The St. Johns herald., 1922-07-06
CHAPTER |.
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When Johnnie comes marching home
 Hurrah! Hurrah! Wen give him a hearty welcome then, The men with cheers. the boys with
 shouts,
 The ladies they will all turn out. And we'll all feel gay, when Johnnle
 comes marching home again!
 The old man and the little boy, his grandson, sat together in the shade of the big walnut tree in the front yard, watching the Decoration Day Pa rade," as it passed up the long street; and when the last of the veterans was out of sight the grandfather mur- mured the words of the tune that came drifting back from the now distant band at the head of the procession.
 ''Did you, Grandpa?" the boy asked. "Did what?"
 ''Did you all feel gay when the army got homer
 ''It didn't get home all at once, pre- cisely," the grandfather explained. ''When the war was over suppose we felt relieved, more than anything else" You didn't feel so gay when the war was, though, I guess!" the boy ventured.
 'T guess we didn't"
 'Were you scared, Grandpa? Were you ever scared the JOhnnies would winT
 "No. We weren't ever afraid of that"
 Well, weren't you ever scared your self. Grandpa2 mean when you were in a battle."
 "Oh, yes; I was" The old man laughed. Scared aplenty"
 'I don't see why" the boy said promptly. q wouldn't be scared in battle"
 Wouldn't you?
 "'Course not! Grandpa, why don't you march in the Decoration Day pa rade? Wouldn't they let you?"
 'Pm not able to march any more. Too short of breath and too shaky in the legs and too blind"
 'I wouldn't care," said the boy. 'Pd be in the parade anyway, if was you. If I'd been in your place, Grandpa, and they'd let me be in that parade, I'd been right up by the band. Look, Grandpa Watch me, GrandpaI This Is the way I'd be, Grandpa"
 He rose from the garden bench where they sat, and gave a complex Imitation of what had most appealed to him as the grandeurs of the pro- cession, his prancing legs stimulating those of the horse of the grand mar shal, while his upper parts rendered the drums and bugles of the band, as well as the officers and privates of the militia company which had been fea- ture of the parade. The only thing he left out was the detachment of veterans.
 "Putty-boomI Putty-booml Putty bOom-bOOm-bOOm he vocifer1 ted, as the drums-and then as the bugles: ''Ta, ta, ra, taraI" He addressed his restive legs: "Whoa, there, you WhiteyI Geei Flaw! Git up" Then, waving an imaginary sword: "CoI- lumn righti Farwud marchI Halt Carry harms" He "carried arms" "ShOw-dler harmsW He "shouldered arms" and returned to his seat.
 'That'd be me, Grandpa. That's the way I'd do." And as the grandfather nodded, seeming to agree, a thought recently dismissed returned to the mind of the composite procession and he asked:
 ''Well, why weren't you ever afraid the Johnnies would whip the Unions. Grandpa?"
 "Oh, we knew they couldn't"
 'I guess so." The little boy laughed dlsdainfully, thinking his question sat IsfactOrily answered. 'T guess those ole JOhnnies couldn't whipped a flea They didn't know how to fight any at all. did they, Grandpa?"
 ''Oh, yes, they did!"
 "What?" The boy was astounded. ''Weren't they all just reg'lar ole cow ards, Grandpa?'
 ''NO," said the grandfather. "They were pretty fine soldiers"
 SsThey were? We'll, they ran away whenever you began shootin' at lem, didn't theyT"
 "Sometimes they did. but most times