Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-05-29

| But she went on presently, STOPPING
down and picking up flower from TN
soldiers grave. '.Never before had l
trial like that, His father had been ster1
with him, 1 know, but he loved him, ano
1 loved them both, and now anger ragged
in their hearts toward each other. One
was gone where I could not help him
and the other Rugged his WRATH II
silence at home.
"Oh, the agony of those days! One
by one they went by without bringing
word from my boy. The hours Sal
upon my heart like mountains. The dis
grace of it almost killed us. To think
that our son-our only son, whom we
SO loved-had fed from his home like a
thief in the nigh, and was wandering,
We knew not where.
"At last Wilbur came to me one day,
bringing letter from Willis, which had
been sent within one to him. He wrote
humbly to me, begging me to forgive
his unceremonious departure and assur-
ing me again and again of his love, but
said not word of his father. His heart
was still full of anger toward him, 1 could
see. 1 have that letter yet. I have read
it thousand times. 1t was the last
line 1 ever had from his hand.
"He was in Georgia. Why he went
south I do not yet understand. Per-
haps it was accident; perhaps it was
destiny. Even then there were rumors
of war, and in short time is burst upon
the country in all its terror and horror.
These quiet hills echoed the sounds of
the bugle and the drum from morning
till night. Down in the town companies
were forming and regiments waited to
be ordered toward the front. Wilbur
Rathbone commanded company, and
waited in camp for an order to depart.
Before he left news came one day
that our Willis had joined the confeder-
ate army; that be was captain Of a COM
pany under Longstreet. L tried to doubt
that awful story. I would not believe it
I could not. That he had left us in
angerwas sorry and disgrace enough; to
know that he was in arms against his
and our country was too great an Attic
ton to be calmy borne. His father
raved like mailman, and forbade us not
to speak Of Willis in his presence.
81 saw Wilbur march away, with
heart heavier than stone. If my boy
had only been with him, it seemed to me
as though could have wept from Joy.
But now, these two whose lives had been
spent in brotherly companionship were
in arms against each other. The roll of
the drums sounded in my ears day after
day, and would not die out, even after
every soldier had been sent on to the
south. 1 awoke night after night from
dreams of battles in which I saw my
Willis wounded and dying. Sometimes
l called his name in my sleep and his
groans of anguish would waken me.
'When the body of Wilbur Rathbone
was sent home, I envied his mother her
sorrow. He had died for his country
died for freedom. I stood dry-eyed by
his grave, loving him as son, and feel
ing that my own sorrow was greater
than death. My daughter died few
months later. This affection we bore
unmurmuringly; but that other, that I'm
speakable sorrow, greived us increasingly.
"a last 1, too, grew stern and unre-
lenting toward my son, I banished him
from my thoughts. I drove his memory
from my heart. I had no forgiveness
for him. And SO the years went on
those awful years of war when the whole
county mourned and suffered. At last
it was over. Peace cana and the country
bound up its wounds and began to live
again. Nearly a year later we learned
that Willis had been killed while fight
ing at Chickamauga. His fathers
heart softened then. He wept and MUIR
INJURED affectionate excuses for him. But
II felt relieved to know that I should
never see his face again. They talk
about the deathless tenderness of a
mothers heart; but mine had it's day of
hardness. Always, always this thought
stung me; I, patriot, the daughter of
patriots, was the mother of son who
had defed his parents and fought
against his country.
"Three years later my husband died,
and was left alone. He spoke of Willis
often in the last days of his life. But I
was silent.
"Not till long, long after did find in
my heart forgiveness for my erring son.
realized at last that I had no right to
Judge him; that if he erred perhaps I
was to blame. I know now that the pas
sions, sorrow and evils of life became as
in the sweep of time. He was
buried in the trenche at Chickamauga.
I cannot lay flower on his grave, SO 1
come on the day they honor soldiers and
lay my tributes on the earth that covers
the body of Wilbur, his best beloved
friend. Somehow I feel that Willis I'M
derstands and knows that in my heart
are flowers of election for him. They
were both dear to me.
Eyes, he surely understands. [ have
long felt that, and have long ceased to
grieve. Both my boys are safe-safe
and dead. All is well with them"
She ceased to speak, and stood with
her hands resting on the soldiers head
stone, her eyes seeing visions of the past,
and nothing Of the present. The boy
sat in the grass at the foot OF the grave,
with tears dripping down his brown
cheeks. The tale had touched him, little
as he could understand the deep tragedy
Of it. And heard again the clash and
of war, saw the blazing fires of
battle and felt, in rush Of memory the
fierce fever of those vanished days of
carnage.