The National tribune., 1884-03-27
A strange oueet;on Answered,

De accomplished.
A Strange Question Answered.
In the course of bitter attack on the
Grand Army, the Free Methodist-a journal
of contracted ideas-sneeringly propounds
the following query: Why should sol
dier's widow be cared for in preference to a
Thousand other widows, and that irrespect-
i've of character or real necessity"
The answer is quite simple-because she
is soldiers widow What world of mean
ing there is in that simple statement! A
soldiers widow Her husband, then, was
one of those brave spirits who offered their
lives to save the Nation. How freshly the
story all comes back to us, though twenty
years have rolled away. 1t is bright
spring morning, and as the line of blue
comes marching down the village street
the bayonets glisten in the sunshine.
The windows of the houses are open wide
and every doorway thronged with eager
faces. The bands are playing, the drums
beating, and the flags flying At cottage
door stands young woman with baby in
her arms. Through the tears that are
streaming down her face. she scans with ex-
pectant look each file of the passing regi-
ment. Suddenly an involuntary cry escapes
her as manly young fellow darts from the
ranks, dashes up the steps, folds her in his
arms for moment, and, with last fond
kiss for wife and child, hurries off to reioin
his comrades. She waves her handkerchief
for an instant her eyes follow the moving
the procession from her sight. It is part
ing she never viii forget.
But time passes, and the newspapers are
filed with accounts of battles, to which are
appended the lists of the killed and wound
ed. Were ever newspapers so eagerly de-
voured as in those trying days when none
knew what issue might contain the name of
some loved one, fallen in the thick of battle?
With what sad expectancy. day after day,
the young wife scans the dismal columns:
how heart-breaking is the suspense when
weeks eIapse without scrap of paper to as
sure her that her husband lives Tt is small
consolation that she derives from the lint
picking and the preparation of supplies for
the sick with which loving hands are busy
in the village There is something at every
turn to remind her Of the awful hazard of
war, and with every day her anxiety in
creases. Naturally she contrasts her position
with that of other women about her. They
are gay and happy. Their husbands, more
prudent than her own, are profting by the
activity of business and are only concerned
about the price of gold. Does it not seem
hard that she, the young wife, should be left
alone in her poverty, while others, who
could so much better have spared husband
or father or brother, are not deprived of
either? Yet she does not complain: the
larder is often empty now and she is fain to
exc out her scanty means with her own earn
ings now and then, but still she is proud to
think that her husband is fighting for his
country, and would not for the world let
him know how sorely she needs his loving
care. And so the days go by-as they did
for thousands of those selt.sacrifcing women
in every part of the iand--heavy with sorrow,
yet not devoid of consolation in the knowl-
edge that slowly but surely our armies
are moving ON to the final victory. Our
soldier has had his veteran Through, and he
returns to take part in the decisive struggle
determined to be in at the death. And now
comes news of the capture of Petersburg
and Lees desperate retreat, and in the very
midst of the rejoicings the young wife learns
of the death of her husband, struck down in
the very hour of success. Alas, that upon
her as upon thousands of other soldiers,
widows, should have fallen the burden of
such a sacrifice, but it was necessary that
the Nation might live.
Why should soldiers widow be cared
fer in preference to d thousand other wild
ows? All comrades, the answer is con-
tanned in what she hasendured and suffered
WE publish, in another column, this week,
the last of Miss Florence Kelley's foreign
letters, with which, for year or more, the
readers of THE TRrBuNg have been so
agrceably entertained Tie pressure of
other duties has compelled Miss Kelley to