Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-29

of his forefathers that had been taught
him by his gentle mother, but he did
not fear the enemy.
The regiment was kneeling behind
stone wall waiting a charge OF the en-
envy. On came q line Of brown, like
dead leaves and dust rolled forward
by gust of wind. The captain of
Pardon Law-ence's company stood, his
eyes dartipg first at this death whirl
then along the line of his men, whose
guns were pointed horizontally, all ex-
cept one that was inclined upward. It
was Pardon-s.
Hi, you. there-lower that musket"
Pardon's musket sank to level, but
when the order came to fire 1t bobbed
up as If worked by machinery. The
captain saw and remembered. Thrice
the brown line was driven back before
it failed to come again, and every time
Private Lawrence's gun. just az the
word Fire" was given, went up, the
charge going toward the sky. Not only
the captain saw, but Pardon's CON-
rades. and there sprung up against him
a fierce antagonism.
"Traitorr' -
"a Confederate sympathizerr'
"a Quaker
Quaker be hanged! That don't
count when we're fighting"
THE next time I'm behind him in q
fight I'm going to shoot him."
Pardon heard these comments, but
they did not rufie him-indeed, a
faint flush of satisfaction came upon
his cheek, for he was thinking of the
placid bosom of his native Lake Cham
plain and of his little mother IA her
prim dress when she had said to him
at his departure:
"Thee will find II hard, Pardon, to
do the will of the Lord, but he will
give thee strength"
When the fighting was over the cap
tain called Private Lawrence to him
and asked him why he had fred in
the air instead of at the enemy. Par
don told HIM"
"why did you enlist2" asked the
captain.
81 didn't; was drafted"
Corporal of the guardw cried the
captain.
The corporal came. and the captain
ordered him to take the refractory
private to the guard tent and keep
him there till he was called for. Then
the captain went to the colonel and
reported the singular case. An order
~ was sent to direct the corporal of
the guard to bring Pardon to the colo
nePs headquarters.
ct have called for you" said the
colonel with all the sternness he could
command, "to tell you that unless you
will promise me that there shall be
no more of this failure to fight, this
flinching, this cow
Does thee think I don't shoot be-
cause 1 am afrai1T cried Pardon.
flushing.
"No, not that. but The colonel
was puzzled. Take him away" he
said.
Not long after this scene Mr.. Lincoln
was sitting in his office, when 1t was
announced to him that the colonel of a
regiment had visited Washington to
consult with the president concerning
a matter of life and death to a private
soldier Mr.. Lincoln was busy, but
gave orders that the officer should be
admitted at once. When he came in
Mr.. Lincoln began to rise from his
chair, and the colonel thought he would
never stop rising.
Another leg case. colonel, l sup
pose?" said the president YEARLY.
Many cases of cowardice and conse-
quent death sentences came before Mr.
Lincoln, and he always called them
leg cases. "You can't get me to shoot
a man for running away in battle. |
wouldn't do it. man can't help be-
ing coward any more than he could
help a hump back If he were born
with one. | have been scared myself
and know what it is. In any contest
or controversy arising between the
head and the heels | never knew the
heels to get anything but the best of
it."
This is not that kind of case at
all, Mr. President" replied the colonel.
and he explained that he had Quaker
in his regiment who wouldn't fight
and wouldn't run.
Mr. Lincoln was much relieved
why, that's plain enough, colonel. -
he said. There is only one thing to
do. Trump up some excuse and send
him home. You can't kill boy like
that, you know. The country needs all
her brave men wherever they are.
Send him home
The colonel returned to camp. and
.. the next day Pardon was ordered to
the surgeons headquarters. There he
was subjected to a rigid physical ex-
animation, at the end Of which the Off
Ger certified on discharge blank that
Private Pardon Lawrence was physi-
sally incapacitated to do the duties of a
soldier. When the papers reached the
surgeon general he was about to send
them back disapproyed. since there was
no disability specified, when he remem
, bered that he had received an order
from the president to pass them when
they came in.
So Pardon Lawrence went home GOV
cred with the glory not of a military
but of a moral hero.