Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-06-05
THE DRUMMER BOY.
(By Mabel F. scof1eld.)


Il wish we knew really true story
with a 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"
We'll, guess they were all brave"
answered Frank. my! wish could
have gone to war! just think of how
much fun 1t must have been!"
/ AS it was, Decoration day. papa had
not gone to his Office that morning, and
as he sat reading his paper, he over
heard the conversation between Frank
and Amy. He smiled at the boys last
remark, thinking how little he realized
the horrors of war, and could not help
| saying, Eyes. 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 begin 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.
"No, 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 I'M
less brought there to be buried. But
come, if you are going to take flowers
out for the soldiers graves you had
better be getting them ready"
Amy and Frank always gathered q
basket of flowers on Decoration day
for the dead soldiers graves, and some
times they rode out to the cemetery
in one of the big wagons that were al
ways filed with children on that day,
and formed part Of the procession that
each year went out to the little bury
Ing 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 and with their own hands
scattered the flowers upon the graves
that seemed to have been forgotten or
did not have as many blossoms on
them as the others. Today they had
made up their minds to go 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 soldier "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 we're soon on their way. AS
they entered the great iron gates that
separated the dead from the living
they noticed two gray-haired old men
talking together very earnestly. From
their hats and their faced blue uni.
forms the children knew them to be
soldiers.
ooh, Frank!" whispered Amy, Gag
erly. maybe one of them can tell us a
story about one of the soldiers. They
look as II they knew whole lot about
| soldiers, anyway"
Lets follow them and see," was
Franks answer. So the children kept
close to the two blue coats, hoping to
hear something about one of the bur-
led heroes.
And they were not disappointed, for
as they came near neglected grave
in an obscure corner the older of the
two men said, There! that is tn
grave with the little bunch of violets
planted in the middle of it. He loved
violets SO, and one Of the boys who
remembered this put that little plant
there, and whenever one dies some
one OF us plants another In
it's place. Why, once that boy
risked his life to- get few of those
blue blossoms. HE had to go too near
the enemy for safety, but he risked 1t,
and although gFay coat spied him
and pointed his rife at him the bullet
whizzed by him spme way or other
and ne got his BLOSSOMS and kept his