from the academy. 1 know
I am a better soldier than the boys
who can do these problems in
geometry. I am going to be a
soldier and serve my country. II
/ can't do it this way l will find a
way in the ranks. l thank you
for all your courtesy and kindness.
With all respect for West Point
and its rule, 1 don't think any
great battle ever was won by the
rule of three"
WhereupOn he turned on his
heel and departed.
OF course, his father was cha
grined, his sister Inundated and
his cousin, Mabel, who had been
selected for his future wife, disap-
pointed. But they all suppressed
their disappointment and began to
cast about for another career for
the boy. His father suggested
bushes, his sister the law and his
fance speculation, at all Of which
Tom smiled good naturally.
The crash came when he walked
in one day upon the entire family
at dinner and announced that he
had enlisted in a volunteer regi-
ment destined for service in the
Philippines. Each person in the
circle had his or her own Obiec-
ton, and they were all pretty
strong. After all had expressed
themselves at length, Tom re-
marked quietly:
Gan of which being true, what
of it, l have enlisted and there
is no recourse. It is not a mat
ter for argument, but q matter OF
fact. / am to report tomorrow.
If / have done wrong, I am sorry.
III / have caused trouble and dis
appointment, 1 am sorry; but the
die is cast. AS a matter of fact,
I must be q soldier or nothing.
The die is cast"
There being nothing to do,
everybody acquiesced with the
best grace possible, although the
father fumed, and mother wept,
the sister stamped her pretty foot.
After it was all over and Tom
had a moment with Mabel, the
latter, white and cOntemptuous
said:
"Of course, Tom, you have the
right to rule your life as you
please. So also have I. You
cannot expect me to become the
wife of a common SOLDIER
"YOu desire to be released7''
interrupted Tom.
eyes, I must be-" replied the
girl.
The eyes of the boy filed with
tears.
"You won't wait for me Mabeli
You won't let me show you what
/ can dot"
'rHOw can I, TOml she respond
ed. "It is hopeless and you re-
fuse to listen to reason. I would
70 h1neh 20, 49, k-o,E-