The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-03-14

and aboard oft / noticed a company
ofsoldiers, going to join their regiment
at the place Of rendezvous, When the
train started, found myself aboard
and was soon speeding on, cared not
whittier. When had ridden an hour
or more ] noticed that the captain of
the aforesaid company was sitting near
me. / entered into conversation with
HIM, and onded by enlisting in his
company. was three long and wear.
isomo years in the service, never once
hearing from home. II is needless for
me 10 relate tho marches, battles and |
hardships witch endured during that
timc. 1t would be but repetition Of
an oft told tale. When / first enlisted |
| took n solemn oath on my bended /.
knees that would never touch anoth-
or drop of Intoxicating drink, and call
ed upon God to witness my oath. L
soon gained the confidence of officers
and men, and as soon as could bo, l |
was made n sergeant in my company. |
saved evory cent of money which
received determined t3at should | ev-
er be spared TO so back to my wife and
babes, that / would not go empty
handed. My comrades noticed that |
wrote no letters nor received any and
were Il little curious TO know some
thing Of my history, but all attempts
to draw mo out on this point failed
On the subject Of home and friends l
was dumb. At last our time was up,
and we were mustered out Upon
counting my savings | found that l
had something over six hundred dol
lars with which intended to begin
the world anew. intended TO go to
my wife, implore her forgiveness, and
again strive manfully with the world
for another home andan Independence,
In spite of the pleasure l anticipated
from meeting those who were dearcr
to me than all the world beside, | felt
an inward msgivihg that all was not
right. In vain would | argue TO my
, self that / left her among friends. these
= who werc able, and l felt sure would
be willing, to rendcrnerany Oroiet0non
: in their power. Notwithstanding, l
still feared that all had not gone well
with them during the three long years
Of my selEimposed pcnonco for the
/, wrong had done them. When ! at
r. last arrived at the village before men
toned, | made inquiries about them
and was soon made acquainted with
: the story Of their sufIOrings, and the
realization Of my own future misery
Here the narrator was so overcome
) by his feelings that he was unable to
= proceed for several moments. After
! recovering he again proceeded as fol-
y lows I My wife, on hearing Of my los
ses and departure, was taken danger
- ously i'll, and fingered between life anC
> death several weeks; at last she re-
solved to live for the sake Of tho child
rem, and from that day grow better
During her illness she had been watch
- ed over by kind friends, but now tina
= she was well again, she refused al
. their kind Offices. She moved to tn
! village and rented small room, wher
she took in sewing TO earn the neces
y sarics Of life. Many Of her old friend
visited her and desired TO lend help
= ing hand, but their presents were inva
riably returned. She was too prou
to receive charity. In the winter
'63 little Tommy took sick and died
- she had scarcely buried him when liz
zie too was taken sick, and after
short illness died also. Many wer
:, the weary nights she had watched a
alone at their bedsides, and now the
were dead, sho had nothing more
live for. Worn out and sick at hear
~ =. she knelt by the lonely bedside an
, prayed to God to take away that Iii
=. -, which she no longer desired. Togothe
=, with burying her darlings and payin
- tho doctors bill, she had nothing lef
- 1t was bitter cold weather, she was OF
~ ~ Of fuel and out Of bread sick and un'
ao blo to 60 for either, A little girl th'
- ~ that used to be a playmate Of Lizzie
"a called to see her and found her lyin
40 on the bed, feverlsh and no fire in tt
No room; the little girl desired to hay
~, one made for her, and asked her ifs
.d might bring her cup oftea; she +
fused both, and said she would 6