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6 [For the Army and Navy Herald.] Sketches and Incidents—No- 11. B T W . A . V . “ H how Jo you feci ?” *t No better, sir.” “ Are you suffering much pain “ No sir.” “ I wish you had a more comfortable bed.” He turned his eyes slowly towards his bunk, replying, “ This will do me.” . “ Have you a Testament V He made no reply. “If you have no Testament to read while here in the hospital, I will get you one." H kept his eyes steadily fixed upon the tent-wall, but made no reply. “ I hope while you are lying here you are trying to pray, to think about God and reli gion." Ho changed not his gnze nor seemed to know that any one addressed him. I pressed his hand tenderly, saying, “Do tell me—do you try to pray?” He turned his eyes, and with a most disdain ful look,. said, “Don’t say anything to me about that—it’s a subject I don’t allow any one to speak to me about.” Thinking it useless to say more to him, at least at that time, I turned to his young mess mate at the other side of the tent, who was evidently nearing the stream of death. He spoke freely of his pious mother, of her prayers and pious admonitions—said lie had tried to be an obedient son, and ta-live a Christian ever since he had been in the service—he did not expect to live long—was ready and willing to die. It was comforting to witness the patience and assurance of this soldier, so near his final discharge. Before leaving the tent, I said to II : “ Shall 1 bring you that Testament?” He turned his lace from me, as much as to say,,/ told you to say nothing to me! I walked away studying some plan by which 1 could gain his attention and interest him in the salvation pf his soul. II was a young man, with a remarkably good intellect, but only partially cultivated, lie had been brought up under the influence of Universalisrn. It had been taught him by his parents, it was the prevailing religion, and almost the on’ly doctrine preached in the community where he had been raised. He had avowed (he faith to his comrades in arms, lie had been a faithful soldier from an early period in the war. The above conversation occurred during (be siege of Vicksburg. lie was much reduced by disease, lying on a cane bunk, in the field hos pital, with one blanket for his bed. Though able to walk, he was quite feeble. His large blue eyes rolled slowly in the sockets—his pale face appeared'marble like, as the last lingering rays of the setting sun shone softly upon it. There was no hope for his recovery : life was slowly but certainly waning. What his hops; of the future was 1 could not toll; if any at all, it was •without foundation, [it all proba bility lie trusted in his Uuiversalism. The same evening after seeing II , I in formed the Assistant Surgeon of the regiment of his refusing to speak upon the subject of re ligion. The next morning the Surgeon told me that II was dead. The intelligence shocked me. A terror came over me, as 1 thought of liis doom. Imagination pictured the awful leap of his immortal spirit into the eternal dark, crying lost! lost! 1— regretting, when too late, that he slighted the offers of God, his spirit rising again upon the dark and billowy waves of eternal despair, crying, lost! lost! 1 Why did 1 not kneel by his bunk and plead and pray until he should become interest- ; ed for his soul ? I knelt alone in my tent, unmindful of the ! shrieking shell o flying over, and promised God I would be a more faithful chaplain; more faithful in pointing the war-worn and dying j soldier to the land of eternal peace. * * j Twenty of the sick in the field hospital were removed to one of the city'fiospitals. Learning ; the ward they occupied, i went to see them, j found them in the large .Masonic Hall, lying on the floor, each with but a scanty bed. While passing on from one to another of the ! men belonging to my own regiment, speaking a word of cheer to each, 1 observed in the far ! end of the hail a young man extending his ] hand and motioning me to him. Upon ap- i proaching he took my hand, pressing it, his j large bine eyes looking at me with much ten derness and emotion. “Is it possible ? How j can it be ? II ,is this you ? I thought you | were dead “No, 1 am not dead ; I've just commenced j to live! his eyes tilling with tears. It was j II • The Surgeon was mistaken ;it was t lie j messmate that had died. had been re- j moved to the city hospital with the twenty, i Soon after he had refused to speak about re- \ ligion, and refused the Testament, he began to | THE ARMY & NAVY HERALD. think seriously, he had better “ try to pray that it might not be safe to' die