An interesting Incident.
The Petersburg
Express, of Saturday, contains the following!
‘
It is our privilege to relate a pleasing incident that occurred in the family of one of our most esteemed and popular citizens.
Two or three nights ago a soldier, all the way from
Texas, wearied in body, haggard in the expression of his face, and with garments torn and worn, knocked at the door of the above-mentioned gentleman, who was at the time engaged in dispensing his well-known hospitality to a number of friends.
The Texan soldier is of Irish descent, and of course well versed in the ‘"rich brogue"’ of that nation.--One of the visitors answered the summons at the door, who, after the usual ‘"good evening,"’ was greeted with ‘"And is the gentleman of the house in; sir?"’ ‘"Yes,"’ was the reply, ‘"I will send him to you."’ The ‘"gentleman of the house"’ soon appeared.
‘"Good evening to your Chor, and can you give a poor soldier a bit of lodging for the night!"’ The ‘"gaieties man"’ was sorry he could not — his house was full of company.
‘"What, and do you refuse a poor soldier a night's lodging!"’ But the gentleman's ‘"house was too full — every room and every bed would be occupied,"’ and he was compelled, though reluctantly, to refuse a second time, However, he could not see the soldier leave his premises with no prospects of obtaining shelter for the night; so he kindly handed him a sum of money for the purpose.
But the soldier persisted in his beseeching yet longer.
A lounge, or three chairs, or even the passage floor would answer.
Finally, the gentleman's name was asked and given.
The soldier, seemed surprised on hearing it. He paused, scratched his head, and stared.
‘"And hev ye not a son in
Texas?"’ he asked, at the same time mentioning the name of the person to whom he referred.
The ‘"gentleman"’ remarked that he did, and that was his name.
The soldier had known him out there for several years; he was his most intimate ‘"friend"’ and constant adviser; he had been with him through thick and thin night and day, in sickness and in health, in adversity and prosperity, in joy and in sadness; in fact, he knew all about him and could tell all about him. The old ‘"gentleman's"’ heart relented; he must hear about his beloved son, and he therefore invited the soldier from the dark passage to the brilliantly lighted parlor, where in lively conversation sat the family and the company.
He paused at the entrance and gazed around, and the company gazed at him. Suddenly a faint scream was heard, and one of the ladies, a daughter of the ‘"gentleman of the house,"’ rushed towards the soldier.
She had recognized in him her long absent brother.
Here we drop the curtain.
The soldier had gone to his father's house and kept his name silent, while he was so disguised in appearance as almost to defy recognition.
It was a playful trick he had concocted and performed to his entire satisfaction, and the surprise of the whole family can better be imagined than described.
He had been absent from
Virginia for several years, and returned in one of he
Texas companies a few days since to fight our battles.
’
