The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-12-01
OLD SOLDIERS.
How the Northerner and the Southerner
Met and Became Friends.


(W. r. Rose in Cleveland Plain Dealer
1t was a mild spring day The trees
were budding and there was genial
warmth in the breeze that came across the
low range of hills TO the south.
Jared Cross pulled open the gate IN
the meadow fence and slowly crossed the
enclosure He was a man well advanced
in years. a man of rather heavy build who
stopped a little and carried a thick cane.
His hair was gray and he wore stubby
gray mustache lie was comfortably clad
and he had a well fed and well satisfied
look
Jared particularly liked this path across
the meadow because 1t gave him an eN.
celent view of the surrounding farmland
and more especially Of the broad acres OF
that thrifty farmer, Jared Cross, the
younger.
As the older Jared neared the fence on
the opposite side of the meadow he no
ticed that stranger was sitting on a
stump just beyond the stakeand-rider
barrier. The fence was on the dividing
line between the Cross farm and the
Sedgewick farm. and the stump that bore
the stranger was Sedgewick stump.
Jared looked closely at the man on the
stump He was an old man, rather tall
and thin and very straight, and his chm
was decorated with slender tuft Of white
whisker.
Morning" said Jared
'Howdy?' replied the man on the
stump.
Jared came little nearer.
Fine view" he suggested. ~.
"Its a right smart farmin country"
admitted the stranger but | prefer my
hills a little higher. faint no ways like
home"
lie talked with a peculiar drawing ac-
cent that was quite the opposite of
Jareds quick manner Of speech.
There's no better farmin' country in
tn state" said Jared. IAN tn hills are
lust as God made EN-,
The strangers mild blue eyes were turn
Il reckon that's true" he drawled.
can pears to me it's mighty lucky He
didn't always think alike when maxim
hills"
Jared leaned on the fence:
81 guess you're homesick," he said.
Il guess mebby I be-" replied the strang
er. but I'm goin' to get over it.
Course you are said Jared. wis
tin hereabouts?"
"I'm visitin my daughter, Sally Mrs.
Tom Sedgewick" the stranger drawled.
"She an Tom want me to make my, home
W1Ul IHeln dll i uuiluO put WIN II
can get used to the hills.
Jared overlooked this studied slight to
the landscape.
1--WE always lived here" he said 81 was
born on this farm. TIL old house stood
where tn new one stands. I'm living
with my son. He runs tn farm. My name
is Jared Cross, Major Jared Cross"
He pushed out his chest a little as he
uttered the title. 1t was his pet weakness.
This expansion brought his G. A. R. badge
into greater prominence.
The stranger nodded
"This is only my second visit moth"
he explained, IAN the first one didn't
count for much. Ny home is in no'thern
Georgia-where God makes the hills
higher. I'm Cunnel Henry Magrudder."
A frown gathered on the majors brow.
81 understand you to say that you once
paid a visit to tn North he exclaimed:
f'May / ask what part of tn North it was?"
The colonel's blue eyes opened little
wider.
at was a part of Pennsylvania, sir"
he slowly drawled. "The place was called
Gettysburg"
The major suddenly snorted.
II was there, too, sir.
'T don't doubt it SIR" said the colonel
calmly. "There suttenly was a. right
smart lot of folks there at tn time"
IT was there with my regiment. SIR.
cried the major; 9TH Ninth Michigan"
'T was in good company, too" said the