Part 26 (1/2)

After a moment's pause, he continued, ”By the way, did you ever hear the expression 'before the Wah'?” I intimated that the expression had not wholly escaped me

”I heard it once under rather peculiar circumstances,” said John

”Down in the outskirts of ious sect known as the 'hard-shell' or 'iron-jacket' Baptists; ood, honest people, of course, but old-fashi+oned in their ways and everlastingly opposed to all new-fangled notions, such as having Temperance societies, Missionary societies, and Sunday schools

They would, however, die in their tracks before they would ever let up on the good old church doctrines, especially predestination

Oh, I tell you they were predestinarians from away back John Calvin with his vapory views upon that question would not have been ad his ser to the Amen corner would inquire: 'When were you, my brother, predestinated to eternal salvation, or eternal damnation?'

”Well, the answer that had coes alas, 'Fro hborhood one Saturday, and stayed all night with one of the elders, and on Sunday of course I went to church During the ser forth as usual on his favorite doctrine, suddenly turning to a stranger who had soot crowded into the Amen corner, said: 'My brother, ere you predestinated to eternal salvation or eternal daer, terribly ely answered: 'I don't adzactly remember, Parson, but _I think it was befo' the Wah'”_

A comrade of John in Company G was a tow-headed, lantern-jawed felloho never failed soet to the rear and to a place of co battle

He was proof alike against the gibes of his comrades and the threats of his officers Upon one occasion the approach of the eneestively near the spot where Coan preparations to retire With threatening mien, levelled revolver, and oaths that would have done no discredit to ”our army in Flanders,” the Captain ordered the skulker back into line, upon pain of instant death Leaning upon his aze upon his irate superior, the culprit slowly drawled: ”I don't entlerace my family by lettin' one of them lon Yankees shoot ifted like hireeting usually came as a benediction At the banquet table, when dull care was laid aside and he was surrounded by genial companions,--”for 'tis meet that noble minds keep ever with their likes”--his star was at its zenith Then indeed, all rules were suspended; no point of order suggested--”The man and the hour had met” Hisexperiences, his brilliant repartee, sallies of wit, banter, and badinage have rarely been heard since the days of the Round Table or the passing of ”the Star and Garter”

Once, however, John Allen confessedly met his match in the person of the Hon John R Felloho had been Colonel of an Arkansas regiment in the Confederate service; later a prominent leader of Tammany Hall, and was at the tiress froifted with eloquence rarely equalled At a banquet given in his honor upon his retireress, a hundred or , of course, the subject of this sketch Men high in councils of State, leaders of both parties, and of both Houses, had gathered around the board, and good-fellowshi+p and h-water mark By common consent Fellows and Allen were in undisputed possession of the floor Such passages-at-arms no pen can describe Even ”John Chamberlain's” in its palmiest days has never known the like

Near the close Allen said:

”There is one thing I would like to have Colonel Fellows explain

He was captured the first year of the war, and never exchanged, but held as a prisoner by the Federals until the as over

I was taken prisoner five tied

I would like Colonel Fellows to explain hoas that he was kept in a place of safety, while I was always at the front?”

When the applause which followed had subsided, Colonel Fellows arose and said:

”I a me an opportunity to explain that part of my military record which I apprehend has never been sufficiently clear It is true I was taken prisoner the first year of the war, and the enee, persistently refused to release ed, _the result of that war ht have been different!_ But why it was, that my friend froed is a question that until yesterday I have never been able to understand It has giventhe silent watches of the night Yesterday, however, mythe correspondence--to be found in Volue 421 of the 'Record of the War of the Rebellion'--between President Lincoln and President Davis relating to the exchange of Private John Allen of Company G, Fourteenth Mississippi Volunteers The correspondence covers es of this valuable publication, but I will read only the closing communication”

And while John with a new supply of terrapin before hi his eye-glasses and taking a letter from his pocket, continued:

”The letter I will read from President Lincoln concluded the correspondence, and is as follows: _'Dear Jeff:_ With this I return you Private John Allen of Company G, Fourteenth Mississippi

I require no prisoner in exchange The Lord's truth is, Jeff, _I had rather fight John than feed him!'”_

XXIV AN OLD-TIME COUNTRY DOCTOR

THE WRITER AT HIS INN, THE TRAVELLER'S HOME--DOCTOR JOHN, ONE OF HIS EARLIEST ACQUAINTANCES--THE DOCTOR'S LIBERALITY IN ADMINISTERING MEDICINE--A DISAPPOINTMENT IN EARLY LIFE--THE DOCTOR'S IGNORANCE OF THE ”SOLAR SYSTEM”--A DIFFICULTY WITH THE LANDLADY--A QUESTION OF ORTHOGRAPHY--THE DOCTOR AS A MEMBER OF A TOTAL-ABSTINENCE SOCIETY

Upon my ade of five hundred inhabitants, about forty ton It was beautifully and _quietly_ situated, eight miles from the railroad, and was at the tiricultural portions of Illinois

Metahtful families, and a cordial welcome was accorded me The old tavern, ”Traveller's Home,” was es The one that chiefly recoes

Two dollars and a half per week for board and lodging, ”washi+ng andteroers There was s, appointments, etc, of this ancient inn, little calculated to reconcile delicately toned s of sense It was of this place of entertainersoll spoke when, in his description of the tapestry of Windsor Castle, he said that it reminded him of a Metamora table-cloth _the second week of court_

The dear old tavern has fallen a victim to the remorseless tooth of time, but, in the palmy days of Meta and Fall ter as the seasons thelory, and for all ”transients” and ”regulars” it was the chief objective point For a decade or e Davis, Mr Lincoln, General Gridley, Judge Purple, and las

At a later date it was upon like occasion the stopping place of Colonel Ingersoll, John Burns, Judge Shaw, Jae Richmond, and other well-known members of the bar