Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-09-18

We had but two when he went away
ag1ri and boy-a fine boy. The baby
he never saw. but he wrote often then
and always Of coming back to see it,:
WAS it long before the battle that
you heard from him last22 u asked Car
roll, still struggling with his feelings.
ooh no; the very night before Shiloh
he sent long. hopeful etter-' TN twas SC
good! and--then it was the last. Some
how, I feared it was the last-he spoke
SO often of the baby--and- land sc
tenderly of-me. y ."#~.s.##
Carroll did not look up. He had
stopped down again, and was busy
with the sods and stone.
Twas in that letter.. she con
tinued, after O. little, s'that he first
seemed to fear how his life would end
Somehow it seemed that he could not
end that letter; but finally, in one cor
ner away along the side, he spoke o.
the names we talked of for the baby
and then-there was-'Good-by."
Her voice faltered here, but the
trembling hands kept On placing the
stones.
"War is cruel, madam-too cruel,'
Carroll could not help saving, as the
sad story brought all that terrible past
before him. 1t must have been very
nard tor you then, and none to help
you -,
''Oh yes, sir; and then it came-what
l had dreaded from the time he left
To be sure, they did not, tell me how
badly he was shot, but oh, [ knew!
and left the children with neighbo1
and started for the camp. When
came into the hospital tent he Wassay.
ing, Helen! Helen!' and I thought he
knew me, but he didn't He had been
saying it all along, they told me.
Well, the doctor could do no more,
they said, and so they left me with
him. All that long night I held his
hands, SO white and cold, and I Thought
OF the little ones, and OF the empty
home there, anu-but Icannot tellyou!
Somehow it all came back, every little
thing he had ever done for me.
at all seemed SO plain--I could see
him doing up the chores at the barn
again, and then coming up the path
with the pals in one hand and leading
little Walter with the other. When he
came through the woodshed and into
the kitchen, l could hear his steps so
plain, and the door open and shut
just the same rattle in the latch.
"Oh, thought I should die! And
when I cried out to him they told me
[ must 90 away if made q noise. So
/ kept still, though it seemed my heart
would burst
"Well, along towards morning, as !
sat looking at his pale face, all at once
he opened his eyes and smiled, just as
he used to-. Then his lips moved, and
could just hear him say
eyes, | have come; I always told
you would comeback. FNow, where
is the baby, Helen?' Then held my
ear close to his lips for long time,
but could hear no more, and when !
looked again, he lay so stil!''
Carroll could not see the stone he
was trying to place; still he kept his
head bowed, and worked on as well as
he could.
"Well, I brought him home" she
continued, land when they laid him
in our little front room it did seem as
though the children would wake him,
but of course it couldn't be. and we
laid him here. And that winter we
brought the baby here and laid it be-
side him. / was so tired then wanted
to hug the poor little thing up to me,
and lie down there with them. But it
wouldn't do; there were two left, but
they must be fed. So I did the best I
could for them till-oh, it don't seem
50 long! No, but then it is; yes, it is
seven years ago tomorrow since we
brought little Walter here. He was
such q little man-so like his father!''
Here the wrinkled hands stopped
laying stone, and when Carroll looked
up, one was holding the worn hand
kerchief under the old bonnet, while
the other pressed hard against the poor
palpitating heart.
"Well, my dear woman he made
out to say, "your lot has been a hard
one, and am very sorry for you, in
deed am. May ask if you live near
here now?'
"Not now, sir,' she answered, as
soon as she was able to proceed. IL
nurse some in the city. could i'll az
ford the time or money to come here
now, but so longed to, and lately l
thought so much about them, I had to
come. O sir, I had to GOMEZ"
Then you came here this morning."
Eyes, sir; on the four O'Clock train."
leave soon?"
II promised to be back on the next
train"
"It seems pity said Carroll, with
feeling, ''that you should be denied even
the privilege OF visiting the graves OF
your family"
eyes, sir; still l have much to be
thankful for. 1t is great pleasure to
be able to come here for few hours
even, to look on them, and fix them
up alittle Then there is my daughter,
away out in California; she is married
now, and just getting q nice little home,
she wrote me. So some day, though
can barely pay my way just now, [
hope, by saving all | can, to see her
again"
As Carroll looked at the frail form,
he wondered how she could hope even
to pay her way much longer.
"Pardon me-" he said, after think
ing q moment. "May ask if you have
much laid by for such purpose?"
"Oh, not much; l don't know exact
ly how much. You see, am unable
to work long at time. I hoped to
have twenty dollars left when l got
back, but let me see; the fare was a
little more than expected, and then
the coffee. Ibid not intend to get that,
but somehow as l got nearer I felt
faint -lilze-and-well, that cost me a
quarter. Still it helped me-helped
me a good DEAL Well, let me see, she
said again, and pulling out the old