Year: 1878

A staff officer tells this touching little
story. Riding after my General, de-
scended into little shaded hollow some
whatsimilar to" "Executioner's Hollow"
at West Point, There my horse baking
at a gully, caused me to cast my eyes
about the immediate neighborhOod,
which was between the lines of the op-
posing armies. Several of the dead lay
near. An officer, whom at the first
glance | took to be dead, lay near the
foot of small tree. But | discovered
that his eyes were turned in my direc-
zion, that his lips were moving, and
that he was trying to beckon me with
one of his bloodless hands. DismOunt-
ing | hurried to his side. A minutes s
examination showed me that he had got
his death wound. A bullet had struck
him near the centre Of. the left breast.
Yet he had lain there, unnoticed and
unrelieved, for nearly four hours. SO
he contrived to explain in struggling
whispers while arranged pillow for
him with the cape of my overcoat and
induced him to swallow some liquor,
diluted, from canteen for which a
nearly headless trooper near by had no
more use.


His rank was that of major or lieu
tenant-cOlOnel Il have forgotten now
whether the leaf on his shOulder-straps
was of silver or gold, and all the
memoranda made at the time was with
in few weeks afterward delivered into
other hands,. He was refined and noble
looking even in the pallOr, blood and
dust in which he lay. His hands were
sinewy and slender. His eyes sought
mine after he had revived little, with
Il look that everyone who has seen a
man dying on the battle field must re-
member viyidly-a look appealing for
some expression of encouragement and
hope.


There was no surgeon within mile
oa two. The man in this instance might
die at any moment. AS kindly as pos
sible | made him understand what
would have been idle to conceal, and
offered to go at once in search Of relief.
At the same time | suggested that if he
had particular word to send to any one
it might be best to intrust it to me in
case of accident. He assented, and
mOtioned toward the flask. After
swallowing little more of the liquor,
he exacted a solemn promise that l
would repeat his message, and then
proceeded in broken way and with
frequent pauses with the following
extraordinary confession:


"Perhaps you have seen," said he
"perhaps you know Miss -"
uttering the name of a certain lady and
prima donna.


had met this lady on one occasion,
and answered eyes"


"That is more than | can say-that !
have met her, mean. Ihave seen her
many times. Strange, too, | have loved
her. She never knew it-I meant she
never shonld have known 1t if it had
not come to this. am aware of the
folly of fit-have felt it all from the first.
Never mind, have loved her. IJ's the
only time ever loved woman, and
somehow, now, don't feel ashamed of
it. 1t was while she was singing
in Boston," he went on after Il pause.
81 used to go every night to hear her
mostly to see her. When she left Bos-
ton followed her to New York.
was, suppose you call it, infatuated
At any rate, was very happy whenever
could be near her. This went on for
months"


"And you did not try to become in
troduced to her--to meet her?"


mo, oh, no. could easily have ac-
complshed that. Socially, | was on q
footing that would have rendered that
an easy matter. Indeed, knew one OF
two of her personal friends. But
could never bring myself to seek for
NAL meeting. The very thought of a
drawing room meeting with her was
painful. suppose was really roman
tic and love sick, for it is a fact that !
preferred to worship her by myself
rather than run the risk of any sort OF
acquaintance with her, which would
denote her indifference. chose to keer
on cherishing her and imagining how
heavenly life would be with her instead
of subjecting myself to what would
have been, of course, an inevitable and
bitter disappointment. This did hernt
harm; Pm not sure that II did me any
II is true devoted much time to tic
selfish pleasure of watching her on til,
stage, but II might have been worse
spent, and II did one thing--it kept me