"IS there anything I can do for you, captain?" Doctor Morris had made
the rounds of the hospital and was standing beside the bed in a narrow
little room at the end of the hall. He took the old man's feeble hand in
one of his firm ones, and with the other gently stroked the white hair
back from his wrinkled forehead. This seemed to smooth away some pain,
too, for the faded blue eyes looked up at him with a grateful smile.
"Yes," he answered, "there is. I don't like to trouble you, doctor, but
I do want a piece of an old broomstick, and if I could have it early in
the morning, I'd be very much obliged to you, sir."
"A broomstick!" repeated the doctor, in amazement, wondering if the old
man's mind was beginning to wander. "What under the sun could you do
with it?"
A faint smile crossed the captain's face. Then a spell of coughing
delayed the answer for a moment.
"I want to carve something," he panted, "and broom-handle wood is easy
to cut. The nurse has been like an angel to me all these weeks that I
have been in the hospital. Ever since they moved me into this room by
myself, I've known that I haven't much longer to live, and I want to
leave her something to show that I appreciate her kindness, and was
grateful for it."
The doctor pressed the old man's hand as he went on: "I've been thinking
I would like to make her a little chain. My grandfather taught me to
carve such things when I was a lad. He was a Swiss, you know, and
followed my mother over to this country soon after I was born. He was so
old that all he could do was just to sit under the trees and carve
little toys to amuse the children. I have his pocket-knife yet," he
added, with a smile of childish satisfaction that made the old face
pathetic.
He looked down at his right hand, so twisted out of shape that it was
nearly useless. "I can't do as good work as I used to do thirty years
ago, before that Minie ball crippled me," he said. "But Miss Mary will
make allowances; she will know that I remembered and was grateful, don't
you think?" he asked, anxiously.
"Most certainly," answered the doctor, stooping to arrange the patient's
pillows more comfortably about him. "But, captain, I am afraid that I
can't allow you to undertake anything that will be a tax on your
strength. You haven't any to spare."
So deep a shade of disappointment crept into the old man's wistful eyes
that the doctor felt an ache in his throat, and drove it away with a
little laugh. "Pshaw!" he said, hastily. "You shall have a mile of
broomsticks if you want them. I'll send my son Max up with one inside
the next hour."
The gong had just struck the signal for dismissal in the third-ward
school building, when the busy physician drove up to the curbstone in
his sleigh to get his boy. "Max will be down in a minute, Doctor
Morris!" called a boy, as he ran past the sleigh with his skates slung
over his shoulder. "Miss Clay kept some of 'em to see about celebrating
Washington's Birthday."
"Thank you, Ned," answered the doctor. He drew the robes closer about
him as he walked the horse up and down, for there was a keen wind
blowing this cold February afternoon. Presently a group of boys loitered
by and stood on the corner, waiting for the rest of Miss Clay's pupils
to join them.
"I'm glad Miss Clay isn't my teacher!" one of them exclaimed, in a loud
voice. "Skating's too good now to waste time learning to spout pieces."
"Well, I think it's about time to give George Washington a rest," said
the largest boy in the group. "He's a back number, and I'll tell her so,
too, if she asks me to say any of her old pieces."
"That's a pretty way to talk about the Father of your Country!" piped up
a little fellow in spectacles, who was sliding on the ice in the
gutter. "Back number! I just dare you to say that to Miss Clay!"
The doctor overheard this, but he did not hear the quarrel that
followed, for Max came running down just then, and climbed into the
sleigh.
"You're late to-day, my boy. What's the trouble?"
"Oh, Miss Clay kept us to arrange a programme for Washington's Birthday,
and nobody wanted to take part. We're all tired of the same old thing
year after year--just songs and recitations and dialogues about the same
old fellow!"
"A fine lot of patriots this next generation is going to turn out!" said
the doctor, so sternly that Max gave him a quick glance of surprise, and
then flushed at his evident disapproval. The grim look crept into the
man's eyes that was always there when he was absorbed in a critical
case.
"O papa, are we going home?" cried Max, in a disappointed tone, as the
horse turned in that direction.
