Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-03-12


"Thou art too stern, comrade, think
I have, thank God, as much courage as
other people and yet 1 would not be
ashamed of weeping when I speak of my
mother"
care you serious ?' said Pierre,
eagerly seizing the officers hand. "You,
man, soldier and yet not ashamed
to weep?"
''When speaking of my mother, cer-
tainly not. My mother is SO good, so
kind; she loves me so much, and ], too
love her dearly"
"She loves you, and you love her!-
Oh, then, 1 may indeed tell you ALL
Ny heart is full-itm must have vent; and,
however strange my feelings may appear
to you, 1 am sure you will not laugh at
them. Listen, then, for what you have
just now said is quite true. A man is
glad when about 10 die, to have heart
into which he can pour his own. Will
you listen 70 me-"
"Surely, 1 will listen. Pierre. A dy-
ing man must ever excite compassionate
sympathy"
"Yeu must know that since / came in
to this world l never loved but one be-
ingAthat being was my mother. But
her loved as none love, with all in me
oflife and energy. While yet babe 1
used to read her eyes, as she read mine?
1 guessed her thoughts, aad she knew
mine. She was the heart of my heart,
aud the heart of hers. / have never had
friend; my mother was everything to
me.
Well, Twas summoned to take up arms,
and when they told me must leave her,
in a paroxism of despair l declared they
might drag me limb from limb, but
never should they take me from her
alive. With one word spoken in her ho-
ly fortitude and strong courage, she
changed my whole purpose, she said:
"Pierre, you must go; it is my WISH"
l knelt befor cher, and / said, al will
go, mother"
"Pierre," she added, "thou hast been
a good son, and l thank God for it; but
but the duties of son are not the only
duties a man has to fulfill. Every cit
iszen owes himself TO his country; it calls
thee-Obey! Thou art going to be
soldier. From this moment thy life
is no longer thine own. 1t is thy coun-
try's. Her interest demands it, lay it
down cheerfulIy. If it be the will of
God that thou should die before me; l
should weep hearts tears: but should
say, "He gave, and He has taken away,
blessed be the name of the Lordl"-
Go now, and if thou love thy mother, do
thy duty"
Oh how precious those holy words; 1
Lave never forgotten them-do thy duly,
she said. Now, the duty of a soldier was
always, and in all things, to obey; and
always in all things l obeyed. 1t was to
20 straight forward-to face danger with
out observation-disclosures second thought.
Those who saw me thus seek as it were,
to meet the, bullets, said. "There is a
brave fellow" They might have better
said, "There is man who loves his
mother" longed to go 10 her. 1 ask.
ed leave of absence. 1t was refused
remembered her last words, eff thou
love thy mother, do thy duty!" 1 sub
mitted.
A little after heard she was dead
Oh! then my senses forsook me; at any
risk determined to travel to the country.
proceeded so ardent desire
to see once more the place where my
mother just died? Twill tell you; and |
as you have a mother, and as she loves
you and you love her, you will under
stand me.
We peasants Of Morvan are simple
and confding race. We have not receiv-
ed the instruction, nor attained the knowl-
edge they have attained in the cities; but
we have our beliefs, which the town folks
call superstitions. What matters the
namee Be they superstitions or beliefs,
have them, and clever would be the
man who could uproot them.
Now one of these beliefs, to which we
cling the most, is that which attributes
10 the first flower which blows in the
grave mound, is of such virtue that he
who pulls it is certain of never forgetting
The dead, and of never being forgotten
by them! Belief, how dear, how sweet!
With it death has no terrors--for death,
without forgetting or being forgotten, is
put a sweetsleep and calm repose after a
ong toll.
That hower-I painted 10 see it bud
Il painted to gtaher it! 1 abandoned my
post, and went on my way. After ten
lays of long and dreary march, I reach
ID my mothers grave. The earth seem.
ID yet fresh-no flower. 1 waited. Six
weeks elasped, and then one lovely NOR
ng l saw little blue flower-"Forget-
ne-not." As plucked it, shed glad
ears, for me thought that little flower
vas my mothers soul; that she had felt
hat was near, and under the form of a
lower, had given herself to nv heart
,nce more.
There was nothing now to detain me