Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-07-20
ct shall he in His hands Just the same,

| w ouId you nave MIN pdCh dShSu 'lio
| friend.
A quick change as of surprise was seen for
| 4 moment in the face of Mrs. Irwin; then
she answered calmly
''No, | yield him to his country"
''He looked so brave and manly, said the
| friend
"And seemed" was added, {" to compre-
bend so clearly the issues at stake. lt was
| no murderous thirst for blood, no love OF
| excitement and change that hlled ms heart
| but that true patriotism which is the lnspira-
ton of an honorable mind, and gives
| it the courage to meet death in defence OF
country and right. ] honor you, my friend,
| in being the mother of such son" -
How strangely pleasureable were the
pulses that leaped away from the heart OF
Mrs. Irwin.
This praise of her son was very sweet,
| Weeks passed With what an absorbing
| interest did Mrs. Irwin watch the progress OF
events Once she turned with an instructive
| repugnance from all accounts of military
| movements and battles; but now she had no
| caste FOR anything else. The whole country
was spread out, ike map, in her mind, and
every strategic point, with its camps and
soldiers, strongly marked The marshaling
| of troops, their movements, strength and po-
| sitions, were now familiar things; and her
heart beat high with pleasure at every tri-
|
| when even the smallest reverse was sustain
| ed With what an irrepressible Impotence
| did she look for the regularly coming letters
| from her son; and with what proud salts
| faction did she read every detail of his new
| life that showed courage, endurance and self
| denial. She felt that ne was a true soldier,
| and therefore she Bas very, very proud of
| him.
| The news came that the regiment in which
her son was serving had made an advance
upon the enemy's lines; that some severe
| skirmishing had taken place, and that al en-
| gagement was imminent. A sudden fear
| shook the nerves of Mrs Irwin. Even as
| she read of the advance, bloody battle
| might be going on; and her son be among the
/ dead or diving. The hours of sleepless sus-
! pense that went by until the news of a
victory was flashed over the country, we will
| not venture to describe With breathless
| eagerness she devoured their names, as with
/ white lips and starting eyes she bent over the
brief dispatches. What is this Her sons
name The paper shivers in her hand. She
cannot read the paragraph. Desperately she
| thrusts the sheet down upon Il table to hold
| it firmly; but mist comes over her eyes;
| she does not make out the words. Killed or
wounded?
Oh, God give me strength :"
| The dimness passes as she reads
| themselves, private John Irwin deserves hon
orabe mention. In desperate assault upon
| the rebels, the captain of his company re-
| ceived a severe wound and fell to the ground.
/ tie was i few PAGES in advance of his men,
| and as he fell two Of the enemy sprang for
| ward to bayonet him. Irwin, seeing this,
flung himself before his PROSTATE captain,
| shot one of the men, and in a and-to-hand
| encounter disabled the other. Be then bore
the wounded officer from the field. During
twenty one years of age, conducted himself
! with the coolest courage, and in more than
one instance rallied his falling comrades He
has the stuff of which officers are made. and
/ the Department should send him a commits
| sion"
Mrs. Irwin bowed down, with her face up
on the table, trembling in every nerve; weak
in glad northumberland. Then drop
! ping upon her knees, with casped hands and
/ eyes uplifted, she said family
90, Lord, is he not Thine -
/ A deep peace fell upon her spirit, and she
remained for some time kneeling. But pray
err formed itself in no other words
"Icouid not stay away from yoSafter read
friend said this as he came in little
while afterwards. " Are you not proud
woman to day, Mrs Irwin ?"
q feel glad and humble" was the subdued
answer.
" But did he not act nobly? Who would
! have thought that III your quiet, retiring boy,
there was such a daring spirit ?"
1T does not seem as if it were NV son
! who has been so brave" said the mother.
The act has apparently removed him TO a
distance, and set itself up as a question of
right against me. He Is not mine in the
sense have hitherto regarded him Higher
duties than those of Il son are laid upon him
and l must give him To his country in de
gree not understood when he went forth nj
his country's call. pray, now, that God
viii make him equal to his duty under all
F circumstances. To lose him would be a fear
full thing but TO find him aweak coward in
the day of battle, would be more fearful
still"
" To hear such words from your lips From
whence has come this new spirit-this new
courage 2'
AS our day is so shall our strength be"
replied Mrs. Irwin. God gives the spirit OF
endurance and selfreliance when we have
need OF II; and this Is our time of need |
do not hatter myself with the hope that NV
heart and home will be spared-that nv boy
VIII pass unscathed in the ordeal of battle.
But come what viii, viii trust IN God: and
He will lay no sorrow upon my heart too heavy
/ to bear. II had ten sons, feeling as | do
now, | would give them all for this contest
/ and send them forth in Gods name"
And to the thousands of mothers hearts
strength and a spirit of selfsacrifce have
come in this time of trial, as it came to the
heart of Mrs. Irwin. Like her their souls are
. in the cause, and their brave hearts giving
out courage and endurance to tens of thous-
ands Of brave sons now battling for right and
their country. 1t Is the old spirit of She
/ revolution, and by virtue of its sacred fires
our armies prevail
CHEESE MATING-The factory at Stittville
/ \. \. takes the milk from eight hundred
COWS. The dry house is pleasantly situated
on the brow of a steep hill, and is one hun
/ dred feet by thirty feet, two stories high.
The mandatory stands about half wav down
the bank, Is twenty-Six feet by thirty feet.
story and half, s-st water is forced into the
+ building by means OF q water ram. No ice Is
used, the temperature of water being ~
Number of pounds of milk received per dav
/ 2i,500, which is made into 1878 pounds of
cheese. Milk set at $50 and curd cooked at
i loco, and one cent per pound charged for
. and Of r., ].