The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-02-26
ConfinUe1
him again and wanted to rub hiS noss.
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him again and wanted to rub his nose
with theirs.
But he could not stand Il long; ana
getting Vaughan to say he might 20
back, he beckonSd mo down into our
boat. ~ we lay back n tho stern.
sheets and the men gave way, he said:
to me sYoungster, let that show you
what 1t IL to be without ! family, with
out q home, and without asacountry.
And r you are ever tempted to say
word or to do . thing that shall put
4 bar between you and your family,
your home, and your country, pray
God in his mercy to take You that IN.
slant home to his own heaven. Stick
by your family, boy; forget you have.
I self, while you do everything for
them. Think Of your home, boy; write
ana send. and talk about It. Let It
be nearer and nearer to your thought,
the farther. you have to travel from ST;
and rush te sft, when YOU ne Tres ~
that poor black slave 10 doing now.
And for your country, boy, and the
words ratified In his throat, sand for
that nag" and he pointed to the ship,
never dream a dream but Of serving
her as she bids you, though the ssrv-
Ice carry you through Z thousand halls.
No matter what happens to you. no
matter who hatters you or who abuses
you, never look ct another nag, never
let a night pass but you pray God to
bless that dag. Remember, boy, that
behind all these men you have to; do
with, behind officers, and govsrnmsnt,
and people even, there IL the country
herself, your country, and that you
belong to her az you belong to your
own mother. Stand BY her. boy, a.
you would stand BY your mother, II
those devils there had got hold o. her
today +, III
/ was frightened to death b his
calm, hard passion; but i blundered
out that would, BY all that was holy,
and that ! had never thought OF doing
anything else. He hardly seemed to
hear me; but he did, almost In Z
whisper, say: "Oh, If anybody had
said 90 to me when was of your age I"
I think 1t was this half-confiden Of
his. which ! never abused, for i never
told this story till now, which after
ward made Us great friends. Hs, was
very kind to me. Often he sat upg Of
even got up, at night to walk the deck
with me when It was my watch: He
explained to me I great deal Of my
mathematics. He lent me books, and
helped me about my reading. He new.
er alluded 80 directly to his story
again; bnt from one and another ON.
Ger ! have learned, In thirty years,
what I am telling. When We parted
from him in st. Thomas harbor, at the
end Of our cruise, was more sorry
than, ! can tell. I was very glad to
meet him. again in 1880; and later in
life, when thought had some In.
duence in Washington, I moved heav-
en- and earth to have him discharged.
But it was like getting q ghost out Of
prison. They pretended there was no
such man, and never was such man.
They will say so ut the department
nowl Perhaps they do not know. It
win not be the first thing in the serv.
Ice Of which the department appears
to know nothing!
There 10 4 story that Nolan met
Burr once on one Of our vessels, when
4, party Of Americans came on board
In the Mediterranean. But this be-
lieve to be lie; or rather, IL 10 .
myth, ben trovato, involving 4 ire
mendous blowing-up with which he
sank Burr, asking him how he liked
to DO without a country But It IL
clear, from Burr's life, that nothing
Of the sort could have happened |; and
I mention this only 40 an illustration
Of the stories which get a-going where
there is the least mystery at bottom.
So Philip Nolan had his wish full
filed. Poor fellow, he repented Of bis
folly, and then, like q man, submitted
to the fate he had asked for. He new
er Intentionally added to the difficulty
or delicacy Of the charge Of those who
had him in hold. Accidents would
happen but they never happened from
his fault. Lieutenant Truxton told me
that when Texas was annexed; there
was q careful discussion among the
officers, whether they should get hold
Of Nolan's- handsome set Of maps. and