The Cedarville Herald, Volume 12, Numbers 1-26

M l The Cedarville Herald. W, H. BLAIR, Publlibar. CEDARVILLE, s i i OHIO. NATURE'S MELODIES. ~ . la tho happy day* of aumraer When I hew th* robin*! c*lV And. the chirping o( tha cricket Near the tinkling waterfall; The soft lowing ot the cattle In the eveninghomeward bound, And the drummlng ot the partrldge-- Hld in grain field*, golden crowned! And in atrpUIpe through the tore.it, Hear the rourm’roua song of love In the music ot the zephyr* And the rustling leave* above— I hove wondered if InHeaven There are voices, sweet as these— lith e aephyrs and the robins . Hake such muslo in the trees! Whenthe storm god speeds his chariot Through tho heavens clothed In flame** While the war-cries ot his cohorts • proudly thunder in acclaim I When all nature seem* at battle, And tho booming ot tbe deep Bounds a requiem grand and solemn, For tbe wrecked H bolds In keep*, When, the battle’s din subsiding, .. • I henr murmurs asotpuln, And r fanoy angels weeping In tho patter ot the rain— Does tbe echo of tho thunder And the occnmblllows’ moan Swell the anthem of devotion Of tbe legions round the throne! When, on peaoeful Sabbath morning Breaks the. JoyouB peal of obimes, And the people sing their praises To tho God of all the dimes; When, by raptured congregation, *•% - An angeilo voice Is heard Rising—fioatlngthrough the arches Aa the trilling of a b ird - Thbn no longer do I question " if in Heaven e’er suoh notes Greet the Legions ot the Ransomed 1 as to weary pilgrim floats; For the Father—in His meroy— , Send*His sweetest songsters here T* woo and lure the eouls of men To the higher, better sphere1„ —Elmer Bill, In Inter Ocean. A Story of the Late War. BERNARD B IG SBY , uthor of “ Loyal at L a»V •*Hy Lady Fa ta*- . . tic.” “ SUm’s OrMt Becrat,” **$*U Among Thieves,” Etc. 'Copyright, 1891 . by A.. N. Kellogg Newspaper Co. CHAPTER VIL-COOTUrtfeD., “ No, pyay, Mrs. Bcsant. don’t disturb her. I really must bo goings—Flossio will bo thinking I have fainted by tho wayside," and the young man hurried away, eager to escape the spinster from Chicago, who was “ not at all good looking and rather passed" Imagine his chagrin then, when, ns he turned to fasten the garden-gate, ho saw Mrs. Bcsant, who had followed him out on the veranda, standing .with her arm embracing the waist o f the pret­ tiest girt Mark Henderson had ever seen in his life—such a vision of youthful loveliness that he stood for the moment transfixed—and to think that, if he had only known, he might have escorted these two pretty women to his sister's house. Well, he'd pay Flossio out for the joke she had played him, anyhow, and make up for lost time in tho even- his returnt o his sister’s, he found that the parsonage people had already arrived and that Dr, Borrows had brought an addition to the party in the shape of a young Methodist minister, a recent arrival in the place. “ I wanted to be civil to the fellow," Harry whispered in Mark’s car, “ but I’m afraid you'll find him an awful bore.” Rev. Lubin Ferry came up a t. that moment for an introduction to the hero o f the evening. He was a gentle, over- tm j / m s WAS A GENTLE, OVERGROWN YOUNG MAN. grown young man, who wore glasses and dropped perpetually sanctimonious phrases from his lips; little scraps of devotional expressions that were never intended to pass as colloquial currency hi common conversation—as different a man frot» tho big-hearted, broad-prin­ cipled, scholarly Josiah Brentwood as it'ww; possible to conceive. Moreover, he Was the only «on o f a widow, who had tied him to hor apron-string from the time ho wus a little lad. following m to college. Mad never letting him :to f her sight for more than n few hours in his whole life, and the young man'had become' so imbued with this maternal solicitude that he dragged his mother’s sentiments into every thought be uttered, to Mark Henderson’s in­ tense disgust, especially when be learned afterwards that the mamma was a selfish, vulgar old body, who took every cent o f her son’s earnings and mode him wait on her hand and foot. “ I’m so glad to meet you, Captain Henderson," theyoungminlstcr gushed, taking Mark’s brawny hand in both his chubby white ones and nursing it af­ fectionately. “ The repose of this quiet spot must- be very soothing, after the turmoil of battle—wounded, too, they tell me you’ve been. Well, as ma says, we’ve much to be thankful for in this vale of tears.” “ Yet I don’t feel particularly grate­ ful foe a bullet in my shoulder-blade," Mark said,..