"For a few minutes," answered Doctor Morris. "I want you to take
something to one of my patients at the hospital. I'll leave you with
him while I go on to the Berridge place."
Max, who had expected a long sleigh-ride, forgot his disappointment when
he found that Captain Wilshire was an old soldier, who bore the scars of
more than one battle. An internal wound, received at Shiloh, still
troubled him at times, and exposure during the last year of the war had
brought on the consumption that was now slowly taking his life away.
"He is one of the truest patriots it has ever been my honour to meet,"
said the doctor. "I have known many statesmen in my time, several
generals and two Presidents. Any one of them might well be proud to take
off his hat to Joe Wilshire. When you see the old hero lying alone, Max,
in that cheerless little room in the hospital, I want you to think of
the reason why I so greatly respect him. It is not simply because he was
brave in battle, or because his heroic cheerfulness kept him alive
through half a year in Libby Prison, or because he came home with the
seeds of disease planted in his system and his good right hand crippled
and useless. Many a man has encountered these tests, and yet has lost
his zeal for his country as soon as the cannon smoke cleared away and
the martial music was done."
"Then why is it, papa?" asked Max, for they had reached the house, and
the doctor was looking in the bottom of the sleigh for the
hitching-strap.
"Well, when he came home, he was of course poor. He made a meagre living
for his wife and baby with only a few acres of land and of fruit-trees
with which to do it. Several times his old comrades suggested to him
that he ought to apply for some fat government office, but he always
said, 'Boys, I know that you mean well, and that you and my friends
could probably get me in on the score of my being a disabled soldier;
but I know and you know that I am not competent to fill such an office.
If I could fill an office, and at the same time serve my country by
doing so, I'd unhesitatingly take one. But I'd only be serving myself by
filling my pockets at the government's expense. No, I'm obliged to you,
boys, but I can't feel that it would be exactly honourable.'
"Now that's patriotism, Max, of the highest type, showing unselfish
loyalty and love of country!" exclaimed the doctor, as he sprang out of
the sleigh. "I was disturbed and hurt just now, when I heard the boys
talking about Washington being a 'back number.' It hurt because there is
some truth in it. Wars call out such generals, but there are too few men
in these times of peace who step into office with Washington's high,
unselfish motives. And I fear the number is few of men who will
deliberately give up the honour and emolument of office because they
believe some one else can render better service, or because principle
pulls harder than public purse-strings. Yes, such patriotism is getting
to be a 'back number'--so far back that it has grown burdensome for some
people to honour it, even once a year."
Max had seldom heard his father speak so indignantly before, and looked
at him in surprise as he gave a final fierce tug at the knot he had tied
in the halter.
An hour later, when Doctor Morris called at the hospital, Max came
running down-stairs with his eyes shining and an old battered canteen
under his arm. "The captain gave it to me!" he said. "He has ever so
many old relics in his chest, and there is a splendid story about each
one. O papa, isn't he just the lovablest old man? He asked me to come
often and bring some of the boys. He says he gets so lonesome!"
Nobody but the nurse knew how many times Max climbed the hospital stairs
during the next two weeks. At first he always brought some boy with him
to listen to the captain's stories, and carry away some relic as a
treasured keepsake from the chest beside his bed; but later, the captain
coughed too frequently to talk much. Then Max came alone, with bunches
of hothouse flowers and little paper bags full of tempting fruit.
No matter when the boy came, he always found the captain busy with his
carving. Day by day the old broomstick was slowly approaching a
wonderful transformation. It would soon be turned into a long, slender
chain, with each tiny, separate link perfectly fashioned. Sometimes, the
nurse, not knowing that it was intended for her, and wondering at the
old man's childish impatience to finish it, would gently insist on
taking it out of his feverish fingers.
"Wait till to-morrow, when you are stronger," she would urge. He would
then reluctantly give it up, but the thought of his work stayed with
him. Even in his sleep his poor crippled hand bent as if to grasp it,
and the left one feebly repeated the motions of wielding a knife.
