The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-16
{ THEADVERTISER'S !, DAILY SHORT STORY

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 Every member of The Post staff was iiSs foreman an of s the composing rooms. who was always opposed to the policy of the paper. whatever 1t might Dc. and with ane s.rcasm inyariabiy spoke of psrtnsst, M frsSSsndy sss Ss ssoiuatssrea sos the ssessmsss x:4s soas that sa the Majors editorials
 In the estimation of his co-werksrs on talepted writer. He was senius-a man of ripe scholarship and profound erudi- ton; captivating and persuasive in argr, brilliant in the use of metaphor, invul- herable in logic and singularly gifted in the art of clear, concise expression. Moreover we were impressed by the sln-
 Whenever a topic Of national import apce was under discussion in the press we always felt that the final authorits- tive word had not been satd until the although the discussion might be pro- longed Indefinitely fin the columns of oth- er papers. we regarded it as closed in-
 The Mater was . prolific producer of good stuG," bt he was not q reliable producer. His .infrmity," as we kindly termed his abnormal craving for drink, time. and 6uring his periods of inebriety he would always absent himssif from the ofice. The other members of The Posts stan were Q little family of young men who looked up to the Major as to a fath, CT, and we often were saddsned and humiiiated by the spectacle of the nerni- ally erect and soidieriy form of our chief editorial writer staggering Imply through
 The metamorphosis that drink worked in the Major was almost incredible: Aristocratic ancestry and generations Of is5s had fysn d n ftasvsss bavs eesa ef nf oo
 ine and delicate for his robust mascu- Unity of mind and physique had it not been for the strengthening influence of mUstache. Drink reddened his face in- ttpsely and distorted his features be- yond any recognition of gentle birth or breeding. Instead of the kindly dignity distinguishing traits when sober: he be- came yoloble. contentious and dogmatic when "in liquor.
 youth. Nearly all of the officers Of the volunteer regtment with which he served In the Civil War, were "drinking men,
 but the Major, who had won his title by conspicuous bravery in battle. was among the exceptions. He was singu- larly free from the practice of petty vices which the soldier Is apt to regard as cause tor which he fought had trtumphed, he came marching home to the girl he had lett behind him. wholly worthy of her pure love and the condolences she had
 Everyone in the little village where tho Major and his bride were born and reared felt a sympathetic interest Ia their love affair, and 1t was the unanimous opinion, from the village parson to the Jenkins of the local paper and his sister gos- sips in pet.iecats. that they were the fairest couple that had ever stood before the altar Tail of the village church.
 Less would have been known of the perfect affection that existed between them during their married life for af- feetien such as theirs is undemonstra- for ' the Efai faiing m keaifh, kh, of the wife few years after marriage. Her malady was form of consumption from which she frequently rallied through changes of eli: time apparently regained her health.
 Throuehout her illness. the Major gave her the ardent devotion of lover: The care of the Invalid made it impossible to conceal, from the eyes of others the ten der glahces so full of meaning the gen. tle pressure of hands, the chaste caress; and the delicate acts of courtesy and affection that evidence the survival of sthe lovers passion after marriage. D. Not long after the curtain had dropped upon the final scene of this beautiful lie drama, the Majors friends :, notice! noticed | Tbye whose intimate friendship gave ,hint the right to speak of it, the Major explained and partly excused his conduct by stating that he had recently joined the Loyai Legion and 2 Grand Army post, and that in celebrating these events he had taken a drop too much.
 It was as much of surprise that he should have become member Of these [ organlL- tions as it was that the nabit af "takIng q drop too much" was rap idly growing on him. Previous to the doath of his wife he had been invited | but had always refused on the ground | that it was an ostentatious display of pa- | triotism. He had done but his duty, he | Civil War, and he felt that he would be | lacking in medesty to advertise that fact | by joining the Grand Army organization, | He had often asserted that the men who were most conspicuous in the C. A. R, had been the most inconspicuous during the war, particularly in time of battle Now. all of this was changed. He was not onlv member of the G. A, K, regular attendant at their meetings and ! frequently made addresses in eulogy of 1 the organizations. ... change Of attitude is not difficult to find During the lifetime of his wife, the Major had lived his life solely for her. | His heart and mind were centered upon
 
 no future for him beyond her life. When | she died, he found his only solace in | the past, He then began to live his life | In retrospection. The living presence | that had been dearest to him was now l but a tender sacred memory; the only | survivors who were associated senti- l mentally with his past were his old com. Yades in arms, and to them he turned 1 in sympathy and affection
 l He delighted to talk of the old war l days, In camp and on the march and, | tguratively, to fight again the battles l In which he had borne part. His ideal | of all military heroes was Grant and l he was most eloquent when eulogizing | the Great Comm lander. He resented any l adverse criticism of his hero, and when | tn his cups construed 1t as personal | insult ,
 l Against one critic of American military | skill he was particularly vlrulent. That 1 was the great German military genius, | Von Moltke, who, when asked concern | Ing some battle of the American rebel | lion, remarked that he took no interest | In the movement of mobs.
 l For many years the Major nursed an 1 enrnity to Won Moltke on account of l that remark, and after he joined the G.. 1 A. R.. his one journalistic ambition was l to dSfnoiish Won MoltKe in print. He 1 studftd d the military history of Germany | and made himself familiar with the per | sonal military history of the great Ger | man commander. He delved into the | technicalities of strategic warfare. and | after much research declared himself equal to the task of proving that If Eon | Moltke at Gravolette, Metz and Sedan bsd had to contend with the mobs un-