He lay on the field of Antietam, As the sun sank low in the west, And the life from his heart was ebbing Through a ghastly wound in his breast. All around were the dead and the dying-- A pitiful sight to see-- And afar, in the vapory distance, Were the flying hosts of Lee. He raised himself on his elbow, And wistfully gazed around; Till he spied far off a soldier Threading the death-strewn ground. 'Come here to me, Union soldier, Come here to me where I lie; I've a word to say to you, soldier; I must say it before I die.' The soldier came at his bidding. He raised his languid head: 'From the hills of North Carolina They forced me hither,' he said. 'Though I stood in the ranks of the rebels, And carried yon traitorous gun, I have never been false to my country, For I fired not a shot, not one. 'Here I stood while the balls rained around me, Unmoved as yon mountain crag-- Still true to our glorious Union, Still true to the dear old flag!' Brave soldier of North Carolina! True patriot hero wert thou! Let the laurel that garlands Antietam, Spare a leaf for thy lowly brow![A] [Footnote A: From an incident narrated in the newspaper account of the battle of Antietam. The reader will be reminded by it of Mrs. Browning's 'Forced Recruit at Solferino.'] DOES THE MOON REVOLVE ON ITS AXIS? As this question has elicited considerable discussion, at various times, the following may be considered in elucidation. A revolution on an axis is simply that of a body turning entirely round upon its own centre. The only centre around which the moon performs a revolution is very far from its own proper axis, being situated at the centre of the earth, the focus of its orbit, and as it has no other rotating motion around the earth, it cannot revolve on its own central axis. A body fixed in position, or pierced and held by a rod, cannot revolve upon its centre, and when swung round by this rod or handle, performs only a revolution in orbit, as does the moon. The moon, during the process of forming a solid crust, by the constant attraction of the earth upon one side, only, became elongated, by calculation, about thirty miles (from its centre as a round body) toward the earth; consequently, by its form, like the body pierced with a rod, is transfixed by its gravitation, and, therefore, cannot revolve upon its own central axis.