Death At Sea

Soldiers dio bravoly on the battle-field, and resigncdly in the military hospital on shore, but there is something very aad in a soldier's death at sea. The surroundings of the ship-hospita] are unfamiliar to his eye; the roll of the vessel is painful to him, and the thought is ever present to hismind that if he was on shore, if he could see the green fields, or even the snow-clad earth, his recovery might be popsible. Although nothing could be raore eomfortable than the couoh on whick he lies, and soarcely anything more soothing tban the gentle roll of the vessel to one in his eondition, he longs to Btretch hislimbs on the barrack hospital bed, and to feel that he is on the firra ground. Then the thought of the lonely buriai in the wide waste of waters obtrudes itself upon his mind. To be launched over the vessel's side into the lonely ocean, committed to the deep, and left withcuta stone or wooden cross to mark the spot where his mortal remains were consigned to their everlasting rest, all this is inoxpreseibly saddening to the dying soldier. On shore, his comrades would liave followed his remains to their resting place in the chureh-yard, and fired a farewell shot ever his grave, and, with leluctaiit step, have left him to sleep the sleep Ihat knows no wakiDg till tüe trump of the archansjel summons the dead to judgment. How different at sea ! Sewecl np in a hammock, the corps to which he bolongs summoned to the gangway-slip, a few short but solemn prayers said over the dead, and then the awful words: " We eommit this body to the deep !" A phinge, and the corpse sinks into the sea; the flag is lowered; the vessel sails on, and the dead is left alone to the tossing of the angry wavcs, or to sitik deep into the coral caves of the ocean. No comrade may come in after days and drop a tear over that grave; no loving hand may come and plant a flower there; it is lost; swallowed up in the immensity of the great graveyard of the deep. The writer haf stood by the side of a dying, eomrade in the hospital of a troopship, and heard the dying give utterance to such thoughts as the above. "What does the surgeon say?" he asked. " Teil me the trath, comrade. I am not af raid of death." "It is better that you should know the truth. He has no hope. " "I thought so. Well, God's wil! be doue; but is hard to die in the middle of the ocean. If I had been on shore, even in a foreitcn country, it would have been easier. It is hard to be buried at sea." "The sea will give up its dead." " Ay, that is right, comrade. I ought to think of that. Seamen, they say, like to cherish the thought that they will be buried at sea; but I am a soldier. I would die happier if I kuew that I would be buried on shore and be followed to the grave by my comrades. There is something beautiful in a soldier's funeral on shore. The solemn music - that Dead Mirch in Saul - how I used to love it ! My poor mother ! It will grieve her to think that I was buried at sea. Eead that, comrade, about the sea giving up its dead." The chaplain at this moment approached, having been sent by the surgeon. He read the passage of scripture asked for, and many otlier beautiful passages. The dying soldier closed his eyes during the reading. He lay silent for long time after the chaplain had ceasec Then he opened his eyes and muttered feebly: "No funeral parade; no music; n fareweli shot over my grave - eommittec to the deep. The - sea - will - give - u its - dead. Oomrades - my mother - farewell !" And he ceased to livo. Next day the vessel carne to a stop fo a few minute. The ship's bell was tolled, the flig floated at half-mast, anc the soldiers of the corps to which th deceased belonged were paraded at th gangway. The prayers were said, th body launched over the side, and th vessel resumed her course. Some o the members of the other corps on boarc were surprised on learning, late tha evening, that a soldier had been burie during the day. It is better that such things shonld be 60. Nothing can be gained by sad dening men nnnecessarily. Cheerful ness is one of tlie most potent of sanitar agenta. Every care should be taken to maintain it among large bodies of men