Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 1.djvu/356

 348 CALEB WINN.

And now I've had one, Chaplain,

I'm sure I'm almost done; This shot's goin' ter drop me,

I've got to turn in my gun. When I knew that I was goin',

That my march was almost through, I thought that I might die easier

Ef I could tell it ter you.

'* No, no — 'tain't that, Chaplain,

I rixt that long ago, And now. ef the Captain's ready,

Then I'm already ter go. I know that I'm fur from perfict,

But I've been a-tryin' fur years, And 'bout that comin' roll-call

I hain't got no fears.

" It's about my daughter Mary,

Who cried so when I went, Who grew so tall 'n' han'some,

So patient 'n' content; How good a girl she's alwus been!

How fair she'd grown to be, How kind she's been, and faithful,

And sot the world by me!

" Oh, God ! I can't tell it to ye!—

It came, I don't know how, But it's here, the wust of trouble,

With no help fur it now. But he came so proper and pleasin';

He seemed to love her, too ; — I'd ez soon have thought uv watchin'

Or gone ter mistrustin' you.

" But the wust uv it is, he's left her;

And she's gone well-nigh mad! It breaks my heart to see her —

You know the smile she had? She sits now with a kind uv stare

That's jest heart-breakin' ter see ; She don't know't I'm dyin', —

No, sir; she don't know me!

" How can I go 'n' leave her?

That han'some scoundrel abroad ! What does God mean by it Chaplain?

Or isn't there any God? Ez innocent ez a baby,

With him how much uv a chance? And lie, by this time, ma'be,

Travellin' over in France !

�� �