. The blue and the gray, or, The Civil War as seen by a boy : a story of patriotism and adventure in our war for the Union . s welcome, and after a nap, and a strongcup of coffee, he felt a little better; so much so that he thoughthe would take a short walk of a block or so. The city was, soto speak, in holiday attire. The streets were teeming with anexcited yet happy-looking people, and an unusual bustle per-vaded them. He wondered why every one was crowding tothe edge of the sidewalks, and as he was about to ask a by-stander, he heard the tramp of many feet. How familiar thesound of the step
. The blue and the gray, or, The Civil War as seen by a boy : a story of patriotism and adventure in our war for the Union . s welcome, and after a nap, and a strongcup of coffee, he felt a little better; so much so that he thoughthe would take a short walk of a block or so. The city was, soto speak, in holiday attire. The streets were teeming with anexcited yet happy-looking people, and an unusual bustle per-vaded them. He wondered why every one was crowding tothe edge of the sidewalks, and as he was about to ask a by-stander, he heard the tramp of many feet. How familiar thesound of the steps was to his ear. The boys in blue werecoming, he thought, and again a wave of wounded pride cameover him, as he realized that he was shut out from the ranks,by reason of an illness which he could not understand orconquer. THE confederate ^u^ no—these were not his comrades, he prisoners. saw, as he looked curiously at the long pro- cession filing past him, closely guarded by the boys in blue, whokept step, while the men they hurried along were the subjectsof ridicule from the thoughtless crowd. They were prisoners—. < § a O M 160 RALPH FEELS SYMPATHY. these men, some clad in the well-known gray, some wearingbutternut suits, some of them without coats or hats, their pantsfrayed and torn clear up to the knees. Here would proudlymarch a clean-shaven, erect young fellow, with a suit of gray,scarcely soiled, while at his side a mere shadow of a man,ragged and dirty, would shamble along, barefooted and wild-eyed. Nearly all of them were emaciated, while the expressionupon their faces was one of sullen despair. Men were therewho were the flower and chivalry of the South, who had stakedtheir lives and fame upon the success of their cause, and therewere men who scarce knew for what or who they were the former defeat was bitter humiliation—to the latter capturemeant something to eat, and beyond that, they did not look. But to the careless crowd who watched them pass
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