The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-09-09
TIE SOLDIERS MOTHER.

TIE SOLDIERS MOTHER.
In one Of the fern glens Of the upper Ale
ghanies stands small log house, which once
held a large flmily-John Riley, the father
Susan Riley. the mother; and chiilren, John,
Susan. James. Patrick, Sedwick aud little Bess.
Bred to hard living. there vas not one in all that
little hutlull of light souls who would shrink to
face a catalnount. or a bear, or an Indian, iiud
fault with hand bread and cold quarters.
At the breaking ont of the war, the father,
John, James and Patrick enlisted-the last as
drummer boy. Sedwick cried to 90, but was
told, TO his great grief and indignation, that he
would have 20 wait and grow, as he was only
twelve yeaIs old, and about three feet two. The
wife and mother had a. big heart a. any body,
and there can be no question but that heart gave
"A sharp twinge when " old John" aud the bOy :
left her; hut she nevertheless, declared that she
would have gone herself IL they hadn't They
might 60, and God speed 20 them, for there
no help for it. and a. for her, she had not
doubt whatever but that it was decreed from the
foundation OF the world that she should be left
TO carry on their business, which vas farming
and shOemaking, according TO the season, all
alone, Just as she was Aud she could do it, if
worse comes TO wOrse--she was sure of that.
So half the Riley family went from the log
house 10 the war, and half stayed at home.
Susan took care Of what little there in
doors. and the mother, according to her state
ment "tOOk care al al outdoors, with Susan's
help whenever she was off duty, and with Sed
wick's always Little Bess was unanimously vo
ted good for nothing yet but to keep bread and
chez Sc from moulding Mrs. Riley plOwed the
rlehe with the old one horse plOw, with Sedwick
10 ride. Mrs Riley planted il with corn and pO-
tatocs. with Sedwick to drop them iOi her; and,
when hOcing time came, she and Susan hOed it,
while SedWck did the best he could at pulling
weeds, and Bess ran actively and nOiseessly
about picking up angle worms and treading on
the hills
The season wore round thus and still the inde-
fatigabe industry of Mrs Riley kept appearan-
ces very much as they we're. The cOw-shed had
several windows, perhaps not left by the car
penter, and the COW herself showed a hide of
hair that pointed several ways; bat appearances
were, 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 a state
of perfect repair. The hens and turkeys always
took care of themselves. and of course they
looked as we'll as ever. The old horse, habitual
" light in flesh, NAV have betrayed his ribs
lrifle palmer, and possibly the pigwas shaving
less fat but let nothing be said about trihes
where the only wonder is that the woman, left
by her husband and three sous, should keep her
family together a. all, aud, much more, cultivate
her farm. When cOnscriptiOn goes through our
towns and cities, sweeping every able-bOdied man
away, we shall then see how many there are like
her.
With all this outdoor labor, Susan Riley did
not so far forget the shop as to justify taking
down the old shingle:
- Doors & SHUs MID & MINDED HEIR"
When customers came and left work before
they knew that John WAS gone, she continued
to do it, and did it so well they kept on bring
ing, and the good woman had all she could do
with her cobbling and farming together, you may
be sure.
Meantime she kept informed tolerably well of
the movements of her husband and boys, for
though all of them were but Indifferent writers,
She depended on Susan to decipher the letters
when they came, for not word could she
read of good or bad writing - yet they made
up in frequency and pith what they lacked in
penmauship and rhetoric. Their regiments did
duty most of the year in Western Virginia
The Rieys had enlisted in two regiments-the
father and youngest sop is one, and John and
James in the other, and il Jared with them
about alike.
In October letter come from John bearing
in rustic but touching phrase, bad news mingled
with good:
CANP GREENE RIDG SEF Twenty
Dear M hsr-A Crate battles ben fit 4 wev
beat but mother that aint all the 49th got cut up
wustu wee did & fathers ded | dOnnO nuther
whatI becum o poor little pat fur they say hes
wundid TO bu; cant git leve to 90 seem him 4
weer ordid to march to morrer at 4 o'clock wuth
3 DAYS rashuns 4 God help us coodnt We cum
mother to fnd pat Il leeve Su long with the
children mother wars terribul thing anihOg
but father dyd in the thick the ite jist as
NAV be God bless ys mother cum if We can Jims
well and sends love
vure son john
There was enough of natural affection in that
rough Riley iamily-deep, genuine downright
lore. II one member possessed it more than
any of the rest, it was the mother. Blunty and
cOarsely as she always talked, and hard.featured
as she was 10 look upon, no poetess ever had a
richer vein OF human sentiment than Mrs. Riley,
and Florence Nightingale herself cOald not han
die case of aggravated distress more tenderly
than she The news of her husbands death
came with a sudden stroke that almost felled her
To the floor But she bore il hrayely till her
work was done for that day. and let the Younger
ewes she'd the tears
"Why don't vOH crv, mother =" said little
Bess. who was sobbing bitterly, with Susan
and SedSiek over = grief she could not un.
derstsnd; Int the pale thin lips Of the mother
sid not move
In the middle Of that night, hong after sleep
had stolen over the chiliIen's sorrow, Susar
was awakened ty erosn. She started up, anc
found her mother sitting in the bed, white, II
the harvest moon that shone through the on.
window, as a shrouded corpse
Light the cludle. Susan" she heard be-
whisper, and then the terrified girl obeyed, anC
inquired, burriedly, if she should bring the can
phor or heat some water. Mrs Riley shook he
head, and said, family
SECT the Testament and read"
Susan got the book, and asked where sh
should read
'' No matter much. Open somewhere in tn
middle
And knceTing by the bed, with the candle i
her hand the younger daughter read, with treu
I bling voice and simple, unlearned emphasis
: = Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe i
| God; believe also in Ne. In my Fathers hous
are many mansions; if it we're not so, l woul
have told you. | 90 to prepare place for you.