The Drummer Boy

by J. T. Trowbridge

  XIX.

  SETH GETS "RILED."

  There is in the life of nearly every young person a turning-point ofdestiny. It may be some choice which he makes for himself, or whichothers make for him, whether of occupation, or companion, or rule oflife. It may be some deep thought which comes to him in solitaryhours,--some seed of wisdom dropped from the lips of teacher, parent, orfriend, sinking silently as starlight into the soul, and taking immortalroot there, unconsciously, perhaps, even to himself. Now it is thequickening of the spirit at the sight of God's beautiful universe--arapture of love awakened by a morning in spring, by the blue infinity ofthe sky, by the eternal loneliness and sublimity of the sea. Or, in somemoment of susceptibility, the smiles of dear home faces, the tender trillof a voice, a surge of solemn music, may have power over the young heartto change its entire future. And again, it is some vivid experience oftemptation and suffering that shapes the great hereafter. For theDivinity that maketh and loveth us is forever showering hints of beautyand blessedness to win back our wandering affections,--dropping cords ofgentlest influences to draw home again all hearts that will come.

  Then the spirit of the youth rises up within him, and says,--

  "Whereas I was blind, now I am beginning to see. And whereas I was weak,now, with God's help, I will strive for better things. Long enough have Ibeen the companion of folly, and all the days of my life have I been achild. But now I perceive that I am to become a man, and I willhenceforth think the thoughts and do the deeds of a man."

  Such an experience had come to Frank; and thus, on the new morning, as hebeheld it rise out of the sea, his spirit spake unto him.

  He answered his mother's letter, confessing that his conduct had affordedonly too good a foundation for Jack's stories.

  "The trouble, I think, is," said he, "that I wrote my promises firstwith _a pencil_. They did get a little _rubbed out_ I own. I have sincetaken _a pen_, and written them all over again, word by word, and letterby letter, _with ink_. So you may depend upon it, dear mother, that notanother syllable of my pledge will _get blurred_ or _dimmed_, either onthe _leaf of my Testament_; or on the _page of my heart_. Only _believethis_, and then you may believe as much as you please of what J. W.writes."

  Not a word to the same _J. W._ did Frank say of the base thing he haddone; and as for the revenge he had vowed, the impulse to wreak it intigerish fashion had passed like a night-fog before the breezy purity ofthe new life that had dawned.

  In a couple of days Frank had mostly recovered his equanimity. The lossof the watch was still a source of anxious grief to him, however; less onhis own account, let me say, than for the sake of the unknown giver. Norhad he, as yet, found any opportunity to atone for his rudeness to theold drum-major, who had lately, for some cause, gone over to the otherwing of the regiment on board the steamer, so that Frank yearned in vainto go to him and humbly beg forgiveness for his fault.

  "What has taken Mr. Sinjin away?" he asked of his friend, the youngcorporal.

  Gray shrugged his shoulders, and looked at Frank as if he had a good mindto tell a secret.

  "How should I know? He's such a crotchety old boy. I don't think he couldaccount for his conduct himself. He asked permission to remove hisquarters to the steamer, and got it; pretending, I believe, that he couldhave better accommodations there."

  "And _I_ believe," said Frank, "that you know more about it than youwill own."

  "Well, I have my suspicions. Shall I be candid with you, Frank? andyou'll forgive me if I hurt your feelings?"

  "Yes," said Frank, anxiously.

  "Well, then," said Gray. "I suppose you know Sinjin had taken a greatfancy to you."

  "I thought at one time he liked me."

  "At one time? I'll wager my head he was liking you the most when heappeared to the least--he's such a queer old cove! I've heard he wasdisappointed in love once, and that some friend of his proved traitor tohim; and that's what has made him so shy of showing any thing likeaffection for any body. Well, he heard of your gambling, and went to talkwith you about it, and you said something to him that wounded him so Ithink he couldn't bear the sight of you afterwards."

  The boy's heart was wrung by this revelation. What reason, he demanded toknow, had Gray for thinking thus?

  "Because I know the man, and because I know something which I think youought to know." Gray drew Frank confidentially aside. "He mayanathematize me for betraying his secret; but I think it is time to dohim justice, even against his will. Frank, it was Old Sinjin who gave youthe watch."

  Frank's heart leaped up, but fell again instantly, convulsed with painand regret.

  "Are you sure, Gray?"

  "Sure as this: I was with him when he bought the watch in Annapolis. Ihelped him to do it up in the wrappers. And it was I that pitched it intothe tent at you Thanksgiving-day evening. That is being prettysure--isn't it?"

  "And he knows that I lost it?" said Frank.

  "He had just heard so when he went to speak with you about gambling."

  "And I told him it was none of his business," said Frank, remorsefully."O, he will never forgive me now; and who can blame him? Good old man!dear, good old man! My mother told me to be always very kind to him--andhow have I repaid his goodness to me!"

