Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-09-20

Ways said. as they 10 often do at
" Washington. that there were no spe
dal orders to give and that We must
ct ON our own Judgment.
Here is the letter:
Levant q r 8. q 1917 W.
Dear Fred-I try to find heart and life
o tell you that II is all over with dear old
Nolan. The doctor had been watching
Inn very carefully and yesterday morning
anne to me and told me that Nolan was
lot SO well and had not left his stateroom,
1 thing 1 never remembered before. He
lad let the doctor come and see him az he
ay there. the first time the doctor had
,een In the stateroom. and he said he
ihould like to see me. Oh. dear. do you
emember the mysteries We boys used to
invent about his room In the old Intrepid
lays? Well. / went In. and there. to be
,ure the poor fellow lay in his berth.
milling pleasantly as he gave me his
iand. but looking very frail. l could not
,elp a glance round. which showed me
what q little shrine he had made Of the
,ox he was lying in. The stars and stripes
we're triced up above and around q picture
II Washington. and he had painted a ma
este eagle. with lightnings blazing from
Ills beak and his foot Just clasping the
whole globe, which his wings overshad-
,wed. The dear old boy saw my glance
have q country" And he pointed to the
,oot Of his bed. where had not seen be-
'ore a great map Of the United States as
1e had drawn 1t from memory and which
1e had there to look upon as he lay.
quaint. queer old names were on It in
arge letters. "Oh, Danforth." he said. II
xnow ! am dying. cannot get home.
Surely you will tell me something now
stop. stop! Do not speak till say what
Am sure you know-that there IN not In
this ship. that there il not In America
God bless her!--a more loyal man than I.
There cannot be man who loves the old
dag AZ l do or prays for II a. I do or
hopes for II ~ do. There are thirty-four
stars In 1t now. Danforth. l thank God
Tor that, though do not know what their
names are. There has never been one
taken away. thank God for that.
know by that that there has never been
any successful Burr. Oh, Danforth. Dam
FORTH" he sighed out tell me-tell mo
before dieI'
Ingham. I swear to you that felt like
I monster that l had not told him every.
thing before. Danger or no danger. del.
Icacy or no delicacy. who was that /
should have been acting the tyrant all
this time over this dear. saintsd old man
who had years ago expiated In his whole
manhood's life the madness OF boys
treason? ''Mr. Nolan" said !. Il will tell
shall begin!"
Oh. the blessed smile that crspt over his
white face! And he pressed my hand and
said: God bless you! Tell me their
names." he said, and he pointed to tho
stars on the nag.
Well. told him the names In a. good
order AZ I could. and he babe me take
down his beautiful map and draw them
In ~ I best could with my pencil. He
mo how his brother died there. He had
marked q gold cross where no supposed
his brothers grave was. and he had
guessed at Texas. Then he was delighted
- he saw California and Oregon. That.
he said, he had suspected partly because
he had never been permitted to land on
that shore. though the ships were there
70 much. "And the men," said he. laugh.
Ing. brought on . good deal besides
furs" Then he went back-heavenz. how
far!-to ask about the Chesapeake and
what was done to Barron for surrsnderlns
her to the Leopard. and whether Burr
ever tried again. and he ground his teeth
with tbs only passion he showed But Ia
q moment that was over. and he said.
God forgive me. for ! am sure forsive
him." Then he asked about the old war
and settled down more quietly and very
happily to hear me tell In an hour the
history OF nifty years.
How I wished II had been somebody
who knew something! tell you. lngham,
II was q hard thing to condenss the his
tory OF half q century into that talk with
q sick man. And do not now know
what ] told him Of emigration and the
means of It, OF steamboats, and railroads
and telegraphs. OF Inventions and books
and literature. Of the colleges and West
Point and the naval school. but with the
queerest Interruptions that ever you heard
You see Il was Robinson Crusoe asking
all the accumulated questions Of hfty-six
years.
I remember no asked all Of Q sudden
who was president now. and when told
him he asked n Old Abe was General
BENJAMIN Lincoln's son. He said he met
old General Lincoln when he was quite Z
boy himself at some indian treaty. ! said
no: that Old Abe was q Kentuckian. like
himself. but could not tell him OF what
family. He had worked up from the
ranks. Good for hint" cried Nolan. ii
am glad Of that. A. have brooded anc
wondered I have thought our danger wal
In keeping up those regular SUGGESTIONS
In the first families" l told him every
thing | could think Of that would show
the grandeur OF his country and it, pros
perity.
And he drank Il In and enjoyed It 40 ]
cannot toll you. He grew more and more
silent. yet never thought he was tired
or faint. ] gave him . glass OF water.
but he just wet his lips and told me not
TO 80 away. Then he asked me to brins
the Presbyterian Book OF Public Prayer
which lay there. and said. with . smile
that 1t would open at the right place
and 20 II did. There was his double
red mark down the page. and | knsit
down and read. and he repeated with me
For ourselves and our country. O era.
cious God. we thank thee. that. notwith-
standing our manifold transgressions Of
thy holy laws thou hast continued to "
thy marvellous kindness" and 20 to the
end OF that Thanksgiving. Then he turned
to the end Of the same book. and I read
the words more familiar to me. ''Moat
heartily we beseech thee with thy favos
to behold and bless thy servant. the pres.
ident Of the United States. and all othera
In authority" and the rest OF the Episco-
pal collect "Danforth." said he. 81 have
repeated those prayers night and morn.
ing-it II now nfty-flvs years" And then
he said he would 90 10 sleep. He bent
me down over him and kissed me. and
he said. Look In my Bible Danforth.
when am gone" And ] went away.
But ! had no thought It was the end.
thought he was tired and would sleep.