|
||||||||
Nevertheless, the next morning he had gone to a town that was near his mothers farm and had enlisted in a company that was forming there. When he had returned home his mother was milking the brindle cow. Four others stood waiting. Ma, Ive enlisted, he had said to her diffidently. There was a short silence. The Lords will be done, Henry, she had finally replied, and had then continued to milk the brindle cow. When he had stood in the doorway with his soldiers clothes on his back, and with the light of excitement and expectancy in his eyes almost defeating the glow of regret for the home bonds, he had seen two tears leaving their trails on his mothers scarred cheeks. Still, she had disappointed him by saying nothing whatever about returning with his shield or on it. He had privately primed himself for a beautiful scene. He had prepared certain sentences which he thought could be used with touching effect. But her words destroyed his plans. She had doggedly peeled potatoes and addressed him as follows: You watch out, Henry, an take good care of yerself in this here fighting businessyou watch out, an take good care of yerself. Dont go a-thinkin you can lick the hull rebel army at the start, because yeh cant. Yer jest one little feller amongst a hull lot of others, and yehve got to keep quiet an do what they tell yeh. I know how you are, Henry. Ive knet yeh eight pair of socks, Henry, and Ive put in all yer best shirts, because I want my boy to be jest as warm and comfable as anybody in the army. Whenever they get holes in em, I want yeh to send em right-away back to me, sos I kin dern em. An allus be careful an choose yer compny. Theres lots of bad men in the army, Henry. The army makes em wild, and they like nothing better than the job of leading off a young feller like you, as aint never been away from home much and has allus had a mother, an a-learning im to drink and swear. Keep clear of them folks, Henry. I dont want yeh to ever do anything, Henry, that yeh would be shamed to let me know about. Jest think as if I was a-watchin yeh. If yeh keep that in yer mind allus, I guess yehll come out about right. Yeh must allus remember yer father, too, child, an remember he never drunk a drop of licker in his life, and seldom swore a cross oath. I dont know what else to tell yeh, Henry, excepting that yeh must never do no shirking, child, on my account. If so be a time comes when yeh have to be kilt or do a mean thing, why, Henry, dont think of anything cept whats right, because theres many a woman has to bear up ginst sech things these times, and the Lord ll take keer of us all. Dont forgit about the socks and the shirts, child; and Ive put a cup of blackberry jam with yer bundle, because I know yeh like it above all things. Good-by, Henry. Watch out, and be a good boy. He had, of course, been impatient under the ordeal of this speech. It had not been quite what he expected, and he had borne it with an air of irritation. He departed feeling vague relief. Still, when he had looked back from the gate, he had seen his mother kneeling among the potato parings. Her brown face, upraised, was stained with tears, and her spare form was quivering. He bowed his head and went on, feeling suddenly ashamed of his purposes. From his home he had gone to the seminary to bid adieu to many schoolmates. They had thronged about him with wonder and admiration. He had felt the gulf now between them and had swelled with calm pride. He and some of his fellows who had donned blue were quite overwhelmed with privileges for all of one afternoon, and it had been a very delicious thing. They had strutted. A certain light-haired girl had made vivacious fun at his martial spirit, but there was another and darker girl whom he had gazed at steadfastly, and he thought she grew demure and sad at sight of his blue and brass. As he had walked down the path between the rows of oaks, he had turned his head and |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Copyright: All texts on Bibliomania are © Bibliomania.com Ltd, and may not be reproduced in any form without our written permission. See our FAQ for more details. | ||||||||