Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-09-09


! and went"
"Ah, sorrow like that is hard TO bear.
/ It's the broken heart cried in my breast
them days, and long after. Men tried to
speak to me of her and him, but l swore
ia kill the first man named her name and
/ I'd have done it. | could not face the
men and officers who'd known me so long.
/ had the right to ask me discharge after
/ that length of service, and l did it and
/ got it, and went where Ia never see face
/ that knew me.
"The wife never troubled me about
the hardness, but knew no other trade
/ but the soldering and things didn't 20
well with US.
MARY kept, somehow, knowledge of all
our changes and every month would come
/ a letter with $50 in notes to me. No
word no way | could tell from where it
came. Christmas times the notes would
be for 500, so | knew she was not in
want
"The Bartons were rich and high
/ family. often | swore to go TO them
with the story of the ruin of my girl; but
! tho love Estell had for her and my own
pride held me back from eXposin' the
trouble | never played the fife, never
I
hard life had with me tempers, but she
bore il well.
THE wound me daughter, me officer
and mesef had given me were KILN me
with anger and despair. That wound
hurt me longer, hurt me sorer and hurt
me worse to the life core than any / ever
got from Mexicans, Injuns or rebels, and
l got them from all.
Il
"Well, sir, it was just five years from
the time | got that deadly hurt, and was
livin' in , with hard scratchin' TO get
along on me pension and what made
laborin', for | was gettin' old. I'm past
10 now.
~ came rather late one night and the
wife says You're wanted immediate to
the Union hotel says she; you've been
sent for twice Who is itY says /. II
don't know, says she; but brush your
self up and 60 at once says she, and |
will have a nice stew for you when you
came back. Maybe its good luck comm
$50 | trimmed up for inspection and
review I'd been tryin' to get a watch
mans place on a railroad, and thought
maybe some of the masters were waitin'
to see me bout that.
81 soon got to the hotel. My names
Delanyi says 20 the clerk. He taps the
bell and says to the black man. show the
gentleman up to par lor b, says he.
'Gentlemar thinks /, 'ParlOr B, thinks
|, It's risin' in the world | am. Maybe
they'll be maxim superintendent of an
old soldier, thinks 1, and / followed the
blackie, all in a blind of wonder.
It's fine room | were shown into, and
nobody in it. The servant left and | was
smoothin' my hair before a big lookin'
glass that were there, when | heard
swish like dress aside me. l turned and
there was Mary-my Mary!-so beautiful
SO like a queen, with her darlin' eyes look
in SO wistful at me,
ooh daddy" she cried, soldin out her
two hands and calm me 10y the name she
called me when she were my own limo
cent little baby. Oh, daddy, listen to
me now
THE anger rose up hot in me though
rae heart were beatin' like t'would burs
me breast and a lump in me throat were
chokiu me.
Not q word, says /, mot word with
deserters and traitors and worsel You're
dead TO me. You were no more Mary
Delaney from the night you left your
purents'
mo" says n deep, clear voice, "but
she's Mary Barton, and has been from
that same night and out of a room door
leadm into the Farlor steps my old lef-
tenant and puts his arm around her so
bold and lookin' so handsome, that l was
spccchless and moveless
~ struck the tears from my eyes, and
/ heard little voice say 'Draudad" an l
/ looked down, and there was my little Mary.
three years ould lookin' up at me, an
/ holdiu' in her hands that ould fife.
lookcdf from the child to the mother,
to the father, and | saw what an Guild
brute and fool I'D been. No need to
tell me a word more.
Ills me, drandad" says the little one
and gathered her up, and /, that had
mover shed tear for sorrow or pain,
rum the eyes out of me cryin for Joy.
We talked and we talked. They told
me how they had been to England and
France for Mary's education how the lief