Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-05-28

Rreaths and blossoms. the tribute of
a nation to its honored dead The
inscription bore the name of one of
dhe most famous generals of the Civ
IL War, but Lucinda Randall, sitting
idly on top of the rough coping, sur
veyed the memorial stone with
gloomy eyes. At that moment she
was wondering, as she had wondered
many times before in her twenty-five
years. if life were all that she had
been led to believe that she would
find It. In spite of her fixed belief
in the general correctness of the
scheme of the universe, she could not
refrain from thinking that there were
some things that she would have ar
ranged differently. That very morn.
ing. in a respondent mood, she had
confronted her cares and troubles,
drawn up before her in formidable ar
ray. and, after severe struggle with
her common sense, had finally owned
herself defeated. Usually, Lucinda
was a person on whom the perplexi-
ties of life sat lightly; but about every
six weeks, as she put it, she was
obliged to think, and the result was
always disastrous. 1t was in this
mood. that. sitting there, the fresh,
strong wind, straight from the ocean,
whipping loose strands of her black
hair from their fastenings, and buff
feting her slight figure like a live
thing. she withdrew her gaze from the
wave-washed horizon and looked
again at the stone.
KILLED, while CALAMITY leading a
forlorn charge" she said aloud. THAT
| can understand The heroism of
the moment, the wild charge in the
glory and blaze of battle: sudden,
swift extinction, exulting in the face
of death, that is a glorious way to
die: but to wear out ones life in the
tragedy Of the commonplace, ones
worst foe oneself; that is dying by
inches; it is worse-it is a living
DEATH
Her eyes suddenly widened as she
perceived a figure on the other side
of the mound silhouetted against the
sky. 1t was that of an old man, bent
and shrunken with age, but Lucinda
noticed the square set of the should
ers. the attempt at carrying them
well set back, and general air of
alert briskness, which, to her observ-
ant eyes, proclaimed him TO be an ex-
soldier. He climbed the wall stiffly,
: his eyes fixed upon the sunken grave,
with the flowers piled high above it,
and the fiuttering flags at either end.
Wheeling sharply, as he reached the
spot. he stood erect, and gave smart
military salute, with precision evil
IDENTIFY born OF long training; then,
STOPPING, he placed on the grave a
small bunch of dandelions that he
carried.
Then he turned to Lucinda, smiling
cordially.
Il reckon you think this kind of
strange" he said. speaking with a
Western accent. and laying one hand
tenderly on the stone, "but I've salut-
ed the general every Memorial Day
for twenty years, miss; I've followed
him in many battle, and | don't for
get: and somehow l can't think that
the general does, either" His shin
ing eyes looked across the tablet at
the girl Maybe he did you kind
ness, too, MISS" he asked. sYmpa-
thetieally. He did many a one in
his day, I'll be bound"
The girl flashed pleased look at
him.
General Eastwood was my uncle. .
she said. simply.
The old soldiers face esamed.
Your uncle, miss?r he said. earn.
estly. Well. I've wondered many a
day If | should ever be lacky enough
TO run across any of the generals
kin; but my time is getting so short
now that I'd about given up hope"
He reached his hand impulsively
across the grave TO the girl.
She took it, smiling in comprehen-
sion.
II am always glad to meet anyone
who served under my uncle" she
said. winningly 4 have often heard
my mother tell how much he thought
OF his men,
That's right, too" said the soldier
eagerly. why, miss, the day we made
that charge at -, il was hotter than
blazes, and the general was in the
thick of 1t, and always at the front
miss, always at the front" He shook
his bony forefnger warningiy--"D on'i
you forget that The bullets were
flying like hail, and the general was
sitting his horse Ike an iron man