Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-07-26
MISCEIL-ANY ".
From the New England Farmer.
My Brother Epllrain,.


Ephraim has gone to the war.
: When Tie guns Of Fort Sumter srar,e,
: the whole North 10 its feet, El,hraim ex
claimed (" Thank God, the crisis has COME I
did not know precisely what he meant
nor do now. Ifelt anything but Thankful
TO hear Of United States citizens slormin,
United States FORTS, us if Sumter an,
I Moullrie had not both got TO be rebuilt a
The public expensel / said as much /,
. Ephralm, but he only laughed, and did 10
explain lie was always "A man OF few wo.ds
IL was not till after the news came of tn,
mob at Baltimore, that Ephraim said any
thing about enlisling himself though knew
pretty well how it would be. l knew. too
what 1 should do is had been a man. Il,
be sure, there seemed some reasons why Ii,
could not be spared. We owned smaI
farm. which gave us living, and he wa.
i the only man on the premises. In fact, be
4 was the only male relation we had in the
| world, for we had buried Seth and Jacol,
not long alter father died. Mother is ret-
ting along in years-rising eighty--and we
are all the family. But when man wants
10 do his duty, ii is rather poor encourage
ment to have all his female relations cry
ing and hanging on TO his coat tails.
/ Instead of blaming Ephraim for wanting
TO go, should have thought hard of him
1t he hadn't wanted TO 60. So when he
said,
Prudence, | have been thinking from
the first, but more especially since those
poor fellows were killed in Baltimore for
The crime of obeying their Presidents or
ders. that ought to 20 and help put down
this miserable rebellion"
:. Well" said 1, what's to hinder p"
Are you wilIing?" said he.
= am, Ephraim."
And the farm 7" said he.
= will look after that" said ], /" and YOU
shan't find it run to grass when you get
back neither"
And mother" said he.
+" You had better break it TO her, Your
self" said /, = she willtake it best from YOU"
! knew very well that Ephraim was the
light of her eyes.
ldonot think mother was much surprised,
for when he told her agnul it, Sue said.
.lf you feel call to 20, | have not a
word 10 say. You have your mothers
blessing"
Mothers father had been soldier in the
Revolution. Ephraim enlisted in one of
the Massachusetts regiments, though we
are New Hampshire people.
lie came home once on furloueh, all
dressed up in his regimentals, and could
NOT help thinking that he did look loo hand
some TO be set up for mark 10 be shot at,
like a turkey at Thauks ksgiying time, but
then he can have the privilege Of shooting
back again.
Well, put up few needful articles in
his knapsaek, and mother gave him a BIZ
Bile, with his name written on The blank leaf
in her own trembling hands.
Mary Dean brought him in little thread
case, all made Of red white and blue ribbon.
lie blushed and locked as though he want
ed TO kiss her; when she gave it to him,
and she, poor thing, could not help crying
when he bade US all goodbye. Mothers
turn came last.
He said" Il won't be long, mother, it
won't be long" and then he went quickly
out of the door. At the gate he turned, /
and saw him look al the newly-furrowed |
field, at the cattle peacefully chewing the
cud in the barn-yard, at the house, and then /
his eye fell ON u.s. He took off his cap, I
raised it over his head with pleasant
smile, and walked away. We watched him
to the first turn in the road, and then l said, !
!" It's bad luck TO watch friend out of
sight" so we all went about our daily work /
The next morning awoke with a weight
on my heart, as if l had been at funeral !
all night, bat did not at first know what il !
4
did no, hear Ephraim's boots on the stairs. 1
1t all came across me then, and if it had
not been for the thought of mother, be-
lieye should have given right up and laid 4
my head back on the pillow and cried In /
stead OF that | got up aud fed ;he cattle
with my own hand, aud then set about get
ting breakfast.
Ii is now six weeks since Ephraim went, I
and we have heard from linn several times /
His letters are short, but cheerful, and full (
Of encouraging words for those he left be-
hind.
In one of them he says =" 1t is very
beautiful here. see flowers such as new
er grew in New Hampshire, and hear birds
whose notes are all strangers to me- But
somehow l never dream of these. 1t is al
ways of the peonies that grow by our well,
and the ROSTERS that begin 10 call each
other from one farm TO another, long be-
fore daybreak."
have often thought since Ephraim went,
that | should like TO 90 and nurse the poor
sick and wounded soldiers, and ] am sure
Miss Dix would not refuse me, on account
'f either my youth or beauty; but this
;anuot be. Some must be content TO serve
heir country at home.
There is one thing that troubles me-
Mother has been growing weaker of late,
md often when she thinks no one is by, she
,hakes her head, and repeats over and over \
o herself Ephraim's last words" Ii won't
,e long-it won't be long do not dare
o ask her what she mans.
The neighbors are for the most part very
lind and sympathizing, but there are some
people who seem to take melancholy +,
pleasure in looking on ihe dark side Of
hings. Mrs. Cole is one of this kind
She always reminds me Of an owl III hol-
ow tree. She came in, the other day, and
,fter making a few observations about the
weather, : Well, EpiIraim's gone" she re-
marked in plaintiye tone.
" Yes" said ].
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