-abruptly, disengaging his hand from the minister’s grasp. “ Ah,-no. Bless me, no. I didn’t mean that at all; Out do. lot mo intro­ duce you to my sweet young friend Grace Brentwood," and with an air of proprietorship he took the soldier across Hie room and made him known to Miss Brentwood, with as much sangfroid as though he had been familiar with that young person from girlhood. ■ A few hours later Mark heard him talking of; Mrs. Besnnt’s niece as “my dear young friend Kate Lester,’! and wondered what there was in the clerical profes­ sion that permitted such breaches qf social etiquette, or, as he called it, I am sorry to say, “ unlimited gall.” Grace and the Captain became fast friends, and when he told her delicious little anecdotes of Frank’s bravery and general heroism, you may be sure he did not lose favor in her eyes, which literally shone with gratification. Then ho had the delightful privilege of lead­ ing Kate Lester in to supper and sitting beside her. Beautiful! Well, ho. knew' notwhich to admire most, the prettiness of her face or the piquancy o f hor man­ ner. Miss Ruth sat on the other side of him' at the table, and took perhaps a little more thun her share .of the soldier’s at­ tention—at least so thought MisS^jpS' ter, if one could judge from her loot The conversation was general and.of course about, the war, for in t/iose stirring.days no two or three qould gather together without drifting' Into the thrilling channels of that prolific subject. This person and that known to the party personally or by hearsay were mentioned and tlieir actions' dis­ cussed, Frank Bcsant, of course, com­ ing in for more than his share of the general interest, when Miss Ruth pro­ pounded a question which seemed to cause a little flutter among the par­ sonage party. “ Did'you, when you Were with Frank Besant, hear any thing of a young man named James Lawson?” she asked her military neighbor. There was a lull in tho conversation, so the question was painfully distinct. Before he could reply Mr. Lubin Fer­ ry stretched his.long neck forward, and speaking, across the table began: “ Mnsays she has heard that James Lawson is^—” “ I was hot asking what your mu said, brother Ferry," Miss Ruth snapped, severely. “ Now, perhaps, you’ll allow Captain Henderson to answer my ques­ tion." “ Really, inarm," Mark replied, with a smile at the Indy’s petulance, “ I don’t think I lmvp the pleasure of the gentle­ man's acquaintance. Is he one of Lieu­ tenant Bcsant's brother' officers?” “ I suppose he is—he enlisted at the same time and in the same regiment, I have only, heard once from him since he left”—how defiantly she- looked at her brother—“ and then he said ho was a full-private, which I suppose is a step on the ladder of rank.” “ You surely don’t mean a tall, ungain­ ly fellow with light hair and eyes that look two ways at once—ah, yes, I think Bcsant did say lie came from the same place he did—well, if. that is the man you allude to, Miss Brentwood. I did see him the very night before 1left tho camp. He was a full private still. Miss Ruth—so full, that * corporals’ guard was hustling him off to the caboose.” A general laugh greeted this unhappy reminiscence, and from that moment Captain Henderson sank many degrees ! below zero in Miss Brentwood's cstima- |tion. I Notwithstanding this little eontro­ temp, they spent a most delightful evon- ; Ing, to whi ’lt Mark Henderson's mind j often wandered in the lore hour* by *the camp-fire, with Kate Lest >r\s sweet : face ns the crowning eenter-picee of the |whole delightful reflection, j After supper he enjoyed a charming talk with the two young Indies, which was only interrupted at nine o'clock, when Rev. Lubin came to bid them good-night, ns ma didn't approve of his keeping Into hours. When ho was gone Harry Burrows brought forth seme excellent cigars and Mr. Brentwood and the younger men by the gracious consent of the Indies were soon in the full enjoyment of the fragrant weed. “ I don’t suppose brother Ferry smokes,” Harry Burrowstixplained. “ I’m sure he doesn't,” Miss Iluth 1snapped. “ His ma wouldn't let him.", j By and by they drifted into more se- |a’ious conversation, and Sirs. Besant j explained a plan she had matured of es- , tablisliing a woman’s Working club for 1the preparation of necessaries and com­ forts for the soldiers, appealing to Mark Henderson for suggestions, which aho accepted with an air i t that was very gratifying to tho young man, who had s flattering opinion of his own Judgment, and Uljfed, «ui wo do, to be considered an authority. Then all too soon they went home, and Flossie forthwith began to cate­ chise her brother, who seemed no wise reluctant to gratify her curiosity. “ Well, Marie, what, do you think of my pretty widow?” “ She is charming." “ And Grace Brentwood?" “ Pretty as a peach. But Miss Lester is the sweetest, loveliest girl I ever