with no hope but that of a Universalist. Feeble as he was, he rose from his bunk, retired to a dense cane-break near by, and knelt rn fervent prayer to God. For the first time in his life he raised his eyes and heart to God in private prayer. He praypd, wept, and earnestly sought for pardon, till the, answer came. lie arose a child of God. With a trembling step he re turned, telling his eontrades of the love of God as he walked up the hospital street. Now he was rejoicing in his first love ; was much grieved that he had forbidden my speak ing to him on the subject of salvation ; asked pardon, saying that God had forgiven him, and he hoped I would. He asked for a Testament. His pallid face was radiant with joy'as he spoke of the amazing love of God in saving such a sinner as he had been. In visiting him subsequently, I always found him reading his Testament. A Louisiana Captain, who was wounded, and near hint, said to me one day. “ What young man is that ?” pointing to H , “He reads,” said he, “his Testament from morning till night, sometimes weeping for an hour.” 'While 1 related the circumstances of his conversion, the Captain—who.was not him self a religious man—the sympathetic, unbid den tear came in his eye. * * The garrison had been surrendered, * * we were march ing out of the enemy’s linos. ] called by the hospital to see 11 for the last time. Out of the twenty, but three survived. 1 found him already wading into the stream of death. Life's warfare was over ; the last battle closing ; the victory won. Pressings his hand, I found the warmth of life h-vl departed, never to re turn ! “Cold clammy sweat” had settled upon the dying soldier’s brow. No hand of affection was there to soothe in his expiring moments. All alone he was breathing out his soul to God. Finally he turned his death-glazed eyes to wards me, and whispered my name. “H , how do you feel?” He revived, and in broken whispers replied, that he should “soon be gone.” Said he was “willing to die there,” but expressed a desire “to go home,” as his “ comrades were going.” Spoke of the loved ones at home. 1 reminded him of meeting them in heaven, and spoke of the soldier’s peaceful home above. He looked up, pointing heavenward; a sweet smile rested upon his face. My time was out. 1 pressed his. cold hand, laid it across his breast, and “kissed him for his mother.” REFLECTIONS. 1. We oftitnes win souls to Christ when it seems that no good is accomplished. 2. \ ears or months of penitence are not neces sary to salvation ; but whenever and wherever the soul is truly penitent, and looks to God in faith, then and there the seal of pardon is <*iven. 3. Universalisrn may satisfy the unbelieving in life, but fails to support the soul when death approaches. 4. The religion of Jesus hangs her bright lanterns of faith along the dark “ Valley of the shadow of death,” the light of which meets the brightness of glory that shines out from i heaven. Good Men at Variance. Mauy a sharp conflict there has been between j saint, and saint, scuffling in the dark through misunderstanding of the truth and each other. Abraham and Lot, at strife. Aaron and Miriam jostled with .Moses for the wall, till God inter posed and ended the quarrel by his immediate stroke ou Miriam. The apostles, even in the presence of their Master, were at high words, contesting who should be greatest. Now in these civil Wars among saints, Satan is the great kimlle-coai, though little seen, because, like Ahab, lie fights in a disguise, playing first on one side, and then on the other, aggravating every petty injury, and thereupon provoking to wrath and revenge; therefore the apostle, dehorting from anger, useth this argument, “ Give no place to the devil;” as if lie had said, Fall not out among yourselves, except you long for the devil's company, who is the true soldier | ot fortune, us the common phrase is, living by his sword, and therefore hastes thither where there is any hopes of war. Gregory compares the saints in their sad differences to. two cocks, j which Satan, the master of the pit, sets on fight- i ing, in hope, when killed, to sup on them at night. Solomon saitli (Frov. xviiiG:) “The mouth of the contentions man calls for strokes.” Indeed, we by our mutual strifes give the devil j a staff to beat us with; he cannot well work j without fire, and therefore blows up these coals 1 of contention, which he useth as his forge, to j heat our spirits into wrath, and then we arc mill- ■ leable—easily hammered as he pleaseth. Con tention puts the soul into disorder, and inter arma silent leges. The law of grace acts not freely, when the spirit