The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1863-09-11
THE SOLDIERS MOTHER.

ey, the father Susan Riley, the mother ::
and children, John, Susan, James, Patrick.
Sedwick, and little Bess. Bred to hard
living, there was not one in all that little
hu,ful Of light souls who would shrink to
face catamount, or bear, or an Indian,
or find fault with hard breal and cold quar-
tiers.
At the breaking out Of the war, the ia
ther, John, James and Patrick enlisted
the las; as dlummer-boy. Sedwick cried
to go, but was told, to his great grief and
Indignation, that he would have to wait
and grow, as he was only twelve years old
and about three feet two. The wife and
mother had As big heart as any body, and
there can be no question but that heart
gave a-sharp twinge when odd John !"
and the boys left her; but she, neverthe
less, declared she would baYe gone her
selfif they hadn't. They might 60, and
God speed TO them, for there was no help
for it and as for her, she had not doubt
whatever but that it was decreed from he
foundation Of the world that she should be
left to carry on their business, which was
farming and shoemaking, according to the
season, all alone, just as she was. And
she could do il. If worse came to worse
she was sure Of that.
SO half the Riley family went from the
log house to the war, and half stayed at
home. Susan took care of what little there
was indoors, and the mother, according to
her statement took care of all out doors"
with Susan's help whenever she wa, off
duty, and with SeIwick's always. Little
Bess was unanimously voted good for
nothing yet, but to keep bread and cheese
from moulding. Mrs Riley plowed the
elebe with tbs old one horse pillow, with
Sedwick to ride, Mrs Riley planted i: with
corn and potatoes, with Sedwick to drop
them for her; and when hoeing time came,
she and Susan hoed it, while Sedwick did
the hest he could at pulling weeds, and
Bess ran actively and noiseless y about,
picking up angle worms and treading on
the hills.
The season wore round thu. and still
the indefatigsbe industry of Mrs. Riley
KEEP. appearances very much As they were.
The cow-shed had several windows, per-
h.ps, not left by the carpenter, aud the
COW herself showed a hide Of hair that
pointed several ways; but appearances
we're, if the truth was known not so much
against Mrs. RIley's management after all.
Said cow and cow-shed had never been
kept in state of perfect repair The
hens and turkeys ALWAYS took care Of them
selves, and of course they looked as well
as ever The old horse, habitually light
in flesh, NAV have betrayed his ribs tn
fle palmer, and possibly the pig was a shay
ing less fat but let nothing be said about
triaes where the only wonder is that the
woman, left by her husband and three
cons. should keep her family together at
all and, much more, cultivate her farm.
When conscription goes through our
towns and cities, sweeping every able bod
led man away, we shall then see how
many there are Ike her.
With all this outdoor labor. Su.an Ri
lev did not so far forget I" the shop" as to
justify taking down OF the old single:
" Doors & SHUs MED & MINDED HEIR"
When customers came and left work
before they knew that John was gons, she
continued to DO it, and did it SO well that
nan had all she could do with her cob
bling and farming together, you may be
Aure.
Meantime she kept informed tolerably
we'll Of the movement Of her husband and
bows, for though all Of them were but in
different writers, she depended on Susan
to decipber the letters when they came,
Il
bad writing-yet they made up in frequen
cy and pi,h what they lacked in 1enman-
ship and rhetoric air regiments did
duty NEST of the wear in Western Virgin
ia. The hilegs hal enlisted in two regi-
ments-the father and youngest son in
one. and John and James in the other
and it Jared with them aheut alike.
III October letter come from John
bearing in rustic but touching phrase, bad
news Mingled with good:
CAMP GREENE R1DG Sep TWENTY
Dear NuMer-A Crate battles ben fit
& wev beat but mother that amt all the
49th got cut up wustn wee did & fathers
ded donno nuher whatli becum poor
little pat fur they say hes wundid to but
cant git eve to 90 seem him IL weer or
dird to march 10 merrer at 4 o'clock wuth
3 days rashuns & God help US coodnt ye
cum mother TO find pat S leeve Su long
with the chidrun muther wars a terri
bul thing anihow but father dyd in the
thick 0 the fife jist as may be God bless
We mother cum If 70 can Jims WE'LL and
sends love vure son JOHN
There was enough of natural affection
in that rough Riley famlv--deep genuine
downright lore. If one member possess
ed it more than of the rest, it was the moth
er. Bluntly and coarselv as she always
talked, and hard featured as she was to
look upon, no poetess ever had richer
vein of human sentiment than Mrs. Riley,
and Florence Nightingale herself could
not handle a case Of aggravated distress
more fenderly than she. The news Of her
husbands death came with sudden
stroke that almost felIed her to the floor.
But she bore it bravelv till her work was
done for that day, and lie. the younger eyes
shed the tears.
WHY don't you cry, mother :" said lit
tie Bass, whc was sobbing bitterly, with
Susan AID Seiwick, over a grief she could