met In all my life." “Gli!” It was all his sister said, but the little monosyllable expressed a volume. CHAPTER VIII. yORTDONKLSQN. Meanwhile how, fared it with Frank Besant and the gallant boys of the Fighting Fourth? You may bo assured that they were indulging in no quiet little tea-parties and mild flirtations— to thorn rather the stern realities of the tented field, the dangers, privations and miseries of those whose trade is war. ■ But before L resume the thread of my story 1 must trespass on my read­ er’s patience, while we take q passing glance at the chess-board- oh vrhm this stupendous game of human slaugh­ ter was being played. Halleck had succeeded Fremont as Commander-in-Chiof of the Department o f the Missouri with headquurters at St. Louis. This department was divided into’sev­ eral districts, of which we have princi­ pally to do with those o f “ Cairo,” under command of General Grant, and “ Ohio,” under Buell. Now the Confederates held that Ken­ tucky naturally belonged to them, and the dawn of 1803 saw them with a line of fortifications dotted across that State “ DIUNK EVERY DROP OF IT.” and held by strong detachments—prom­ inently Columbus, -on- the Mississippi, Fort Henry on the Tennessee, FortDon- cison (twelve miles distant by land) on tho Cumberland, Bow1‘ rig Green, JMill Spring and Cumberland Gap. The crit­ ical points in this long line o f ramparts wore Fort ilenry and Fort Done/son, the center, and the keys to Southern Kentucky and Tennessee, If these were taken the whole was untenable. Now, while our hero was on tho march to join General Buell’s command,, preparations were made for this mo­ mentous enterprise, and its execution wns intrusted to General Grant, who on the noth of January moved from Cairo witli a force of seventeen thou­ sand men, assured of the co-operation of Commodore Foote, in command.of a ’flotilla of gun-boats. The idea was for tho fleet to reduce the fort-, while Grant cut off the retreat by land, but Confederate General Tihl- man, seeing from the first that resist­ ance was useless, sent his garrison of three thousand men to Fort Donclson, and nominally held Fort Henry with a handful of brave defenders, who, of course, after » feeble resistance, sur­ rendered. Grant r .d Foote then turned their at­ tentions to Fort Donclson. And all this time the boys of the Fourth were leisurely making their way to Buell, impeded however by small engagements with the enemy and constantly exposed to irritating attacks of guerrillas. , On tlie night of the Gth of February the regiment was in camp—at least tho boys were bivouacking aronncl such scanty fires as the rain-drenched char­ acter* of the brushwood nnd rotten logs they had gathered permitted. By this time, you must know, they had gotie through so much suffering ahd sycn blood so often shed, that their cheeks no longer blanched at thought of death, nor their sense revolted at sight of gap- : ing wound or ghastly corpse. They were “ old soldiers” now—veterans in : all' but years. On the windward side of one smold­ ering heap of smoking, brush a little group of officers was gathered, Tho surroundings were miserable enough, ’ but not all tire wretchedness of scene 1 and season could repress the. reckless j dispositions of those gallant lads, who j were “ yarning" with ns much exhilara­ tion as though they had not a gloomy, starless sky for a roof nnd a waste of i sodden sand for a carpet. | “ Say, boys," said one with a laugh, ' pointing to a tall, cloaked figure,_recoil- ; ing among the trees, “ there goes Billy' Sawbones with Ids trpds under his arm J—some poor fellow’s is for a knifing,” I Yet no more humane man ever prnc- I ticed the healing a** that William ■•anders, who waa loved hy Urn boy* ptme tha less alneowdy W m um tfcay joked about him—had Galen himself cast his lot with them, lie would have had to tun the gauntlet o f their boister­ ous wit: for from Colonel to drummer- boy not qne was there whose name was not perverted to some rough soubriquet, j “ Ah, Billy’s a broth of a hoy," said j another, knocking the ashes out of big pipe. “Did you ever hear bow he served Ithe Irish navy, when we were in camp at Sedalia?” ‘ “ No, wliat did ho. do?” , came in a chorus. “ VVhy, there were a score of laborers engaged in making a road to tho camp, big, rough fellows, not long onfcfroin. the old country. Billy had the job of doctoring them, which, what with bruises from drunken rows and a smart touch of ague, that liaifnted the place just then, was no sinecure, But Billy’s greatest trouble was the constant de­ mand they mode on him for castor-oil, which they used to such an extent that lie began to think it was their National beverage. The truth leaked out at last: tho fellows greased thfeir shoes with it. Many a man would have got in a passion on making such a'discov­ ery, but not so Billy. He just bided his time; and when one day, a big, hulking fellow brought a four-ounce phial to be filled, Billy wns as mild as mother’s milk with him. ‘You say you have pains in the hack, my man, which a few doses,of this oil relieves?’ ho asked the interesting patient., ‘Uowly Mothcrl’ was the reply; ‘but it’s bended double I am wid ’em.' Bill poured the rich, creamy, golden fluid into the man’s bot­ tle, and he was just making off with his prize; when up flew the doctor’s hand clntehing the butt of a revolver as big as a small cannon, its glittering ban-el pointed straight at tbe victim’s head: ‘Not another step,’ the doctor roared. ‘Drink every drop of it on the spot, or I’ll- blow the roof of your head off!’ So Billy had no more calls for- castor-oil.” A roar of laughter reward id the nar­ rator, which wns checked hy the hasty advent of an orderly, who said: “ Is Lieutenant- Besant here, gentle­ men?” “ Here I am,” cried Frank, stepping forward. "Whnt is it?” “ Major Hopkins says, will‘you take a file of men and a cot to1tho picket by the creclt bridge to fetch in a wounded officer? Quick as you can, sir.” “ I told you-so, boys,” muttered the man who had called attention to the doctor, while "Frankhurriedly got ready for the sad duty. On nearing the ‘little bridge, which spanned the muddy creek, he found Dr. Saunders kneeling "over a prostrate fig­ ure, while u soldier hold a lantern for him, and the sentry- stood' resting on his musket and gazing at the painful scene. Beside them was a horse, whose hang­ ing head and heaving flanks told of hard usage. . “ Who is it, doctor?" Frank asked, anxiously. ' “ A cavalry man—a mere lad—cut all ] to pieces—but wo must get him into >field hospital os quickly os possible, j Sec, here’s a dispatch I took from - him. ! I’d hard work ,to get it, .poor boy, lie clutched it so tightly. I guess you’d better hurry off With it to the Colonel ! and leave your men to help me in with shim.” a piece of advice which Frank ! promptly ncted on. j As Colonel Fulton tore open the blood­ stained missive his eyes flashed and the |color mounted to his check. “ By henv- |en,” ho said, “ this is glorious news, ! We are ordered to reinforce Grunt at ; Fort Donclson. Order taps to be beaten I and all lights out in tho camp; for the j boys must have some sleep before they ■j take the road again.” . On the evening of the ,12th o f Febru- ! ary the Fighting Fourth, Wearied with j a long day’s inarch over swamps and ; brushwood, joined the Union forces, , now increased to thirty thousand men. j The fort Itself, occupying about one 1hundred acres, stood on a bluff a hun­ dred feet high, with sixty-five guns threatening approach by the river, but ; almost unprotected from the land side; : save for the inaccessible ruggednesa of the ground nnd the heavy trees which had been felled, and which proved to bo formidable abatis. Already Grant had , made an unsuccessful attack upon a . battery commanding a road upon which he was trying to move. * .•As the men lay on the bare grqund without tents, without fires,, mahy ' without even blankets, a cruel storm of sleet and snow swept over them arid tho thermometer fell to 13 degrees above zero, wliila some of the poor wounded heroes literally froze to death on tlieir icy resting-places. ’ Next day the battle was resumed with alternate success and failure. ; In the afternoon the deafening can- ' nonadc of the fort-guns'told them that ( Foote's gun-boats were already in ad- *vance. . At four o'clock Frank found himself ■\ In command of his company, for his Captain was wounded and had been carried to the rear. Twice they had charged, and once again ho waa rally­ ing them, when a sharp voice cried in ■tone of command: , “ Halt, sir! Give your men breathing *time. I)o you not see that your line is not half formed?” Turning with impatience at tlie re­ buke, lie saw a man with ft ratlicf i slight, ungainly figure With slouch liai Jand undress uniform. He knew not then ] that lie was gazing at that son of ties- j tiny, Ulysses Grant. But ere the angry reply rose to the PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL, —Charles Fqehtor left the jewelry- worn hy him a* Hamlet to Lester Wal- leek. Wallack left it to Mme. Ponisi,' and she In turn has given it to Freder­ ick Paulding. —Brigham Young’s grave is covered by a plain and inconspicuous slab of granite. It lies in an inclosed city lot in Salt Lake city, surrounded by a low Iron fence. A few of the prophet's wives are buried near. * —The privilege of examining the tongues and feeling the pulse of