The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-11-06

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when the old woman came bustling in again
after the lapse Of some minutes. with tht
chicken under her apron, she found her owr
dear boy with his head in his hands, leaning
listlessly upon the table. s'a' faogs
He sat up when she came in, but did moi
look at her. The old woman became attcn
tive. In thejoy Of her heart, she had never
thought yet Of asking him any question ex
cept those concerning hisappetite. Now, i
began to strike her that the present period
was rather strange time 70. soldier to b
on leave Of absence. ''s1
ssCharles l"--No answer IN afs
| The old woman trembled violently. She
dropped her burden, and walked straight
up to him. Her honest, wrinkled countcn
ance was full of anxiety and apprehension
Looking him full in, the face, and clappine
her hands together, she cried out in agony
$50 help me God, Charles, you are a de
serter ~ ss.s..,
81 couldn't stand it arv longer, mother
uttered her wretched son, in broken voice
by way Of apology.
"You couldn't stand it y said the old wo
man, exasperated beyond all measure; 'you
couldn't stand it and hundreds of thou
sands ofyour brethren do Fly, for shame !!
and with her old, honest. trembling hand,
she gave him smack on the face. {.
"Mother !" exclaimed the young man star.
ing up, with the blood rushing to his face
'Fy, for shame = she went on, without
needing him in the least, ''to bring such a
disgrace upon the village What would he
say ?'-she pointed to where the old war
rior was hanging over the chimney piece
whose stern countenance, Illuminated by the
rays Of the evening sun, seemed indeed to
assume an unusual expression of solemn in,
dignation. "Sit down, sit down. say you
= dcserter !! 1t shall not be said that you'
dead fathers house, in the village of Burn
helm, is a place ofrefuge for runaways, while
the whole country is up in arms DOM
you stir, sir I'll be back in minute
and with this, the brave old woman left the
room, locking the door after her.
/. She was not alone when she came back
about half an hour afterward, the country
parson, the schoolmaster, the county ju ge
and half dozen more of the dignitaries o.
the village, were with her. The little room
was quite full when all these distinguished
visitors had entered it. Charles sat in The
old arm char, quite motion!ess, his face
covered with both hands.
The honest villagers hal made up theil
minds at once what to do with the deserter
they looked upon his crime as an ignominy
by which he had not only disgraced himself
but also their. community at large, and they
were not TIE men to put up with s1ch az
alfront. The schoolmaster, who was poll
tican, and subscribed to a newspaper, hav
| ing informed them that the headquarters o
/ the commander-in- chief of the army wer,
but two days march from the village, they
had resolved at once to escort him thither
The judge proclaimed the young man .
prisoner in the name of his majesty the king
and called upon him to follow him to a place
Of security for the night, as on the followin;
morning they would in body convey him
ito his excellency the field.marshal, Genera
Blucher. He rose, and followed them with
out opposition. When they were all gone
the old woman took up the holy Scripture.
once more; but it was in vain that she strov,
TO read; her eyes grew dim, and the letters
were all swimming confusedy before them
so she put it down again, and wept bitterly
Ea,ly on the following morning, a strang,
procession was seen emerging from the littl
village of Burnheim old peasants es
cortingt one young soldier. The county
judge, with grave airs, marched ahead o
them, while the schoolmaster, who had OBJ
stinately insisted upon accompanying th,
expedition, brought up the rear. The pris
oner, with downcast eyes and fallen counter
ance, was walking between the two other pa
triots and as he had pledged his word no
to make any attempt at fight, they had con
sented to leave his hands united When tn
expedition, after days march, put up 70
the night in small hamlet, they were tol,
that all the villages around were cramme,
full with Frenchmen, SO they were oblige,
to make long roundabout way and it wa
not before the morning of the fifth day afte
their departure that they reached head
quarters.
Where is the residence of the command
erin chef p asked they Of one Of the ord
nance officers, who were galloping through
the streets in every direction.
"Why, in the chateau, to be sure, wher
the two hussars were mounting guard O
horseback"
When they had entered the yard, the
were not in the least discouraged at the sigh
Of whole scores of adjutants, and orderly
officers ofevery rank and arm, all Of who.
seemed to have some urgent business wit
the commander-in chief for no sooner ha
any Of them been dispatched, than he wa
seen mounting again, and tearing away wit
his horses belly to the ground. 1t nevs
entered their heads for on. moment that tn
!, general might consider their own bushes
| to be of a somewhat smaller Importance, a
though the schoolmaster argued from whs
he saw that something Of consequence ws
going on just now. The worthy man W;
, right so far the commander-in chief W,
about giving battle on the following day