The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-06-28

= '''h " q Y u .NbilH SllDIll
be liberated some day and should bring
an action for false imprisonment or
kidnapping against every man who had
had him In charge? The secretary nj.
ways said. rs they 50 often do ut
Washington, that there were no spe-
cial orders 10 give and that we must
act on our own Judgment.
Here Is the letter:
Levant. % 2" S, q 1872 W.
Dear Fred-l try to find heart and life
20 tell you that II is all over with dear old
Nolan. The doctor had been watching
him very carefully and yesterday morning
came to me and told me that Nolan mAs
not so well and had not left his stateroom.
a thing / never remembered before. He
had let the doctor come and see him az he
lay there. the hrst time the doctor had
been In the stateroom. and he said he
should like to see me. Oh, dear. do you
remember the mysteries We boys used to
invent about his room In the old Intrepid
days? Well. | went In. and there. to be
sure, the poor fellow lay in his berth.
smiling pleasantly as he gave me his
hand. but looking very frail. / could not
help "A glance round. which showed me
what a little shrine he had made Of the
box he was lying IN. The stars and stripes
were triced up above and around a picture
Of Washington. and he had painted a ma
jestic eagle. with lightnings blazing from
hts beak and his foot just clasping the
whole globe, which his wings overshad-
owed. The lear old boy saw my glance
and said, with a sad smile. Here, you see.
| have a country" And he pointed to the
foot Of his bed. where | had not seen be
fore a great map OF the United States IA
he had drawn II from memory and which
he had there 10 look upon as he lay
Quaint. queer old names were on II In
large letters. oh. Danforth," he said. Il
know / am dying. l cannot get home.
Surely you will tell me something now
stop. stop Do not speak till i say what |
am sure you know-that there is not in
this ship, that there is not in America
God bless her!-a more loyal man than /.
There N be u man who loves the old
flag as | do or prays for il as ! do or
hopes for II as l do. There are thirty-four
stars in it now. Danforth. | thank God
FOR that. though / do not know what their
names are. There has never been one
taken away. | han God for that. |
know by that that there has never been
any successful Burr. Oh, Danforth. Dan
forth" he sighed out. tell me-tell me
something-tell me everything. Danforth.
before ! de-
Ingham, | swear TO you that l felt like
a monster that / 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, sainted Old man
who had years ago expiated In his whole
manhood's life the madness of a boys
treason? Mr.. Nolan said /, Il will tel!
you everything you ask about. only where
shall / begin?"
Oh. the blessed smile that crept over his
white face! And he pressed my hand and
said God bless you Tell me their
names" he said. and he pointed to the
stars on the flag.
Well, | told him the names in as good
order as / could, and he bade me take
down his beautiful map and draw them
in as / best could with my pencil. He
was wild with delight about Texas: told
me how his brother died there. He had
marked a gold cross where he suppose
his brothers grave was. and he had
guessed at Texas. Then he was delighted
as he saw California and OreGon. That.
he said. he had suspected partly because
he had never been permitted 10 land on
that shore, though the ships We're there
so much. And the men" said he. laugh
ing. brought off a good deal besides
furs." Then he went back-heavens, how
49, ~ Soh AoCbA tAA1 &AN2d cant NLAlt
what was done TO Barron for surrendering
her to the Leopard. and whether Burr
ever tried again. and he ground his teeth
with the only passion he showed. But In
a moment that was over. and he said.
God forgive me, for l am sure | forgive
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 fifty years.
How l wished it had been somebody
who knew something. l tell you. Ingham,
II was a hard thing to condense the his
tory OF half a century into that talk with
a sick man. And l do not now know
what / told him OF emigration and the
means Of 1t. 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. II was Robinson Crusoe asking
all the accumulated questions OF ffty-six
years.
l remember he asked all OF a sudden
who was president now. and when | told
him he asked If Old Abe was General
Benjamin Lincoln's son. He said he met
old General Lincoln when he was quite a
boy himself at some indian treaty. / said
no; that Old Abe was a kentuckian, like
himself. but / could not tell him of what
family. He had worked up from the
ranks. Good for him." cried Nolan. Il
am glad Of that. AS | have brooded and
wondered | have thought our danger was
in keeping up those regular SUGGESTIONS
in the first families" | told him every
thing | could think OF that would show
the grandeur OF his country and it's pros
perity.
And he drank it in and enjoyed it as l
cannot tell you. He grew more and more
silent. yet | never thought he was tired
or faint. l gave him a glass of water,
but. he just wet his lips and told me not
TO go away. Then he asked me to bring
the Presbyterian Book OF Public Prayer.
which lay there. and said. with a smile.
that ii would open at the right place.
and so 1t did. There was his double
red mark down the page. and | knelt
down and read. and he repeated with me.
For ourselves and our country, . gra-
cious God. we thank thee. that, notwith-
standing our manifold transgressions OF
thy holy laws, thou hast continued to US
thy marvellous Kindness" and so TO the
end OF that Thanksgiving. Then he turned
to the end OF the same book. and ! read
the words more familiar to me, Most
heartily We beseech thee with thy favor
10 behold and bless thy servant. the pres
idant az rho I'Difa1 StataS and all otbaro