Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-05-25
A CONTRITE
COWARD
4 DECORATION DAY STORY
BY p. Y. BLACK
By P. Y. BLACK
Abel went to war one day,

The children cried after him the
ingling doggerel' Abel Tut went on
lis road and would not look at them
n seem to hear them. The insult
very old one TO his ears. These were
lot the first children to modest him in
he village street as the schools were
dismissed. The parents of some of
hem had yelled at him years ago,
PARENTS who were the first concoctors
If the rhyme. The elder brothers and
listers of these present babies had
:hanted it in their turn, and still the
hooking words were relished by the
lrchin mob. For nearly "a years the
low gray-bearded and solitary man
lad been the butt of his native town
hip. No girl had in that time
walked with him or danced with him.
| although he had been straight and
handsome youth, nor had he been
iharer in the sports of the young men.
| As he grew older he was allowed no
)art in the councils of the village. If
| lie desired to vote at presidential
election, he did it only by running the
gantlet of thousand sneers. Mani
'estly. it seemed absurd that a man
Who had deserted in the face of the
| .ountry's enemy should have a say in
he choice of his cOuntry's chief. He
vas tabooed; he was ostracised; he
vas outside the camp.
AS the lonely years passed by, and
many of the soldiers who had fought
while he ran dropped out of life, his
| punishment became sOftered to
| treat extent. He lived so consistently
apart, and was so long suffering under
Orture, and, also, SO many new and
| interesting events happened, that peo-
pie began to forget if they never for
gave. For a large part of the year,
| therefore,, Abel Tut could now come
ntO the market place from his patch
If a farm and be cOntemptuously ig-
lOred. But on one day of each year.
wen in those years when new gem
ration was springing up, his humilia-
| ion was freshened and complete, his
| lgOny of shame peculiarly acute. This
llways happened on Decoration day.
When the schools were closed and
lags were displayed; when war
Scared veterans limped to fife and
| 'athers' cheers; when wreaths of laurel
md the best loved flowers were piled
IN heroes graves, and the modest
monument on the green was surround
sd by the swaying crowd who listened
% the orators-then Abel hid himself
away May and springtime were to
lin no season for rejoicing, but a pc
iOd of penance and remOrse Then
he story of his shame was certain to
re retold, and if he dared to go abroad
lis ears would hear the old refrain:
Abe went to war one day,
Dropped his gun and ran away.
He was young when first he had
been called ''coward',-a lad of 49,.
Now he was stopped and grayer than
;Ome men older than he. but his hard
working life in the open and almost
1ecessitated abstentiOn from all revels
lad kept him strong and active He
lad suffered in soul, but not in body
Now, when he was over 80. an old. ia
niliar call came to his solitude. a call
lnheard for many years. a call which
'ang out until every citizen from the
Atlantic to the Pacific heard 1.-THE
ougle call to arms. Abel heard in
he store and saw in the papers what
lad occurred, and he fell on his knees
n his lonely house and sobbed and
prayed.
| There, was a recruiting station in a
arge town not far from the village,
md there gathered many of the region
who desired to enlist in the war
against Spain. Thither went Abel
Tutt, telling no man of his mission. A
sergeant, selected for the service be-
,ause of his smart and prosperous fig
Ire, stood at the door of the offices,
and to him Abel applied Many young
'ellows were hanging about, and when
he graybeard arrived his presence oc-
'asiored curiosity and smiles The
sergeant. however, was sufficiently cor
lial in his manner
I've come to list" said Abel,
strengthening up
L guess said the sergeant. not
lnkindly. this war can be fixed with
Dut calling on the veterans The doc
.or's only passing young men and
hearty. How old are you?"
"Fifty-odd.'
Glory! cried voice in the little
crowd, and a youngster from Abers
township pushed forward with a loud
laugh. Glory Him, Great Scott
but that's good. It's Abel Tut. the
1eserter. who would have been shot
Tor running away if President Lincoln
hadn't pardoned him when his mother
went TO him crying. Him want to en-
list? That's good. You amt as spry
IN your feet as you used to be. Abel
You couldn't run fast enough now tc
get away safe. Best stay at home >
Abel went TO war one day
Dropped his gun and ran away
rs that true?" the sergeant asked
oddly. looking up and down the
mans lank form with sneer
That's why l want to join" said
Abel with pathetic appeal L want