the royal family of Slam has been assigned to Dr. W. R. Lee,- a young physician from this country, who was sent out by by the Presbyterian board of foreign missions. —Mr. Grover Cleveland is perhaps less of a club man than almost any other New Yorker of equal prominence Ho­ is a member of the Manhattan, Demo­ cratic and Reform clubs, to be sure, but. rarely visits any o f them except on’ the occasion of a dinner party to which he has been invited. —Anew safety match lias been pat­ ented in England^by a Belgian, who places on different parts of the same match two compositions, which, in or­ dinary safety matches, are generally placed respectively on tho box and on the end of the match. In obtaining a light the match is broken across the middle and the ends rubbed together. —The queen of Spain’s reason for re­ tarding the completion of the palace which is being built at San Sebastian has at last -been divulged. The palace is built privately by the queen; and it is in order to prevent overdrawing her banking account that she has deter­ mined to have the building flnishedonly in the course of next year, .when she is- able to pay the architects. —"When I was a lad," says Mr. La- bouchere, “ women took for a time to- wearing short, red petticoats, with a skirt over them, which they could by means of a string draw up above the petticoat, ■and they wore, Balmoral boots coming half way up the calf. This was the. most becoming and prac­ tical dress that I have seen worn dur­ ing my sojourn on this globe.” ■ * —Mrs. William Kissam Vanderbilt is undeniably handsome. Her height is a little, above medium, and she has a full- rounded figure with perfectly molded arms and shoulders. Her eyes are large, dark gray, and the white lids a trifle heavy. Her. nose is short dud straight, and her complexion a creamy white, while her hair is dark brown. She always dresses in tbe best taste. —Ex-Gov. Ames, of Massachusetts, was once asked -.to pay a physician one thousand dollars for services, which the - wealthy patient did not consider worth that much. But os liis medical adviser would not reduce the bill one cent, two checks for five hundred dollars each were sent in payment,1one distinctly stating that it was for professional at­ tendance and the other “ for extortion.” The doctor framed the latter -check, and has it in view in his office to-day. “ A LITTLE N 3 NSENSE.” 10s- « i j latVfj lips an nld-de-cgmp rodo„ up and j saluted Frank's impertinent critic. I f TO ’BE cowttxtmb.1 —Young Closefist—“ Oh, Miss Mabel, I am so extravagantly fond o f you.” Mabel—“ Yes, I remember the glass of lemonade you once bought mo. ”—Bo ­ ton Courier. —Mrs. Bellows—“ Your socks are 1 fixed for you, my dear.” . Old Bellows (coldly)—“ Well, I couldn’ t find a darned one*when I loolced'for ’emthis morning,” —N, Y. Herald. „ —A Modern Eve.—Pansy Ann (aged 10)—“ Hey! Jimsoy, yolir mudder’s gone out and left the pantry door open. Yer wouldn’t-liook an apple, would yer?”— N. Y, Recorder. —Jake Simpson—“ You are the apple of my eye, dear.” Cora Bellows—“ And you are the peach o f mine,” “ Why the peach?” “ You atfc such q perpetual failure.”—N. Y. Herald. —Things One Would Rather, etc.— He—“ No; my music isn’t good .enough to publish.” She—“ But they publish a good deal of wretched trash, you know.”—Harvard Lampoon. —An Important Reservation,— A man will cheerfully row all Jay, Scorning both tan and blister, * To ride with a girl on river or bay, (Provided aba'* not his aistcr) —Binghamton Republican. —Mr. Summerboardcr—“ I was s!''-- tled by the dishonesty of these peoj last n ight" Mr. Citicaller—“ Indeed ” Mr. Summcrboarder—“ Yes. I saw them watering the cows before they milked them."—N. Y, Herald. * —A Pressing Suitor.—“ Will you bs my wife?" the impassioned lover asked, as he clasped his arm tight around her willing waist And gaspingly the maiden replied: “ Since 'you press me' so, I will.”—Somerville Journal. —The Man in the Moon—(0 p. m.).— n c - “ Let’s go to walkin the moonlight" She—“ All right” (9:15 p, m.).—He— “ Let’s go into the summer house. Tim confounded moon docs not'sliine there, at any rate.” She—“ All right Puelt. —Jenkins (examining the pedigree which Snobson has jest manufactured) —“ So this is your family tree, is it? And what is that big gap in tho mid­ dle?” Snobson—“ That, er,—well, er— oh, that is tho flood!’’—Rochester Talis­ man. —It CameOut —“ Did yon suffer much duringyour lllnoss, Mr. Sapson?” asked a young woman, “No. hut theah wa? one peculiar thing, dbn’t . you know. My mustache came ou t” “ Indeed! 1 wasn’ t aware thatyouhail any.’ “ Well, don’t you know,” said Sapson, rather embarrassed, “ that’s wliat I mean. It gwow, don’t you know.”—Washington Post