"I have set my heart on having it done by Washington's Birthday," he
whispered one day to Max. "Oh, if I can only hold out to finish it!" he
added, as he sank back wearily. The nurse put the unfinished work aside,
but the next morning he begged so imploringly for it that she had not
the heart to refuse.
When the twenty-second of February came, Miss Clay's schoolroom was in
gala dress for the occasion. She had been untiring in her efforts to
make the ceremonies a success, but unconsciously to himself the old
captain had done far more than she to arouse an interest in the
programme.
Max came first with his old canteen, and repeated the story that the
captain had told him, of the brave comrade who had carried it. Then one
of the boys brought an old army cape of faded blue, and another a broken
spur. Simple tales were told of love and loyalty that had never found
their way into print, but they stirred the hearts of the hearers in the
schoolroom with a pathetic tenderness for these unknown men who had
been so bravely true.
Doctor Morris came into the room just in time to see the big fellow
stand up who had declared the Father of his Country a "back number." He,
too, had been with the captain, for he carried an old blood-stained,
bullet-torn flag. He told its history so well that the tears came to his
eyes in his earnestness, and the audience sympathized with the feeling
and applauded him when he had finished.
"I see that we have a member of the school board with us," said Miss
Clay, bowing to Doctor Morris. "We want to hear from him before we have
our last song."
This was the opportunity the doctor was waiting for. He took a little
package from his pocket. It was the captain's finished chain, from which
hung a tiny anchor, beautifully carved and polished. "The nurse showed
this to me a little while ago," he said, "and I asked her to let me
bring it here for you to see."
The speech that followed was very much like the one he had made to Max
in the sleigh--all afire with admiration for the man who, with crippled
hand and with empty pockets, had turned his back on office, for love of
country, for conscience' sake.
"But of all the noble lessons of this old man's life," he said, in
conclusion, "none is more beautiful in spirit than this last act; this
expression of gratitude to his faithful nurse. What is so commonplace,
so soon forgotten as a bit of old broom-handle? But look at this." Again
he held up the chain. "See the transforming power of a noble purpose! He
has made of it an anchor, and fastened to her heart, with every link,
the memory of his great gratitude.
"I don't want to preach," he went on, "but I must say that you young
people, I fear, miss the spirit with which the nation should honour this
day, if you do not see that the success of its celebration depends
entirely on this same transforming power. A heartfelt gratitude to the
heroes who won and kept our liberty can make beautiful the most
commonplace act of commemoration."
Later, when the February afternoon was nearing twilight, there was a
muffled sound of fife and drum on the hospital stairs. The many feet
stepped lightly, but with a measured tramp, tramp as Miss Clay's school
marched down the long corridor, four abreast.
The captain had been delirious at intervals all the afternoon. Now he
opened his eyes with a puzzled expression, for the martial music made
him forget his surroundings.
"It's just the young people from the school," explained the nurse,
opening the door wider, that he might see the long rows of bright-faced
boys and girls in the hall.
Max came in and took the old soldier's hand, stroking it affectionately
while he talked. "They're going to sing 'Hail Columbia,' captain. You
know how it goes:
"Let independence be our boast,
Ever mindful what it cost,
Ever grateful for the prize!"
"You see we never were really 'mindful what it cost' until we knew you,
captain," Max went on, "so we never thought about being especially
grateful to anybody before. This is a sort of thank-offering to such men
as Washington--and you."
The captain tried to raise himself from the pillows--tried to speak some
word of greeting to the young people who were watching him, but sank
back exhausted.
"I can't!" he said to the nurse in a voice that trembled pitifully. "You
tell them how glad--how proud--" Then speech failed him. The next moment
the boys and girls began to sing.
A happy light came into the dim old eyes, as the sweet voices were
lifted up in the inspiring airs that he loved so well.
They marched out softly when the songs were done, waving good-bye to him
with their handkerchiefs. Down the street the music of fife and drum
sounded fainter and fainter. The room was growing dark.
Max, who lingered behind, saw the white head turn on the pillow and
heard a long-drawn sigh of satisfaction: "The dear children! God help
'em to keep the old flag flying!" And that was the captain's last
audible prayer.