Chapter X: Conclusion

After a long delay Captain Edney came; apologizing for not appearing to welcome his drummer boy's mother and his old schoolmistress before. His excuse was valid: one of his men, S. Tucket by name, had got into a scrape by running off with one of Uncle Sam's carts, and he had been to help him out of it.

He found a new light shining in the hospital--the light of woman's influence; the light of life to Frank and his friend Atwater, nor to them only, but to all upon whom it shone.

Mrs. Manly remained in the hospital until her son was able to travel, when leave of absence was granted him, and all his friends crowded to bid him farewell, as he departed in the boat with his mother for the north--for home!

Of his journey, of his happy arrival, the greetings from father, sister, little brother, friends--of all this I would gladly write a chapter or two; but he is no longer the Drummer Boy now, and so our business with him is over. And so he left the service? Not he.

"I'm to be a Soldier Boy now!" he declared to all those who came to shake him by the hand and hear his story from his own lips.

His wound was soon healed, and he hastened to return to his regiment; for he was eager to be learning everything belonging to the profession of a soldier. It was not long, however, before he came north again--this time on surprising business. Captain Edney, who had won the rank of Colonel at the battle of Newbern, had been sent home to raise a regiment; and he had been permitted to choose from his own company such persons as he thought best fitted to assist him, and hold commissions under him.

He chose Gray, Seth Tucket, and Frank. Another of our friends afterwards joined the regiment, with the rank of First Lieutenant; having quite recovered from his wound, under the tender nursing of his wife.

With his friends Edney, Gray, Tucket, and Atwater, Frank was as happy as ever a young officer in a new service could be. He began as second lieutenant; but----

But here our story must end; for to relate how he has fought his way up, step by step, to a rank which was never more fairly earned, would require a separate volume,--materials for which we may possibly find some day in his own letters to his mother, and in those of Colonel Edney to his sister Helen.

* * * *

Some extracts from a letter just received from the hero of these pages may perhaps interest the reader.

"I cannot tell you, sir, how much astonished I was on opening the
package you sent me. I don't think the mysterious bundle that
contained the watch dear old 'Mr. St. John' gave me surprised me
half as much. I had never seen any _proof-sheets_ before, and hardly
knew what to make of them at first. Then you should have heard me
scream at Gray and Atwater. 'Boys,' says I, 'here's a story founded
on our adventures!' I sat up all that night reading it, and I must
confess I had to blush a good many times before I got through. I see
you have not called any of us by our real names; but I soon found
out who 'Abe,' and 'Seth,' and 'Jack Winch,' and all the other
characters are meant for. I have read ever so many pages to 'Seth'
himself, and he has laughed as heartily as any of us over his own
oddities. We all wonder how you could have written the story, giving
all the circumstances, and even the conversations that took place,
so correctly; but I remember, when I was at your house, you kept me
talking, and wrote down nearly every thing I said; besides which, I
find there was a good deal more in my journal and letters than I
supposed, when I consented to let you have them and make what use of
them you pleased. Little did I think then, that ever such a book as
the 'Drummer Boy' could be made out of them.

"You ask me to point out any important errors I may notice, in order
that you may correct them before the book is published. Well, the
night the row was in camp, when the 'Blues' cut down the captain's
tent, the company was ordered out, and the roll called, and three
other fellows put under guard, before Abe and I were let off. I might
mention two or three similar mistakes, but I consider them too
trifling to speak of. There are, besides, two or three omissions,
which struck me in reading the wind-up of the story. 'Jack Winch'
went home, and died of a fever within a month. If it isn't too late,
I wish you would put that in; for I think it shows that those who
think most of saving their lives are sometimes the first to lose
them.

"You might add, too, that 'Mr. Egglestone' is now the chaplain of our
regiment. We all love him, and he is doing a great deal of good here.
I have put the 'Drummer Boy' into his hands, and I just saw him
laughing over it. If every body reads it with the interest we do here
in camp, it will be a great success.

"There is another thing--but this you need not put into the book.
With the money my dear old friend and master left me, I have bought
the house our folks live in, so that, whatever happens to me, they
will never be without a home....

"In conclusion, let me say that, while you have told some things of
me I would rather every body should forget, you have, on the whole,
given me a much better character than I deserve.

"We are already beginning to call each other by the names you have
given us, and I take great pleasure in subscribing myself,

"Yours, truly,

"FRANK MANLY."

* * * *

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