Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-10-12
washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, d. G. Oct. 6, 1869.

/ am going to venture upon a little
story. 1t concerns parties living here in
Was hingon, persons l am acquainted
with. If it doesn't prove interesting, it
is because your correspondent cannot tell
story, or because the subjects have not
'distance"- cline or date-"to lend
enchantment to the view"
Early in the rebellion poor widow
lived on farm in Wisconsin. The land
was not yet half reclaimed from the ma:
tive wildness in which it was obtained
from Government. This was all the
worldly estate the head of the family left
behind him. But he left his widow sur
rounded by three sons, all hearty, we'll
formed boys, to be counted worth more
than their "keep" on barren rock in the
middle Of Lake Michigan.
The widow, a little body in herself, was
justified in counting much on her brave
boys. Two of them had attained to mans
stature, and the youngest was a useful
lump of a boy. But the rebellion broke
out, and the thrill Of electrified patriotism
stopped not short of the nerves and ar
teries of those young prairie-breakers.
1t was finally decided, in that little cir
Gle, after many a surge Of feeling for
country, and many a counter-surge for
''mothcr." and for "son," respectively,
that the two oldest should enlist and that
the mother and youngest should stick to
the "place," and keep home for the
soldier boys, if God should spare their
lives to want it.
So the two big boys joined regiments
of their State, ssld babe their first good
by to their mother, brother and home.
But for the fear of taking too much of
your room would have begun my story
father back, and told you that Mrs. B.
was pioneers daughter, and had gone
to the frontier SO early in life, and had
travelled about, and lived, SO far outside
of educational means and opportunities,
with both father and husband, ever since,
that she had never learned to write or to
read writing. So great had been her OK
perience in the out-of-door, camp life Of
"westing" immigrants, as a sailor would
say, she had learned to tell the time Of
night and the points of the compass by
the stars. But reading the stars was not
the kind Of reading now wanted.
Of course the bays were to write home
often. But what then? How was she to
get possession Of the contents of their let
ters7 and more, how were the boys to
hear from herr The younger, brother,
although then about 10, could render no
assistance. Great heart in that little
body she would learn to read writing
and to write. All the work of the house
and farm was to be done by her single
self, save only the help ofthat young boy;
yet she would read her boys letters from
the army, and answer them, herself. And
she did. See that little sturdy woman
holding the plow, while her son drives the
oxen and follow her there into the night,
taking advantage of the moon to exc out
the inadequate labor of the day. And
now see her in the house, farther on in
the night, alone, the beasts cared for and
at rest, and her son abed BY the soli-
tary candle she sits deciphering, letter,
by letter, the words of her soldier-boys'
precious epistles, catching a clue to the
meanings here and there by the intuitions
of a mothers heart, and interpreting other
words by their obvious connection; and
so on; and noting the forms closely, mean
while, for her imitation of them in return.
That was the way she learned to write.
Think of it
The youngest fthe two sons was killed.
The poor lone widows eyes were thence
forth less frequently and less wearyingly
tired in the small hours Of the night deci-
phering and fac-similizing but, oh! it
was at a terrible expense of her heart.
Still she struggled on though the 'place"
could be home for one of her boys no
more. Next she deciphered that the eld-
est had lost an arm. And still she strug-
gled on. And still farther trial awaited
her. The heart of the youngest son, in
stead of being cowed by these dire casual
ties, was only swelling in his bosom past