The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-26


they called him. though ! learned after
ward that, in spite of gallant service
with Sherman, and accomplishing forth
tude and bravery on the famous march
TO the sea" the old gentleman. who had
entered the Fourth Massachusetts, as a
private. had remained private to the
end. Part of his left leg had been torn
away by shrapnel and he linped a little,
but the discomfort Of this was more than
Offset. in his mind, by the pension of $50
a month which he received, and which
kept him comfortable enough in his
modest way.
He lived. so I was told, in a little cot
tage out Fort Myer way, the one lodger
in a homestead kept by two old maids,
who, like so many of their kind, were fond
OF referring to the days of Old-'we were
not obliged 10 take rOomers then" was
their frequent plant.
Not that the old soldier caused them any
trouble. He was as gentle and as guile
less as a child. Having little to look
forward to, he lived a great deal in the
past, and sometimes. even in the peace
ful cottage, he would forget himself, and
would shock the stiffness of the evening
by jumping UP suddenly, waving his old
hickory stick as if it We're a saber, and
shout; There they go. Fire. At 'em
altogether boys" And at such times the
white glaze of age which had come over
his eyes would disappear and his glance
would become fiery; the ancient voice
would lose some of its childish treble.
All this I learned afterward when I had
come to know the major better. On
the day that I first saw him /, having
been caught without an umbrella, was
standing in the wide portico Of the VIII
lard out Of the wet l marked the old
gentleman, a solitary figure in the rain,
and noted the laugh from two or three
unthinking young fellows who deemed it
ludicrous 10 see an old soldier paTading
up the middle Of the Avenue Nearly OPP
posite the hotel he stopped. turned around
TO glance at the Treasury, and then
peered through the rain and mist in the
direction of the Capitol There was
puzzled air about him, as If he could not
quite understand the deserted streets and
the unwonted stiffness of a rainy day. but
then, as if satisfied, he drew an old news
paper from his pocket, placed it as a sort
of cushion on the curbstOne and delib-
erately sat down.
Now. this is a free country, and there
is no law against man sitting down IN
the rain if he wants 10, but the solitary
figure there attracted attention and the
young bloods who noted him seemed to
find it funny. For the life Of me I could
not see anything to laugh at. and so
went inside and tried TO forget him But
when I came out in half an hour it was
raining harder than ever and the old man
was still there
Vow for thirty minutes my conscience
had been approaching me with moral COW
ardice in being afraid of what people
might think of me. and more for my own
satisfaction than anything else crossed
the street, in spite of the laughter, and
went directly toward him As I ne8red
him he looked up and smiled-even then
/ noted that the wrink.ed face and the
gray beard were sodden with rain-and he
shifted his seat a little, as If 20 make
place beside him. There was something
SO trusting and fine ia his look that be-
fore l knew H. / had a paper out of my
pocket. had placed il on the curb. and
was sitting by his side
They re long time coming, amt
they he asked me.
YES I said, "a long time" That
was my cowardice again, 50 I took hold
OF myself. determined 10 De honest and
asked Who do YOU mean. colOaeI2-'
Not colonel, only major. though I
never was rightly "A major They just
cali me that I disremember jest where
/ got nay c'mission-guess il was n the
Mexican neutrality-suspicious. MCkin, sir.
is my name"
Glad TO know YOU. major. Isn't il a
bit damp 20 De sitting out here in the
RAIN
1t may be for YOU young fellows as
amt never seed no hardship nor service
for the glory OF your country; faint for
me Sides. IF We move there's sure some
4-n Z
20 be able To see him well frum here"
See who mdj0r?"
Why Mr. President Lincoln, Whar
you been. boy, that YOU don't know that
this is the 'naug ration day? He's up at
the Capitol now a-ta1in' tn oath and
soon he'll come down here TO tn White
House and Tad'H be along, I reckon"
Ny first thought was that the old gen
Jleman was crazy, but 7 soon saw that
the aged mind had merely slipped a cog
or two in the wheel Of time and was liv-
ing over the events Of the days gone by
With some difficulty I got him into a
cab, and, learning his address, took him
there.
Why, bless u.s. said the good lady
who opened the door and took charge Of
the veteran, he's a queer old dreamer, IS
the major. Now that he's started on the
inauguration Of Lincoln he won't think
OF anything else all day, and he'll dream
about ii and tell you just how il hap
pened by and by"
This madam, is my very good friend.
said the major, introducing me to his
hostess. I hope, sir. you will come and
see me often. 1 am a little lonely at
tlmes-my friends-seem to-have-deseTt-
ed-me."
OF course I went, that very evening.
70 see how the old soldier WIS getting