er!
Heaven our reward,
Comin' nearer, shinin' clearer--
In the army o' the Lord!'

"Arter I hed sung the hymn--an' it wor all I could
do to get through--Bill seemed to be a sight
easier. He lay still, smilin' like a child on the
mother's breast. Pretty soon arter, the Major kim
in; an' wen he seed Bill lookin' so peaceful, he
says, says he, 'Why, cheer up, my lad! the sugeon
sayd as how you wor in a bad way; but you look
finely now;'--fur he didn't know it wor the death
look coming over him. 'You'll be about soon,'
says the Major, 'an' fightin' fur the flag as
brave as ever,'

"Bill didn't say nothing--he seemed to be getting
wild agin;--an' looked stupid like at our Major
till he hearn the wureds about the flag. Then he
caught his breath suddint like, an', afore we
could stop him, he had sprang to his feet--shakin'
to an' fro like a reed--but as straight as he ever
wor on parade; an', his v'ice all hoarse an' full
o' death, an' his arm in the air, he shouted,
'Aye! God--bless--the--flag! we'll fight fur it
till--' an' then we hearn a sort o' snap, an' he
fell forred--dead!

"We buried him that night, I an' my mates. I cut
off a lock o' his hair fur his poor mother, afore
we put the airth over him; an' giv it to her, wi'
poor Bill's money, faithful an' true, wen we kim
home. I've lived to be an old man since then, an'
see the Major go afore me, as I hoped to sarve
till my dyin' day; but Lord willing I shel go
next, to win the Salwation as I've fitten for, by
Bill's side, a sojer in Christ's army, in the
Etarnal Jerusalem!"

The boys took a long breath when Jerry had finished his story, and more
than one bright eye was filled with tears. The rough words, and plain,
unpolished manner of the old soldier, only heightened the impression
made by his story; and as he rose to go away, evidently much moved by
the painful recollections it excited, there was a hearty, "Thank you,
sergeant, for your story--it was real good!" Jerry only touched his cap
to the young soldiers, and marched off hastily, while the boys looked
after him in respectful silence. But young spirits so