  It seemed now that the boy could not control his impatience until oncemore he had seen his benefactor, confessed all to him, and heard him sayhe was forgiven for his unkindness and ingratitude.

  But the old drummer still remained on board the steamer. And Frank hadonly this faith to comfort him--that if his repentance was sincere, andhe henceforth did only what was right, all would yet be well.

  The next morning he was viewing the sunrise from the deck, when SethTucket came to his side.

  "'Once more upon the waters! yet once more! and the waves bound beneathme as the steed that knows his rider--welcome to their roar!' Only theydon't bound much, and they don't roar to-day," said Seth. "The boys havefound out it's Sunday; and as we're to have a battle 'fore the week'sout, they seem to think it's about as well to remember there's adifference in days. How are you, Manly?"

  "Better," said Frank, with a smile.

  "Happy?"--with a grimace meant to be sympathizing, but which was drollenough to be laughable.

  "Happier than I was," said the drummer boy. "Happier than I've been for along time."

  "What! not happier, now you've lost every thing, than when you was hevin'such luck at play?"

  "I wasn't happy then. I thought I was. But I was only excited. I amhappier now that I've lost every thing; it's true, Tucket."

  "Well, I swan to man! I thought you was mourning over your luck, and Iwas bringing ye sunthin' to kind o' cheer ye up. Glad to hear you've noneed. Fine day, but rather windy. Wonder what's the time!"

  So saying, Seth drew out the watch, and regarded it with provokingcoolness.

  "I'm plagued ef the darned thing hain't run down! Say, Frank, ye couldn'tthink of throwin' in the key, too--could ye? I can't wind her up withouta key."

  Frank choked a little, but his look was cheerful, as he put his hand inhis pocket, and, without a word, delivered over to the new owner of thewatch the key also.

  "Thank ye; much obleeged;" and Seth "wound her up" with extraordinaryparade. Then he shook it, and held it to his ear. Then he said, "Allright! she's a puttin' in again, lickety-switch! Good watch, that." Thenhe set it "by guess." Then he was returning it to his pocket, when a newthought seemed to strike him.

  "What do ye do for a watch-pocket, Frank? Gov'ment don't providewatch-pockets, seems."

  "I made one for myself," said Frank.

  "Sho now! ye didn't, though--did ye? What with?"

  "With a needle and thread I brought from home, and with another oldpocket," said Frank.

  "Well, you air the cutest! Say, what'll ye tax to make me one? I don'tcare to hev it very large; a small watch, so."

  A dry proposal, that. It was not enough to furnish watch and watch-key;b
ut Frank was required also to provide a watch-pocket.

  "What do ye say?" asked Seth, with a shrewd squint.

  "I'll make you one for nothing," said Frank.

  "Come, by darn!" exclaimed Seth; "none o' that, now!"

  "None of what?"

  "You're a-trying my disposition!"--And, indeed, Tucket was visibly moved;there was a tear in his eye--a bona fide tear. "I've a good disposition,nat'rally; but I shall git riled ef you say much more. I've got yourwatch, and that's all right. I've got the key, and that's all right, too.But when you talk of makin' a watch-pocket for nothin', I tell ye a saintcouldn't stand that."

  Frank, who thought he had learned to know pretty well the man's oddities,was puzzled this time.

  "I didn't mean to offend you, Tucket."

  "No, you didn't. And now see here, Manly. We'll jest compromise thismatter, ef you've no 'bjection. I've no watch-pocket, and you've nowatch. So, s'posin' you carry the watch for me, and tell me what time itis when I ax ye? That won't be too much trouble--will it?"

  "Are you in earnest?" asked Frank.

  "Yes, I be, clean up to the hub. The truth is, I can't carry that watchwith any kind o' comfort, and I'm bent on gitt'n' it off my hands, ef Ihef to throw it overboard. Here! It's yours; take it, and be darned!"said Seth.

  "I was going to propose to you,"--stammered Frank from his too fullheart,--"to take the watch, and pay you for it when I can."

  "Ez for that the pay's no consequence. I was more to blame than you; andthe loss ought to be mine."

  "But----" insisted Frank.

  "No buts! Besides, I never make bargains Sundays." And Seth turned away,abruptly, leaving the watch in Frank's hand.

  The boy would have called him back, but a rush of emotions--joy,gratitude, contrition--choked his voice. A dash of tears fell upon thewatch as he gazed on it, and pressed it, and would have kissed it, had hebeen alone. It was his again; and that, after all, was an unalloyedsatisfaction. He could lie awake nights and study days to devise means toreward Seth's generosity. And he would do it, he resolved. And Mr. Sinjinshould know that he had recovered the prize, and that he held it all themore precious since he had found out the giver.