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Show 13-t ROEBUCK. service. Abr:thnm, Reeing that no other person was willing, felt thaL it \n1 , inctnnbeni on himf-ielf to cliseharge the duty " 'hich he had p~·opo!'3ec1. I~e .therefore walked to the h eatl of the g rave, took ofi lus cap, lifte<l up his ha.nd:::; an<.l beg:tn to pr:~)~· In conuno.n nfTair::; \Vhich belonged to every-day h lc he " ra,. sensible and his langnage \vas direct and Rirnplc. DuL when, fr01n relig ious zeal, he aspired to perio nnan ce~ whi h exerciJe the hjgher faculties of educated nwn, he floundereJ into absurdities of thought anu language which were ahno.'t profane in spiLe of~ his siuc.ere piety. On thi~ occasion he ~ oon r ::unblccl Into a k111cl of funera1 diRconr. e upon the life and character of the deceased, such a~ c:-tn sc:-trce.1y be imagined \vithout the aid of a Rpe 'in1en : . "We lay his n1ortal body in the du~t-leastways 1t was du t b efore the rain. \V e pray that his itnmortal soul n1ny go where the 'vi ~·kcd cease fi·on1 troubling and the 'veary are at rest, that is if it ain't popish to pray for his soul when he's deacl ana buried, and if it is, we ax pardon and take it back. lie " 'a a 1nighty good yonug 1nan :1!:> \ve know('ll hirn at honlC. lie was a 1nighty Lra,re soldier. lie fou't in this 'ero great battle agin the great co1npany, the n1ig hty army that cotne out of the North parts w hi<;h \VO' ve \vhipped and put to fli g ht, only a good 1nany of 'en1 ·was killed and ~oultln' t fly. lie \Vas l·illed ·ncldcntly in pursuin' of 'em when the big fight \V:t • <.lone (ou' i, and it w·as a pity any n1ore 1nen \vas kill d HO l:lLe in the cvenin'. lie fo u't in that battle ·when he 'va'n't able to fio·ht by bo-ood ri o·hts becase he'd been runnin' oif b b ' \vith chronic diree for n1o: t a Inonih. Dat he wouldn·t stay back. IIe \\ras a \Villin' and a bravo man, and he 'vood a fou't ng in in the next big battle, ef any more R 0 E B U C IC. 135 mighty armies con1e out of the North part. , prov i<.lin' the diree didn't take hirn oif in the cencl. '' BnL afLer son1e tirne tho pion.' cooper dropped thjs r:unbling Jj course and g:-tve, in ho1uely bnL sensible , lnng uage, expression to t h o.'e genuine ctnoUons \vhieh good 1nen feel 'vhcn th y stand in the presence of death and before the J udgc of q nick nud dead. \ Vh <'n in the mid.'t of his uncouth dialect his n1en1ory F>np plied Ron1e of the ailccting phrases ·which the scriptures lend to the cxpre sion of pen;onal piety or tho sublime im:-tgery 'vith \vhich t hey allude to the \vorld beyonu the to1nb, he seen1ecl uhno t eloquent. IIis pathetic earne~tne1;s n1eltc l son1e of the soldiers around him to tears. They indeed di l uot s1nile at those absurdities by 'vhich he n1:-tde sacred things appear mean and ridiculou ', for besides the sadne s of the scene, they respect cl the pre:tehing cooper as a sincere, faithful and l>rnve ruan. lii .· piety ilcnccd their censure, even " 'hen his pre~ ttnl}>tion 1nigh t have shocked thctn. An hour after tho concln ·ion of this scen e, Captain Palmer, the qumtcr-1naster, sat in the Joor of a tent conversing \vith a person \Vho \vas pre~ent at t he g rave nbout the strange proceeJings of the cxLcn1pore chaplain. ,. Abrahan1 l\Iarlin is a p stilent olu fool," saicl Palmer, in a loud t one. " \Vas that n1cant for 1ny car ?" asked a young 1nan \Vho \Vas pas~ing the tent and who inrncd abruptly to Pahner. "Who arc yon (?'' r ejoined the latter. "I ~un the ·on of Abrahan1 l\larlin." "0, ]lark l\Iarlin! I 've h eard of you. 1 r epeat what I said, and thi::; time for your cars. Abraham l\Iarlin is a p cstilcu L old fool." "It iH false, and no o-entlemnn \vould say such a thing about any man to 0 his son.'' |