is in a commotion ; meek Moses, provoked, speaks unadvisedly. Me thinks this, if nothing else, should sound a re treat. to our unhappy differences, that this Joab hath a hand in them; besets this evil spiril between brethren ; and what lolly is it to bite and devour one another, to make hell sport! We are prone to mistake our heat for zeal, whereas commonly in strife between saints it is a fire-ship sent in by Satan to break (heir unity and order; wherein while they stand they are an armada invincible; and Satan knows he hath no other way but this to shatter them; when the Christians’ language, which should be one, begins to be confounded, they are then near scattering ; it is time for God to part his child ren, when they cannot live in peace together.— Gurnall. From the Columbus Enquirer. President Davis. I wish to say a werd of him whose name heads tills article. President Davis, despite what may be said of him, is the master mind of to-day. As Wm. L. Yancey said at Montgomery when he was inaugurated, “.the man and the hour have met.” The enemy freely confess his eminent fitness for the post he fills. They speak of him as the impersona tion, “the head and front” of the rebellion. So he is, and we should know it. There is certainly a want of appreciation of our Ex ecutive in the land. One would think sometimes from the character given him by our Governor aud other disaffected ones, that he had not performed a wise act during his administration. Why else should allot' his measures be sneered at, liis appoint ments decried, and every action be ascribed to bigotry or prejudice? Let us recall a few of his most unpopu i !ar deeds at the time they came before the j country. We will mention first, the appoint ! ment and continuance in command of Gen | Albert Sidney Johnston. There never was ! a greater clamor raised against a Confeder | ate General—the press and the people de ; nounced him as unfit for command—“ was too late coming into our service”—“retreat ied too much—“ would not fight,” Ac., Ac 1 Several applications were made to Richmond for his displacement; hut. when thisactiom | plished leader fell at Shiloh, the country did homage to his genius, and passed from j paroxyisms of denouncement to paroxyisms jof adoration. < The appointment of General Lee to the command of the Army of Northern Virginia was made entirely against the popular cur rent. Gen. Lee had, under great disadvan tage, carried on a campaign against Rose cranz among the mountains of Western Virginia, and had failed most signally He had next been sent to command at Charles ton and Savannah, where his an pea ranee was as the application of a bucket of cold water upon those high toned communities. He was then even compared to Charles Lee, the traitorous character of the Revolution, who advised the evacuation ol'Fcrt Moultrie, The writer remembers well it was on the battle field of Seven Pines that he first heard of Gen. Lee being placed' over the Y irginia Army ti fill the place of General Joseph E. Johnston, wounded the day be fore; the evidences of dissatisfaction upon all sides are fresh in his memory ; he heard a distinguished Georgian, then a Brigadier in the field, sneer at the idea of Gen. Lee,' ot whom it was said that lie left the Unit* and States army with reluctance, that his heart was not with us, and that he had shown no ability, succeeding to the command of Gen. Johnston. Yet, when he brought that army under his control, it fought as it had never fought before. Again, when Dick Taylor was appointed Major General, some years since, there was a howl of indignation in the land; “Jeff. Davis was guilty of favoritism”—“had promoted his brother-in-law, a man of noto rious incompetency, to the neglect of other talented officers.” Yet few will doubt now that the campaign of General Taylor in trans-Mississippi stamps him as a General of great ability. Ihe foregoing examples, wo think, w ill show that the popular judgment is not al ways the best criterion, and when the strong will ot the President is found fau't with, may it not be truly said that it requires a will oi the strongest kind to contend against such opposition ? I would now ask the Pres idents most hitter t neiity, “ would you be willing to exchange the appointments of these unpopular officers, Generals A. S. Johnsten, R. E Lee n«d Dick Taylor, for any other three Generals who' might be picked up in the country ? \\ e grant that Pemberton’s appointment was unfortunate, hut he was an officer of military education, and if' one will take tip the register of the old army, he wilt find his name as distinguished and brevetted tor gallantry