Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-18


had given her consent to his enlisting,
her maternal solicitude had gotten the
better of her patriotism, and she wished
to regain him home away from the perils
of the battlefield. She spent nearly
week in the vicinity of the camp plead
ing with Capt. Keith and myself to IA
vOr the discharge of her son. frankly
told the old lady that 1 could not APP
prove it. I promised to forward her
application, however, though L should
be compelled by my sense OF duty to in
dorse my dlsapproval upon II. After
much vain effort to dlssuade me from
my disapproval, she finally brought the
application to me, and placed nay in
dorsement upon it. She then asked me
to read the whole paper over to her. l
should have before stated that she was
unable to read, and the fact of her illit-
eracy added TO my admiration of her
unique and impressive individuality.
started to read the paper. She admon-
ished me to read slowly. When | came
to Capt. Keith's Endorsement, forwarding
the paper "disapproved," the old woman
sprang to her feet excltedly, and in eager
surprise, and with impulsive incisiveness,
she demanded of me imperiously to read
that again. I did so very distinctly.
She seemed bewildered and unable to
realize the meaning of the words. She
asked slowly if that writing Of Capt.
Keith meant that he was 'agin'' her boy
getting out Of the army. told her that
it did. She remarked in a voice strange
ly variant in its quietness with her strong
excitement of appearance, that he had
told her he had written on that paper
that he was for her boy "gettin'
out.
Controlling her excitement with a
strong effort, she caught up the paper
and abruptly left my tent. The simple
fact is that Capt. Keith had deceived her.
He had repeatedly and uniformly told
her that he would favor her sons dis
charge, had written out her application,
and, instead of approving as he lad
promised, he disapproved it, as he after
ward SAID, trusting that she would never
know it. He supposed she would bring
it to me, and that would take and in
dorse it and forward it up, and his du-
plicity would never be discovered. 1t is
curious fact that simple uncultured
natures ike hers are always suspicious,
and she intuitively sought to verify the
correctness of his statements.
THE MALEDICTION.
The end of the old creatures visit to
our camp was dramatic. Her sense of
wrong at Capt. Keith's hands was deep
and intense. Probably she would hard
ly have been less resentful and indig-
nant if he had struck her. But to dupe
her, to toy with her hopes, assent to her
wishes, give her sympathy in her plan
day after day, AND then finally deceive
her, was cruel beyond measure, and it
awakened in her deep, implacable fury
that knew no bounds. She had enter
tanned high respect for him, and gave
him thorough confidence. The transi-
ton was complete. Every fibre of her
strong, coarse nature was wounded to
the quick. 1t was wonder, with their
ungovernable spirit, that she did not at
tempt personal violence upon him. But
she reserved her revenge for something
more tragical. In her intense excite
ment she began to drink, and the liquor,
of course, infamed her rage. Finally
just about dusk, she came to my tent
pretty we'll intoxicated, and the scene
that ensued is viv1dly impressed upon
my recollection.
Her disordered appearance added to
the effect she made. Her hair hung
rough and uncombed about her flushed
face. Her eyes ghstened with excite
ment. Her countenance we'll indexed
her turbulent soul. Hes massive frame
shook under her fiery agitation. She
poured out volume of talk, speaking
none the less deliberately because of the
vehemence of her tones. Her language
was singularly and effectively dramatic.
She began by telling me that she had no
quarrel with me. 1t is true refused to
do her will, but have been candid with
her and never deceived her. had told
the truth like man. But Reub Keith
bad acted like a dog, AS she spoke his
name it seemed to intensity her wrath.
She deliberately, and, it must be said, ell
oquentIy portrayed his perfdy, giving a
graphic picture of her hopes, her plans,
her love for her boy, her strong yearning
to get him home, her labor, her appeals,
her trust in Keith, his ready, sympathetic
cooperation in her fervent desire, his
base betrayal of her confidence. The
stern old soul got right pathetic
and touching IN some of her al
lusions. Her tale was told with the
finest simplicity and effect of finest art.
The conclusion was as striking as it was
unexpected. Throwing herself upon her
knees, the declining sun casting sort of
illusion around her homely but express
sive old face, its marked features an
guished and vindictive, she uttered such
an imprecation upon Keith as Mortified
me and those that heard it. The malig.
macy of that malediction was something
dreadful. She invoked deadly blight up
on his mind, heart and home. She hoped
that he might never know peace or hap
plness; that he might live in misery and
terror, and when he died that he might
die like hunted hound, trlendless, IN
pitied, away from friends. and his body
be left unburied and unceffned as food
for carbon. And she frenziedly declared
that her curse would be fulfilled.
There was nothing in the scene to
break the solemnity of the old woman s
demonstration of hatred. She preserved
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