New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-31

and Trap lay down on the grass and
watched her washing the child's and her
own hands and face, and the little fellow
drinking with his face IN the cup and his
two hands gripping it hard. Trap moved
round and held his head under the spout,
and let the cool water dash upon bis head,
shaking it like a dog first, and then lying
still and grimacir out Of the shower bath
at the child. Katy paid no heed but sto-
Idly mopped the water from the little neck
and face. The baby stared fxedly at Trap
q while after the solemn manner Of his
kind, and then broke into one broad smile,
at which the fellow grimaced and snapped
his teeth more hideous than ever.> Then he
came out of the waterfall and shook the
water from his eye.
"Now, then" he said to Katy, "tell US all
about it."
In her grave, even stolid way, she told
him her little story. Larcom had bought
her a poor little shanty and good bit of a
garden ground with his bounty, and what
he'had saved, by Northern country road
side. There she had lived, and there her
little boy was born. She had not wanted;
she raised a good many vegetables on the
bit Of ground, and the townspeople did not
forget the soldiers wives. She was hoeing
among her cabbages one morning. when
hungry-looking stranger came to the fence
and asked if her name was Katy. He said
his name was Brown, and he told her how
her John had broken away and tried to
come to her.
at was py der spring. wasser like das,
he say to me, dot mein ChOn say he can not
longer to'wait," she said, and l looked up
at Trap, inquiring. The child had slid down
from his mothers lap, and sat down in the
grass bolt upright, his baby eyes staring
unwinkingly in Traps face. Trap was
holding down a branch of bush over the
little fellows head, to keep off the sun.
looking at him and listening to the woman's
quiet talk. He looked up and answered
then:
"Jes so, ma'am. This yere's the spot"
The child's staring eyes shut down after
little, and he lay over and fell fast asleep
with his head on the soldiers arm. Trap
curled down beside him, without moving
his arm, and held the branch lower, go that
it hid the two faces that were so very far
apart.
Katy went on with her story. Brown
told her how he had escaped and her hus-
band had been wounded, taken and
fetched back. She took Brown in when he
had done and gave him some food, and ate
was rested and started out, che came out
too, and locked the door. Brown asked her
what she was going to do.
II 20 to ChOn," she answered. With her
child in her arms, without money or friends,
calmly and undOubtingly, this stolid, SLOW
witted German woman set out to 60 thou
sand miles. He had tried to come to her
and his child and could not; then they must
go to him. That was all. She did not
hurry or fret; if she went wrong, she turned
back as calmly as she had come. She had
infinite patience and endurance, unwaver-
ing purpose and the faith that removes
mountains. Almost everywhere che got
help for the asking. They gave her free
ride on the railroads most of the wav to
the scene of war. By the same untiring
persistence she got herself passed beyond
the lines and into the enemy's country. 1t
made no difference to her whose ground it
was; it was to be got over, that was all.
She used NO artifce whatever; everywhere
she had the OEe story to tell:
II 20 to mein mon. He is in milidaire
chail. He was dry to me come, he is cut on
de het, ne will die und not to see his papy
must to him come"
Her simplicity was better than any art;
she had nothing to hide, no part to play, no
disguise to maintain. They asked her if
she was this and that.
II know not de bOlidick VAS es is" she
answered. II am not dis und someding
else; l only poor Detch woman. und l
90 to mein mon in milidaire chail You Will
not to me stop!'
No one did stop her long: almost no men
and very few women gave her hard looks
or words. She walked on day after day
with patience and pertinacty almost sub
lime. She carried nothing with her but
tin cup and maybe a cake or a slice for the
child. They never lay down hungry but
twice or thrice, and then they were lost in
the wild country, away from any house.
The two won hearts wherever they came;
tbov u,oro 6Ouh1v orvno6 Mon xuara l;nI
to the woman; women were kind to the
child.
Heat, cold, dust, rain, hunger. WEAKNESS
kindness and cruelty; hard, bare, and desc
late lodging; these we're the daily incidents
through which she went sturdily, stolidly
trudging southwark by the week together
They made little figure in her narrative TO
Trap, but he knew them all, nevertheless
And all the while she talked, the child lay
placidly sleeping in the shadow on the
grass, with his cheek on the soldiers arm
showed himself coiled ungainly by the boy
and chewing great cud of leaves and
grass
II had chap like him once" he said,
without any special expression in his face.
and putting one finger on the child's cheek
Hes dead, and I'm glad of it. His mother
wouldn't walk ten rods to keep me from
being hung"
He got up and went away without another
word. A few minutes later he came SLOUGH
ing in at the prison gate, leering savagely
at long Staples with his tongue in the cor
ner of his mouth, and the sentry turned
away his head and would have.liked to run
him through with his bayOnet on the spot
Trap crossed the prison yard and entered
the rickety Outbuilding which had been
m ade the hospital. There were plenty in
the place, desperate and desolate enough;
but Trap saw at glance that his usual
luck was with him. There were none of
the guards within. Storrs, the dispenser of
medicines, and one OF two other attendants
from the prisoners, were all beside the
sick. He pushed through to the far end
where Larcom lay, alone in that crowded
house of misery. His face was turned to
the wall, and he did not look or move.
Trap took him by the shoulder and shook
hin, roughly.
Now, teen, you id Yank, he said,
do you want to see your Dutch Kate and |
her young one q
The prisoner turned over with a single |
motion, as if an electric shock had struck |
him.
"She walked from home to see you.
She's the biggest fool God ever made" the |
fellow went on. And he sneered: eff let |
you out to see her, you'll come back again,
won't your
II will" was the low reply. God help
you, if you're hOaxlng me-"
Speak for yourself Trap snarled. II |
don't want no help" He threw off his cap |
and coat. "Get up and put them on" he |
Larcom did not stop to think |
he was able or not. He got up
and put on his hat and coat. Trap fshed |
out pair of boots and trousers from under
the rude bed, and babe him put them on.
He did not care much who saw or heard
him; if he had taken prisoners arm and
walked him out of the gate in broad day,
it would have been an open chance whether