The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-10-12
A HERO'S
OWARDICE?
[Original.1

the soil Of the south, his eyes We're
fixed, not on the "colors," bu, On that re-
me,nbered face-sweet, melancholy. Ell
during.
When he returned he was riding at
the head of the column, d.st.nsuishe4
soldier. The Line of march led past the |
porch where he had seen the blind girl.
but she was not there. In his dislp-
pointlnent he forgot his honors. the
throngs, the shouts tiat ran
abreast Of him like an incoming tide.
Then farther on his pulses qu.ckenel
at seeing her at window. She was
between two friends. AS he
approached he saw her say something
which he cou.d not but infer was re
quest to be toll. where wa; tie he
OF the hour, for one Of them directed
her hand, in which she held small
nag, 80 that when she waved it it was
to him. He re.ned in his horse. facel
toward the window and -everent-y
raised his hat Then when he ha;i scel
her trends tel her what he Lad done
and saw that he had given her a
pleasurable emotion he t.rned an
moved forward.
The excl emeat Of that emo..o-. gavs
him his first fi.ed purpose in life e
had been eminently fitted for so.lief.
whose caseec Is Ike the VIM whi,-l
bloweth where it listeth. He ha, fe;t :;
pleasure In the roar o. battle, In the az
complishment Of ACHE rcments in p-'o
DO ton to the hazarl of tie ulderta,.
Ing, but this human delight as to d.e
away before his newborn s. ritual pIl
pose as a storm that has passed g. .fes
place to the soft sun .ht. The inspira
ton that had been kindlcl in his hear
was to comfot a bereavel soul.
But his time was not his Own The
was much to do in closing up the wo.k
Of the war and In di9hals.iEg the
armies, and he was retained even ate
this had been done in an !mPortan.
commend. Weeks passed into mon hs
and months into years, and the obse
Of his life seemed a. remote as ever.
One summer while ffering from the
effects Of an old wo1n', de iroa5 Of
change and rest, he assumed The p. IN
garb Of citizen and went incog-ito to
an unpreten lou, sunme' resort. Al
he mounted the ste. Of tie POI h he
saw sitting in wicker chair the bin
girl. He had purposely chosen this re
mote place where he would not be rec
ognizcd, and after he hal SEN those
who were staying In the house he was
pleased that there was none who knew
him He d not ask an intro ne
ton to the g.rl-he did n3t need on.
No one needed an Introduction to h.
| fo- her bin 'ncs- ca.se, hc.' to BE- a.
| ways dependent. He waited one morn
Ing until he saw her rise from her CHAR
and g-opc her way into the house, the
asked II he might assist her. Never be-
fore had he experienced the sacred
emotions as when he took the hand an
directed the steps o. this stricken girl.
From that moment he wa1 h. con-
stant com. anon. Perhaps it was her
wealsness that led her to aGm.re the
stern duties of 80 Ter. d " en- he
admitted that he had been in the strug-
gle Of the states she begged him to tel
her Of his experiences. Bu- he, like
her, valu.ns his coulte.par. dspar-
agel war and led he:. into more en-
nobl.ng topics. S.e grew to 1--we the
tones Of his voice. the unexpre;se
sympathy apparent n his every VOL
and action.
Then came time when. having pre-
pared the way, there was nothi g fol
him to do but tel her that from the
moment he saw her be rit.e her and
Of the desire that had been born in hi :
to devote his LIE to that which woul
be some recompense for her misfor
tune But when he faceI this an
nouncement sense Of his own un
worthincss loomed up before him. Tel
her that he wished to give her comfo:'
when he felt that he would be hoao-e
, by the right to do so! He shrank fro1
such position.
This was not ALL He must droo hi
incognito and become kno--n to her a.
, a hero. The incident Of her waving t
him on his return from the wcr ard hi
stopping to salute her must be ma :
,, known to her. What reason you'd b
give for all this secrecy? He thong,
OF dozen ways in which it m'g.t b
misconstrued. He who hal st,---'c
Notifications shank from to".rr
/ bliglted girl that he wcs her,
5 Ani again he startel n {,
breach in these imag.nc- -
always to make in i,g ,~.,'-e
And what was the re@-i,t:
up his command-ani Tat in face c
the enemy-and shifted the resooas
bility to another. He went to the s."l
mother and begged her to speak f
him words that lie dared not sp"cfs
There is a poem In which pe~i
described as gaining ad,n,ttale"
!, heaven by carrying there the most va
ued gift. tear of~a repentant slime
{ In a similar way the soldier v,aa .
7 entrance into the girls heart. To
/: scribe her sensations at this moe
; surrender OF hero. coming as 1t G
with the knowledge that he was Il
s man whose deeds had carght b
!. youthful enthusiasm. would require Z
+; genius Of poet
j And then it was that the solaier b
g !, gan what be considered a life wor
living. F. A. mitchell