Year: 1868

the bread sail never swells In the breeze. God


with us all in that solemn hour, for though we ma


cling to the hand of comrade or friend, his hear
cannot understand, or his sympathy cheer Us. b
is bnt straw at which we grasp as we look aroun


us for the last time, on earth and sky. Nothin
but straws are around us-to what else can "
cling? '.' ''.- ........-


The dying mans eye expressed his lonelines
and his fear, but even in that hour, when his pulls
was each moment becoming feebler, he babbled Q
home and tomorrow Cheating himself with idl
delusions, he clutched Brack's hand more wildl
and nervously, and gasped, and was gone.


! Rrack released his hand from the grasp of tn
corpse, and started up with feeling rather Of re
lief than sorrow: he was glad to make his escap
from the spot He wasabout toreturn to his post
but it was gloomy thing to watch over a corps
all alone, and be thought he would feel the les
lonely should he first light his pipe. He saw
party, at some little distance, searching over tn
field by the light of torch, which, like q wllo'
the-wisp, fitted from place to place. Brack fol
lowed It through the wood, and coming up with it
at length found the party that bore it, to consist
q surgeon and his attendants, rendering such ail
as they could to those who stood in need of promp
assistance. Brack lighted his pipe and paused y
gossip for awhile over the incidents of the day. and
now and then, to aid in rendering some sufferer
more comfortable Time stole insensibly away
and when, after having smoked out two or thret
pipes; Brack borrowed torch and set out to re
turn to bis post, he found himself somewhat be
wildered. After several minutes spent in wander
ing about and retracing his way through the wood
be had the good fortune to fall into the wsgon-road
along which the guns of the battery had passed.
As soon as he came upon the road, he had no diff.
Guilty in determining the direction of the spot fol
which he was seeking. Turning to the right, as
he came upon the road, and putting his pipe com.
placently, he trudged on-keeping look out for q
holly bush on the right Of the road, which served
as kind of landmark to point out the spot


There was no occasion for hurrying, thought
Brack to himself The dead sleep well, and they
want no watcher to guard their slumbers. An
hour or two alone in the dark lying cold and stark,
with the dew gathering on their locks, and then
stony eyes staring up at the shimmering stars
what is this to them? 1t is the living who need
comrades with them, when compelled to keep
watch and ward at night by some silent sleeper on
the field, where the Gorgon shield of war has
cleaned and turned men, whose pulses were beat
ing with lavaEke blood, into forms of pale marble.
With the reeking torch lighting up his face, into
which the dismal scenes around him had called up
an expression of disquiet Brack strobe along the
road glancing nervously around at even the futter
of leaf He soon found himself at the summit
of an inconsiderable eminence, over which the road
wound, and there on his right, by the roadside,
stood the green holly bush for which he was seek
ing Braek took the pipe from his mouth and
raising his torch aloft, stood gazing before him
with perplexed and troubled air. After second
or two he pushed back his hat with his left hand,
and stood scratching his head and staring in
ment.


'This is the place. certain and sure, solloquized
Brack; 'he lay right there by hatholly, with his
head resting on that little swell Of ground, and
white cambria handkerchief-a red cotton one
would have suited the camp better, if he had
knowed it-stuck under the belt of his cap, over
the vizor. Here was his heels, right where the
green blades of that highland flag shoots up. There
is the blood stain, too, right where it oozed out
from his side This is the very identical spot where
we laid him; gentlemen, you may safely swear to
that-and now he is gone Jehosaphat! What
tale shall I tell the Lieutenant


While Brack was thus soiloquizing, squad OF
men, with spades and shovels, who had been en-
gagged in burying the dead, came out into the road
where he stood


"Hallo my friend,' exclaimed grizzly looking
old soldier, who was carrying spade on his LETT
shoulder, and smoking pipe with wonderfully
short stem; what are you looking for?" =.


'Ileft body lying here, gentlemen, said Brack,
replacing his hat on his head, "and I'd give some:
thing handsome to know what had become Of it. y


"Why, what could become of il" returned the
first speaker, Except that it has gone the way
all bodies, sooner or later, are bound 60? Spades
are trumps tonight. expect the body you are
looking for is under the ground. See that grave,
yonder," continued he, pointing to newly-made
grave, scarcely twenty feet distant which the dense
holly bush had concealed from Brack' 8 view I'VE
buried one poor fellow there, an hour ago"


'sDid he have white handkerchief stuck under
the band of his cap?'' asked Brack.


"He had no cap at all, y returned the first speak
|er. He had been pretty well stripped of every
thing worth wearing. We have some rascals il
the army that make it their business to do such
things. THEY'D strip 'Uncle Bob" himself, if
bullet should chance to take him off, and trade hi
sword for pint of rifle whiskey. They are the
cussedest hyenas on the face of the earth, anc
ought to be watched for and shot. I've sworn i
ever catch one of them at his tricks to bury hin
alive, and may be shot if I don't do it.


"Was it very young fellow you buried in tha
grave" asked Brack, indicating the one mean
with his forefnger.


"About eighteen or twenty, suppose, replied
the other. II thought as laid the poor fellow in
that some mother or sisters heart would ache TO
/ it yet. But it can't be helped-war is war;" ant
the speaker pufFed vigorously at his pipe, whicl
had nearly gone out


"And he didn't have any paper pinned on tt
the breast of his coat, persisted Brack, "givlnI
his name regiment and State?'


"Why no, I tell you r' replied the other. 'The
had stripped him to his shirt and drawers, befor
I found the body. Luckily, we had just picked u
blanket on the field, and We wrapped him up i
it and gave him as decent burial as we could.


want a blanket badly enough, but l would freez
before would keep from dead man anything
necessary for his decent burial. Well, come o.
bows, we've got work before us, and shan't ge
through for sometime yet. Well 60 to the broN
of tho next bil-they are lying thick enough there