whenever he hail opportunity for showing it. He was also highly recou men ded by Generals Lee, Cooper and Longstreet. There must necessarily he much experi ment in the appointment of so many officers, and with the heavy duties and limited chan ces of' information, of the President, it is impossible that he should be always infalli ble. President Davis has sacrificed nearly everything in the present struggle. His fine lands and negroes in the Valley of Mis sissippi are all lost to him. That pale, earn est face at Richmond has been too much engrossed with the mighty cares of the Republic to look after private interests. Few can fail to admire his unyielding integ rity of character in administering the Gov ernment, his severe and commendabe silence, when unjustly assailed, and his able and pointed State papers as compared with the bungling ones of Lincoln. A short times ago, the writer had a'very unreserved conversation with iome Yankee officers of high rank, on the occasion of a flag of truce. These remarked the strange want of appreciation of Jeff. Davis with us. They said that he stood much higher with them for ttbility, and that they were glad to see us falling out with him, as they were well satisfied that no man in America could hold our Government together as he had dune. General Robert E. Lee remarked, a few weeks ago, in private conversation with a friend in Virginia, that in his judgment we had no man in the country who could fill the post of President Davis, should it bo vacated. In conclusion, lot us not be understood as holding it of necessity a crime to speak against the “ Anointed,” hut we really re gard the wholesale and indiscriminate de nunciation which has lately been heaped upon the head of our Government by the people and the press, as a great and growing evil in the country. *** — * *• •- The Family Circle.—-No earthly circle can be compared to that of the family. It comprises all that a human heart most val ues and delights in. it is the centre where all human affections meet and entwine, the vessels into which they all pour thems.fives with such joyous freedom. There is no ore word which contains in it so many endear ing associations and remembrance, hid in the heart like gold. It appeals at once to the very centre of man’s being—his “ heart of hearts.” All that is sweet, soothing, tender and true, is wtapped up in that one name, ft speaks not of one circle, or of one bond ; but of many circles and many bonds, all of them near the heart. The family home, the family hearth, the family table, family habits, family voices, family tokens, family situations, family melodies, family joys and sorrows—what a mine of recollect ions lies under that one word. Take these away and earth becomes a mere church-yard of crumbling bones, and men so many grains of loosened sand, or, at best, but the frag ments of a torn flower, which the winds have scattered abroad. All that is loveable and precious in the movements of the human heart, front its lowest depth to the upper most surface—all these are wrapped u>> in the one name, f'am.ily ! For close-knit bonds, for steadfast faithfulness in love, for depth of sympathy, for endurance in trial and dan- shall we find anything that can be compared to the story of earth’s family circle? Conjugal love, parental love, broth erly love—all arc there. Mutual Forbearance.— That. house will be kept in a turmoil where there is no. toleration of each other’s errors, no lenity shown to failings, no meek submission to injuries, no soft.answer to turn away wrath. If you lay a single stick of wood in the grate, and apply fire to it, it will go out; put on another, and they will burn ; and half a dozen, and you will have a blaze. There are other fires subject to the same conditions. If one member of a laiutly gets into a passion, and is let alone, he wifi cool down, arid possibly he ashamed, and repent. But oppose temper to temper, pile on the fuel, draw in others of the group, and let one harsh answer he followed by another, and there will soon he a blaze, which will enwrap them all in its burning heat. YY bile the Prince of Wales was at Hebron, he and his suite obtained permission to visit the cave of Machpelah, Abraham’s burial place. They are the first Christians who have been allowed to enter it since the Crusades, nearly seven hundred years ago. Dr. Stanley says every thing is kept in the most beautiful order, and nothing cou’d be more satisfactory than the state in which the tombs are preserved. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Sarah, Rebecca, and Lenb are buried there. Remember the the poor always.