Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-05-24
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THE DRUMMER BOY
BY MABEL f. SCOFIELD.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Il wish we knew a really true story
about one of those soldiers" said Amy,
with little sigh of regret, then it would
seem SO much more INTERESTING when we
lay the flowers on the grave, and we could
think of how brave he was
Well l guess they were all brave, "
answered Frank. My, l wish l could
have gone TO war! Just think of how
much fun it must have been y
AS it was Decoration day, papa had
not gone to his office that morning, and
as he sat reading his paper, he overheard
the conversation between Frank and Amy.
He smiled at the boys last remark, think
ing how little ne realized the horrors of
war, and could not help saying, Yes, my
boy, it's fine thing to go to war with
flags flying, and bands playing, but when
it comes to the part where the bullets be-
gin to play, and the roar of cannon and
the groans of the wounded are the only
music then it is not so fine"
Papa, did you know any of the sol
diers that are buried here?" asked Amy.
mo, | was just about your age when
the Civil War ended, and lived in a town
many miles from here. Few Of the poor
fellows who went from that town ever
came back from the war unless brought
there to be buried. But come if you
are going to take flowers out for the sol
diers' graves you had better be getting
them ready"
Amy and Frank always gathered a bas-
ket of flowers on Decoration day for the
dead soldiers graves, and sometimes they
rode out to the cemetery in one of the
big wagons that were always filled with
children on that day, and formed part
of the procession that each year went out
TO the little burying ground to honor the
memory of those brave men who had laid
down their lives for their country Some
times the two children walked out by
themselves aud with their own hands
scattered their flowers upon the graves
that seemed TO have been forgotten or
did not have as many blossoms on them as
the others. To-day they had made UP
their minds to 90 out alone and see If
they could not find someone, after the
services were over, who could tell them
something about at least one of the dead
heroes, and then they would have sol
der "all for our own" they said. and each
year they would see that that grave of all
others was not neglected.
Mamma helped them cut the flowers
and. carrying the basket between them
they were soon on their way. AS they
entered the great iron gates that separat
ed the dead from the living they noticed
two gray-haired old men talking together
very earnestly. From their hats anC
their faded blue uniforms the children
knew them to be soldiers.
maybe one of them can tell us a story
about one of the soldiers, They look a:
If they knew whole lot about soldiers
anyway
Lets follow them and see," wa.
Franks answer SO the children KEEP
close TO the two blue coats, hoping t.
hear something about one of the buried
heroes.
And they were not disappointed, for a!
they came near a neglected grave in ar
obscure corner the older of the two meI
said. There. that is the grave with the
little bunch of violets planted in the
middle of it. He loved violets so. anC
one of the boys who remembered this pu
that little plant there. and whenever on,
dies some one of US plants another in it.
place. Why, once that boy risked hi:
life Just TO get a few of those blue bios
SONS. He had to go too near the enem.
for safety, but he risked it, and although
q gray coat spied him and pointed hi
rifle at him the bullet whizzed by hin
some way or other and he got his bios
SONS and kept his skin whole, too. H
was brave one, tell you.'
Frank and Amy had stepped nearer an,
nearer during the telling of this little in
cdent, and now as the old soldier stop
ped, Amy said e1citedly, "Oh, can't 20,
tell us something more about him, please
We would like so much to know some
thing about one of the soldiers burie,
here"
well. youngsters, where did you com