argued with him to persuade him to go on. It was their duty to kill
him if he refused, but they could not bring themselves to do it. In
the end they left the job to one, and he stood and cursed the
officer, trying to get up his courage; and finally fired his gun
into the air, and went off and left him.

Then he told how an old negro had found him, and how he lay
delirious; and how, at last, the army marched his way. He ended his
narrative the simple sentence: "It was not until the siege of
Petersburg that I was able to rejoin my Command."

There was a murmur of applause; and then silence. Suddenly, from
somewhere in the room, came the sound of singing--"Mine eyes have
seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!" The old battle-hymn
seemed to strike the very mood of the meeting; the whole throng took
it up, and they sang it, stanza by stanza. It was rolling forth like
a mighty organ-chant as they came to the fervid closing:--

"He hath sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; He
is sifting out the hearts of men before his judgment seat; Oh! be
swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant, my feet,--Our God is
marching on!"

There was a pause again; and the presiding officer rose and said
that, owing to the presence of a distinguished guest, they would
forego one of their rules, and invite Judge Ellis to say a few
words. The Judge came forward, and bowed his acknowledgment of their
welcome. Then, perhaps feeling a need of relief after the sombre
recital, the Judge took occasion to apologize for his own temerity
in addressing a roomful of warriors; and somehow he managed to make