light artillery.

"Why, Tom! I never thought nothin' of seein' you!" exclaimed Mrs. Somers.
"I thought you was sick in the hospital."

"I am better now, and home for thirty days."

"And got your new rig on," added his father.

"Captain Barney wouldn't let me come home without my shoulder-straps. I
met him in the city. He paid the bills."

"I'll make it all right with him."

"I'll pay for it by and by. You know I have over a hundred dollars a month
now."

"Gracious me!" ejaculated Mrs. Somers, as she gazed with admiration upon
the new and elegant uniform which covered the fine form of her darling
boy.

Presently Captain Barney came into the house, and for two hours Tom fought
his battles over again, to the great satisfaction of his partial auditors.
The day passed off amid the mutual rejoicings of the parties; and the
pleasure of the occasion was only marred by the thought, on the mother's
part, that her son must soon return to the scene of strife.

The soldier boy--we beg his pardon; Lieutenant Somers--hardly went out of
the house until after dinner on the following day, when he took a walk
down to the harbor, where he was warmly greeted by all his friends. Even
Squire Pemberton seemed kindly disposed towards him, and asked him many
questions in regard to Fred. Before he went home, he was not a little
startled to receive an invitation to meet some of his friends in the town
hall in the evening, which it was impossible for him to decline.

At the appointed hour, he appeared at the hall, which was filled with
people. The lieutenant did not know what to make of it, and trembled
before his friends as he had never done before the enemies of his country.
He was cheered lustily by the men, and the women waved their
handkerchiefs, as though he had been a general of division. But his
confusion reached the climax when Captain Barney led him upon the
platform, and Mr. Boltwood, a young lawyer resident in Pinchbrook,
proceeded to address him in highly complimentary terms, reviewing his
career at Bull Run, on the Shenandoah, on the Potomac, to its culmination
at Williamsburg, and concluded by presenting him the sword which the
captain had purchased, in behalf of his friends and admirers in his native
town.

Fortunately for Tom, the speech was long, as he was enabled in some
measure to recover his self-possession. In trembling tones he thanked the
donors for their gift, and promised to use it in defence of his country as