Year: 1865

L


A squad of ragged fellows may be seen
on every square They a:e sunburnt and


scraggy of beard. They wear their dry,


straight hair very long, and sport sus'
picious looking blanket over their should
ers. Their clothes are of dirty gray or
| a dirtier butternut, and they are very in
dependent in the matter of shoes, some
| wearing boot and slipper, Others


boots Of a new patent, which slope away
from the heel, as if by some transtorma-
| ton. the entire foot had settled int" he
toes. But with all this destitution and
| uncleanness, it is the strange, sad weary.
lost look upon their faces which makes
these folks noteworthy. They are pollti-
cal exiles-a class of men of which we
have read. but whom we never expected
to see among us, speaking our tongue,
and but late our kinsmen and compan-
| ions.


They are here by thousands, broken.
hopeless and penniless, waiting to go to
their ruined homes, but so fearful of
meeting the changed spectacle that they
daily and tarry, and look up to the high
marble edifces and the lace curtains in
our beautiful homes as if they were quite
hungry and astray. and spoke another
language than ours


Yesterday we stopped in hat store,
and one of these battered fellows was SIT
ting at the counter. There was an anX-
ious diplomacy in his face; he wanted To
engineer a dollar from us.


THAT hat just fits you, sir" he said, as
an Introductory remark.


Yes"


Il wonder if shall ever wear = good
hat again2"


He took his old soft hat, tarnished and
shaded. from his large shapely head, and
the hair fell into his fine tremnlons eyes


I'm a johnny" he said with laugh
there is some difference between John
ny and gentleman.


This was said with Il quiver and ca
dence that was very dramatic because II
was very true.


Yes, sir" he continued, Il feel very
bad in New York. 1t isn't what it used
TO be, or am not something is different.
remember the time when / lost five
thousand dollars at faro Just across the
street, and went to bed afterwards with
ont any regret | couldn't afford glass
of beer now At the hotel just above here
/ stopped every summer, and kept side
board always open in my private parlor
Then rode in cabs and was humkry boy.
Could you give me dollar, sir =


Among these men are many ot more
than social position. Wetell in the other
day with Henry G. Flash, from Alabama,
whilom one of the best of Southern poets.
The leading physician of the South is
also here; the Southern bar and Southern
pulpit are represented. If we are ever
to forget that we have been TWO peoples,
let the conclusion of peace be celebrated
by some act of kindness and charity
No news could rebuild trateTnal Union
so truly as the tidings through tue beat
en- States that three thousand OF their
captive soldiers, well fed and consider
ately treated, had joined i'll the celebra-
tion of the coming fourth of July, stand
ing beneath the old flag, and singing the
venerable patriotic hymns which have
RING in our battle camps.


There have already been instanced
some individual acts Of kindness in this
city. Some days ago well known mer-
chant here encountered npOn Broadway
a gannt and grimy figure, in whom lie
recognized one of his ancient customers.


b" he said, "you owed me three
thousand dollars at the breaking out of
the war. You are an honorable man. and
shall be paid"


The other laughed bitterly "lhaven't
enough in the world TO get my boots
BACKED, if had the boots"


The citizen took the dirty mans arm
i'm his and took him home to dinner He
gave him an order on clothier. and had
him decently shaved. The man departed
with gentlemanly habits, money in his
purse, and heart full of gratitude and
revived hopes


A lady, at the breaking out of the war,
was compelled to break marriage en-
gagemeut witha a gentleman from Charles
ton. During the war she has been mar
ried ip this city. A day or two ago, up
on Broadway. she encountered, i'll a
weaiy-gaited, perspiring and slip-shod
rebel lieutenant, the man to whom she
was first betrothed At the time, she
was leaning upon her husbands ARM
He was familiar with the story of her
first attachment.


Heavens" said the lady, scarcely
audible, "that-is T"


The husband left her side immediate
". and hailed the hungry-eyed man -
The three went home together and the
late rebel may he seen every afternoon,
at present, dressed like the master of a
plantation loliing at the door of one of
the best hotels.


There are hidden in these gnarlcd
boards and tangled eyebrows many
handsome countenanCes. A change of
raiment does much to help ones charac
ter.


w ALLEN, OF Sigourney, Wisconsin,