Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-03-08
A SOLDIERS TRUST.
BY DAVID LOWRY.

| seventeen, noted among her associates
for her energy and resolution, caught
her breath suddenly. She was going to
cry, but resolved not to yield now when
| her mother was overcome with dread of
the future.
The world had been the average
/ world to Ellen Paine. She had enioyed
its sweets till the war came and robbed
her of her husband for years There
were some jolts in life's tourney when
| he came home. He was not as strong
as when he went away-lost time, and
of choice changed his vocation. Still
content sweetened the things the gods
| provided the Paines through sickness
! and idleness; the increasing family and
growing responsibilities all were ac-
cepted cheerfully till one day the sun
seemed to drop out Of the armament.
| Andrew Paine was brought home un-
! conscious, a terrible accident had hap
pened; in twenty-four hours Mrs PANE
| was widow.
Time moved on. Providence raised a
friend to her in her brother-in-law, who
found work for his nephew, and thus
kept the roof over Mrs Paine's head.
| But death claimed the son, and then
| The mother strove to tighten ito make
the girls life as joyous as she could. 1t
was dull life at best; the grind began
when she fell i'll with rheumatism. The
| future looked dark, but the uncle still
| turned the cloud aside until the silver
| lining shone again.
Suddenly trade stopped. Then it
really seemed as if all the world stop
| ped, SO far as Mrs. Paine and her daugh-
ter were concerned. The establishment
where Caroline worked ceased opera
tons unexpectedly Mrs. Paine was
| unable to move hand that month.
| Would they ever, even if work offered
again, be able to catch up-to repay
what they owed? These were queries
mother and daughter asked themselves
an hundred times.
Before the question was answered.
| fate-remOrseless fate-swept away their
last hope. The uncle, Arthur Paine,
was summoned to his final account
with more swiftness than his brother.
| The two wOmen-one suffering, in
broken health; the other hungering for
| joys she saw herself forever shut out of
looked at each other fearfully. They
did not dare to breathe their fears. The
mothers heart ached for her child, the
daughter S for her mother
But the world wrings answers from
all. The day came when the mother
and daughter had to speak plainly, and
when it came, it found the mother as
babe.
Mother, there may be way" said
Caroline Paine, hopefully. Mrs. Paine
shook her head, still keeping her eyes
covered.
"Im sare mother-wait unit! Mr.
Brooks comes home Then | will tell
| you what Imean.
Mr.. Brooks was well up in years-an
old bachelor who roomed on the same
floor with the Paines. He was a clerk.
with varied experience. To Caroline
he was walking encyclopedia. An
hour later Mr.. Brooks, in response to
Caroline's request, stepped noiselessly
into the room the Paines occupied
''Mr. Brooks, said Caroline. briskly,
Il want to ask you about soldiers
claims. You know what soldiers are
entitled top
Il ought to. was chief clerk for a
claim agent eight years, and five years
in the Pension Office here" Mr. Brooks
wasted no words. He sat down, look
ing inquiringly at the earnest face be-
fore him.
"Then you can help us, Mr.. Brooks.
l want you to sell the land my father
or my mother is entitled to- Father
never sold it, did he, mother?"
Mrs. Paine looked bewildered. '.What
land?n
''Why, the 16O acres L used to hear
father say was lying out West waiting
for him.
"Or' said Mr.. Brooks ''that's all az
here he checked himself The girls
face fell. Why not soften the disap-
pointment. You see-there really
never was anything in that l mean
You don't mean father sold his
claim?'
Mr.. Brooks couldn't invent lie, or
he would have done it, He blurted out
the truth: '.I've no doubt your father
thought he was entitled to the land"
''Why, Mr. Brooks, I've heard him
say, time and again, the Government
owed him the land that he would sell
his claim when the time came if he ever
was-was, as ce are now-hard press
ed"
Il remember now; so he did," said
Mrs. Paine. Caroline is right Mrs.
Paine spoke cheerfully.
1.-The truth is the Government never
really promised the land
''Why, Nh. Brooks, I've heard of SOL
diers selling their land warrants" said
Caroline.
$50 they did, Miss; that's just where
the mistake was made. You see, before
the civil war, the Government gave
soldiers land warrants; the volunteers
were led to believe they'd getthe same"
''Yes, and pay in gold,'' said Mrs.
Paine.
''Yes-pay in gold: But they were
paid in paper money, worth forty to
sixty cents on the dollar, when gold see->
sawed up and down 1t was swindle
on the soldier, but big thing it has
proved for the bondholder.' -
''And mother has no claim to any
thing?'
'.Not an inch of land''
Caroline thought rapidly ''Then,
since you know the law, she is entitled
to pension money. Everybody knows
my father lost his health in the army
did he ever apply for pension?''
He was too independent to do that"
said Mrs. Paine, wearily.
''Well, if there never was ANYTHING
done about it, it is too late now Is his
doctor living?'
''Dr. Hamilton is dead-he was our
physician for twenty years."
mo case" said Brooks
''Is there no way-no hope in any di-
rection?''
Brooks pondered. 1t was disagree
able, but the truth was best in this case.
81 don't see glimmer of hope. Miss
Paine only disappointment. If your
father had been wounded an arm
or leg-but, you see. dying so long after
the war-making no sign-doctors dead
its case debarred, as I might saw
Caroline's brows contracted involun-
tarily. She looked at Brooks steadily.
revolving new thoughts in her mind.
IF a man lost an arm, and is in good
health and can clerk just as well as ever
| he could
Brooks anticipated her. IF he has
an income of ten thousand a wear. and
only had his big toe hurt, he gets a pen
sion. l know people who draw pensions
for less"
''But man whose health was bro
ken-who couldn't show any wound
and
Precisely. Miss Paine. A compliea-
ton OF diseases carries man off 1t
don't matter if he went into the army
as healthy as any man who never had