The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-06-12
WHOLE NO. 243.
HerOisH.l Of Our Women.

Mrs. Mary A. Livermore, one of the Eti
tor of the Chicago Ne1 Corenant, in a
late article in that,papcr, gives the following
affecting incidents, illustrating the heroic
and sclfsacrficing spirit of our American
women, when called upon to give up their
household goods for the welfare of their
country. No man can read these touching
lines with unmoistened eyes:
We were in Boston when the Presidents
requisition for 1000 troops flashed over
the land, and when che first regiment left
Massachusetts for the South. The memo.
ry of partings then Witnessed which al
most wrong out the life from wifely and
mother!y hearts are ntvcr to be forgotten.
They were the very flower Of Massachus-
setts youth, who were ordered away, and
hey were leaving behind them wives and
mothers worthy their Puritan ancestry. -
We'll, good bye sail a young soldier, as
The last mom, Of departure came bend
ing over anil kissing his wife, grlsh mat
'on Of nineteen, "Good bye Molly" and he
urned to 60. But she h III him nervouslv
With both hands, and for a moment it seem
Il as if h1r courage would go down in the
| conflict within, which shook her slight form
ike an aspen. But no. Cool by" cam
rom her white lips, but as if spasm OF
pain forced out the words, good by-God
,l'SS you dear Hrnry-I never expect to
sec you ag,in"-and tn n lifting her ash m
ace to his, while a new light came to her
t.aricss eyes and half smile hickrrnd
lbout her white lips-'bat I hayen't the
I,nr ~ In fU ,f f., by = 1
bless YOUR
Did you see James and Charles in that
company:" askela a mother, pointing to
troops marching to the depot, to leave for
the place of rend zvous. "Are yon willing
they should go?" we asked hrsitating'y. for
we remembered the fearful sorrow which
overwhelmed her few yrars before, VII n
another son was drowned in the Bay of
San Francisco. Yes. was the reply. the
anxious and sorrowtul eyes looking far off
beyond, while the thin fingers worked nerv-
ouSly at her fur cape. 1T is hard, but we
can d, anything for our country, anything,
Eut I feel sure have seen my brave boys
for the last timer Ah those of US who
| nave looked on the faces of our dead child
rem can comprehend the agony of that mo
| nent. The next morning, we inquired of
A member of the household, Does Mrs.
keep at the same exalted pitch Of moral
heroiSm?' we cannot tell was the reply;
she says nothing, but keeps very busy
She did not ga to bed last night, but paced
the Parlor till ns,rniag.' What must be
the power Of that sentiment which can tri.
umph thus over mothers love!
Brave wives heroic mothers! noble sis
ters and daughters! We thank God that
the world is enriched by examples Of such
sacrifice ana s.lfrenunciation. Under
meath the fTivolity and weakness of wo-
man, and the sordid selfShness of man,
there has been lying vein Of nobleness,
aud wealth of patriotism of which we did
not dream. The darkness of tn. civil war
in which we are plung,d is frightened by
the development of the lortiest spirit seen
since the Revolution, and the conviction is
forced upon us, that tn, moral power en-
liStc on our sid, unit.d to bravery and
skill, must render us invincible.