The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-05-24
THE DRUMMER BOY /
BY MABEL F. scoFIELD.
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II wish we knew 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, guess they were ell brave"
answered Frank. MY 1 wish could
have gone to war. Just think of how
much fun it 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 overheard
the conversation between Frank and Amy.
He smiled at the boys last remark, think
ing how little he 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, Sod the roar of cannon and
the groans of the wounded are the only
music, then it is not so fne."
Papa. did you know any of the sol
diers that are buried here?" asked Amy.
''No, l 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, IL 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
ro1o ,t.f fo fho IN. ~c ~
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 and with their own hands
scattered their flowers upon the graves
that seemed to have been forgotten or
did not have as many blossoms Cd them as
the others. To-day they had made up
their minds TO go out alone and see IL
they could not find someone, after the
services were over, who could tell them
something about al least one Of the dead
heroes, and then they would have a 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 and
their faded blue uniforms he children
knew them to be soldiers.
"Oh, Frank ~ whispered Amy, eagerly,
maybe one of them can tell US story
about one of the soldiers. They look as
If they knew a 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 buried
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 the 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 its
place. Why. once that boy risked his
life just to get few of those blue bios
sons He had to 60 too near the enemy
for safety, but he risked it, and although
gray coat spied him and pointed his
rife at him the bullet whizzed by him
some way or other and he got his bios
SONS and kept his skin whole, too. He
was.a brave one, l tell you!"
Frank and Amy had stepped nearer and
nearer during the telling of this little in
cident, and now as the old soldier stop
ped, Amy said excitedly, "Oh, can't you
tell us something more about him, pleasef
We would like so much to know some
thing about one of the soldiers buried
here"
"Wsll youngsters, where did you come