Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-12-21

! A CHRISTMAS Grandpa.

~ been fought and won, for many
weeks the shattered wreck of what
was once John Fairfax fingered on the
very threshold of death ia a Southern
hospital.
The bullet had plowed it's way through
scalp and skull. and for a time the issus
was uncertain, but finally the skill ana
care of surgeon and nurse won the day,
but John Fairfax arose and went forth
into world of strangers.
He knew no onea His own name was
gone from him. sehe past was sealed.
His mind saw edlal blank wall Known
as John Doe, of EWwhere, the name by
hich Il merry clerk had entered MIN on
the hospital records he was told that he
might 80 home.
'Home? said he. simply. "My home
is with the army | don't remember
ever being anywhere else. If ] can't
handle a gun let me drive one Of the
wagons. or cook for the soldiers. I've
got to stay with the boys. l wouldn't
know where to so if you turned me
away"
Aud so. not being able to get rid of
him, John Doe was allowed to remain
with the army. lie had been reported
missing, and his name had been cropped
from the muster roll of the regiment TO
which he had belonged, aud he was now
assigned To a regiment from another
State. His former comrades believed him
lead.
The mind OF John Doe was Of such
re- 'ent birth, so unframed in the ways
of he world that its owner soon became
the standing butt and Jest Of the camp.
John Doe submitted to it all with a pa
| tient eorbearance that was pathetic to
witness,
That was John Doe during the final
| day Of the terrible battle of the Wilder
ness, when soldier, whose canteen he
1 had just filed with water, dropped dead
il the act of raising it to his lips Not
| through the brain. The victim "a a
young soldier who often had befrit ID
poor stricken John Doe. and when the
| water carrier saw his friend and protec-
| tor shot down the many kindly little
deeds of which he had been the recipient
! flashed swiftly through his brain.
| Springing to his feet, he grasped the
| rifle which had fallen from the hands
OF his dead friend, wrenehed a belt filed
| with cartridges from one Of the men ly.
ing about him, and plunged into the
| thickest of the fight.
And during the rest of the battle John
Doe loaded and fred in frenzied haste
| sprang from tree to tree as the line ad
vanced or retreated. and fought like d
| hero till the sun went down.
The men made sport of John Doe nc
longer. From the by-word of the Gang
he had grown to the hero, but a modest
one for when the colonel offered to pro.
mote him for bravery ON the field of bat.
tie, he simply said:
NO; give the place 10 one OF the
boys. l don't deserve it--all I'm good
| for is to cook and carry water"
Cook and water-carrier he remained;
and when Appomattox came and the can
non ceased their growing, John Doe was
swept northward with the returning
wave Of soldiery. And by some stnage
| irony of fate he was left stranded in a
| Pennsylvania village scarcely score OF
| miles distant from the home from which
he had gone forth 10 do battle for his
| country.
His once dark hair and beard were
now silvery white, and the hardships
| through which he had passed had made
so great an alteration in his appearances
there was small probability of his being
recognized.
And here within few hours walking
| distance of the wife and daughter who
nourned him as dead. the ex-water-car-
rier and hero lived and toiled for if
teen years, a cheerless, lonely man, with
strange, indefnable longing for some
| thing, he scarcely knew what.
! ona WAL, bnfnra Oh rfs ~, "a
John Doe. no longer Ole TO work, friend
| less and forloru. went forth into the high
| ways a homeless tramp, clad in the tat
tered uniform Of the country he had
| helped to save.
| And in his wanderings he came to a
| little white cottage AS he stood gazing
at its inviting porch a sudden faintness
came over him, and he recled and fell.
When he recovered he was lying helpless
on his back, and by his "'1" at a blue
eyed, Haxen-haired girl, artlessly pratt
| Ting 10 him.
Poor soldier man. did ii hurt you TO
| fall that way? I'm so sorry, cause /
| love the brave soldiers. My grandpa
was a soldier, but grandma says he went
to war and never came back. Grandma
always cries when she tells me about
him. specially at Christmas time"
The homeless veteran struggled to his
knees and gave one eager. inquiring look
at the features Of the pretty little on,
before him.
"Oh, thank Thee. oh, my God" he
cried, stretching forth his hands. Can
Il be that have found myself, and the
home and dear ones have longed for, at
lastf What is your grandma's namep
MARY Fairfax, and mammals name Is
Eta Fairfax Field, and mine is Marietta
Field. Isn't that a lovely name?'
Yes, 1t is" said John Feirfax. rising
30 his feet and taking her by the hand.
Come on, deary; let US go and md
grandma and mamma aud tell them that
grandpa has got home at last"
----