'"
"Pretty good, Tom," was the quick reply, "but I think I can beat it with
something more hopeful. I got it in Sunday School out in Missouri:
"'The sword and spear, of needless worth,
Shall prune the tree and plough the earth;
And Peace shall smile from shore to shore
And Nations learn to war no more.'"
The country boy's eyes gleamed with eager approval. He had fought for
nearly two years and the glory of war was beginning to lose its glamour.
"Say that again, Ned," he pleaded. "Say it again! That's the prettiest
thing I ever heard in my life!"
He was silent a moment:
"Yes, I used to think it would be glorious to hear the thunder of guns
and the shriek of shells. I've changed my mind. When I hear one of 'em
comin' now, I begin to sing to myself the old-fashioned tune I used to
hear in the revivals:
"'Hark from the tomb a doleful sound!
'My thoughts in dreadful subjects roll damnation and the dead----'
"I've an idea we're going to sing some o' them old songs on this field
pretty soon."
Again Ned thought of John and offered a silent prayer that he might not
be in those blue lines that were going to charge into the jaws which
Death had opened for them in the valley below.
John Vaughan in his tent beyond the Rappahannock was wasting no energy
worrying about the coming battle.
Pages:
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375