FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111  
112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   >>  
the matter." At last he said, "Come in, then; I'll see what I can do." The seekers after food accepted the ungracious invitation, followed the dog through his yard and into his house, and took seats at his table. At a signal from the master a servant went out. The host followed, and, it is supposed, instructed her. The host returned, and was soon followed by the servant bearing two plates, which were placed before the survivors. Alas! that they should "survive" to see that the plates contained the heads, tails, fins, and vertebrae of the fish, fresh from the river, which the family of this hero and sufferer from the evils of war had devoured at their early, and, no doubt, cozy breakfast. Survivor No. 1 looked at Survivor No. 2, Survivor No. 2 looked at Survivor No. 1, and simultaneously they rose to their feet, glanced at the "host," and strode to and out of the door. The "host" followed, amazed. "What's the matter, gentlemen? You did not eat." The "poor soldiers" replied: "No, we didn't eat; we are not dogs. Permit us to say we are satisfied it would be an injustice to the canine race to call _you_ one. You deserve to lose another mare. You are meaner than any epithets at our command." The man fairly trembled. His face was pale with rage, but he dared not reply as he would. Recovering himself, and seeing an "odorous" name in the future, he attempted apology and reparation for the insult, and complete reconciliation. "Oh, come in, come in! I'll have something cooked for you. Sorry the mistake occurred. All right, all right, boys; come in," pulling and patting the "boys." But the boys wouldn't "go in." On the contrary, they stayed out persistently, and, before they left that gate, heaped on its owner all the contempt, disdain, and scorn which they could express; flung at him all the derisive epithets which four years in the army places at a man's disposal; pooh poohed at his hypocritical regrets; and shaking off the dust of that place from their feet, pushed on to the city, the smoke of which rose to heaven. At eleven A.M. of the same day, two footsore, despondent, and penniless men stood facing the ruins of the home of a comrade who had sent a message to his mother. "Tell mother I am coming." The ruins yet smoked. A relative of the lady whose home was in ashes, and whose son said "I am coming," stood by the survivors. "Well, then," he said, "it must be true that General Lee has surrendered." The solemnity of the
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111  
112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   >>  



Top keywords:

Survivor

 

survivors

 

plates

 
epithets
 
servant
 

matter

 
mother
 

coming

 

looked

 

odorous


contempt
 

persistently

 

heaped

 

patting

 

complete

 
mistake
 

occurred

 

disdain

 

reconciliation

 
cooked

insult

 
wouldn
 

contrary

 

future

 

reparation

 

pulling

 

apology

 
attempted
 

stayed

 

message


comrade

 

facing

 

footsore

 

despondent

 

penniless

 

smoked

 

relative

 

General

 

surrendered

 

solemnity


places

 

disposal

 

derisive

 

express

 

poohed

 

hypocritical

 
heaven
 

eleven

 

pushed

 

regrets