Year: 1878

"A British soldier writes to the CONNER
eial Bulletin: Soldiers die brayely on the
battlefield and resignedly in the military
hospital on shore, hut there is something
very sad IN soldiers death at sea. The
surroundings of the ship hospital are un-
familiar to his eye: the roll OF the vessel
is painful to him, and the thought is ever
present to his mind that if he was on
shore, if he could see the green fields or
| even tina snow-clad earth, his recovery
might be possible. Although nothing
could be more comfortable than the couch
on which he lies, and scarcely any thing
more soothing than the gentle roll OF the
vessel to one in his condition, he longs to
stretch his limbs on the barrack hospital
| bed and to feel that he is On the firm
ground.


Then the thought of the lonely burial in
the wide waste of waters obtrudes itself
upon his mind. To be launched over the
vessels side into the lonely ocean. com
mitted to the deep, and left without
stone or wooden cross to mark the spot
where his mortal remains were consigned
| to their everlasting rest. All this mex
pressibly saddening to the dying soldier.
On shore his comrades would have fol-
lowed his remains to their resting place
IN the churcn-yard and fired a farewell
shot over his grave, and with reluctant
step have left him to sleep the sleep that
knows no waking till the trump of the
archangel summons the dead to juds-
ment.


How ditferen at sea! sewed up in a
hammock, the corpse to which he belongs
summoned to the egangway-slip, pa few short
| but solemn prayers said over the dead and
then the awful words, We commit this
body to the deepw A plunge and the
corpse sinds into the sea; the flag is low
cred; and the vessel sails on, and the
dead is left alone to the tossings of the
angry waves, or to sink deep into the
coral caves of the ocean. No comrade
may come in after days and drop tear
over that grave: no loving hand may
come and plant flower there it is lost:
swallowed up IL the immensity of the
great graveyard of the deep


The writer has stood by the side OF
dying comrade in the hospital of u troop
ship, and heard the dying give utterance
to such thoughts as the above.


What does the surgeon say?' he asked.
"Tell me the truth, comrade ! am rot
afraid of DEATH


ut is better that you should know the
truth. He has no hope"


II thought so. Well, Gods will be
done, but it is hard to die in the middle
of the ocean. If had been ON shore,
even IN aforeign country, IL is hard to be
buried at sea-


"The sea will give up its dead
| <ho< 1c 1t
to think of that. Scamen, they say like to
cherish the thought they will be buried at
sea; but am soldier. would die


happier if l knew that | would be buried


on shore and be followed to the grave by
; my comrades. There is something beau
tiful in a soldiers funeral on shore. The
solemn music-that Dead March in Saul /?


how uscd to love it !! My poor mother


1t will grieve her to think that I was


buried at sea. Read me that, comrade,
, about the sea giving up its dead
The chaplain at this moment approach


ed, having been sent by the surgeon He
read the passage of Scripture asked for,


and many other beautiful passages.
The dying soldier closed his eyes du-


ring the reading. He lay silent for a
long time after the chaplain had ceased
Then he opened his eyes and muttered
feeoly:


mo funeral parade; no music; no fare.


well shot over my grave--commited to the
deep. Observation-Disclosures its


dead. Comrade---my mother---Fare


well!n


And he ccased-to live.


Next day the vessel came tc a stop TO
few minutes. The ships be. was toll
ed, the flag foateo at ha # mast, and thu
soldiers of the corps to which the de
ceased belonged were paraded at the
gangway. The prayers were said, thu
: body launched over the side, and tn,
vessel resumed her course. Some of tn,
members Of otner corps on board wer'


surprised on learning, late that evening
:, that soldier had been buried during tn,
day


! 1t is better that such things, should b.


so. Nothing can be gained by sadden
! ing men unnecessarily. Cheerfulness i
: one of the most potent OF sanitary agents
Every care should be taken to maintai,
= it among large bodies of men.