Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-05-29

CAPTATN. WILBUR RATHBONE.


A true friend and brave soldier.
This stone is raised by Co. G.. til Regiment
Vol. J. which he commanded.
The grave had been carefully tended.
Its rounded outlines and fresh, closely
trimmed sod made Of 1t a green island
in a lake of disorder and neglect The
pale old lady knelt down and began to
pick flowers from the basket and rever-
emily lay them upon the grave. The boy,
big-eyed and silent, came softly up and
planted his flag at its head.
''Wilbur RathbOne was my sons clos
est friend continued the old lady, in a
soft. sweet voice. 'sThey were babies to-
friends. The home Of each was as much
the others as his own; They spent al
most every hour of their time together
for twenty years. They grew alike in
looks and manners, though they were
totally unlike In character. Even their
names resembled each other. Ny boy
was called Willis. He was rash, impetu-
Gus, quick to anger and not easy to con
/ troll. Wilbur was brave and gentle, Civ
en- to quiet ways and of few words. He
! loved music better than merry-making,
and he loved horses and birds better
than most persons. 1 fancy I can still
| hear the piano speak under his fingers,
when I sit silent and alone in my now
childless and almost empty house. And
when the quiet of evening comes 1 some
times close my eyes, blot out Of my
memory a quarter Of a century, and hear
the notes from his violin float over the
hills. His mother and father, my good
neighbOrs, lived over there in the house
whose chimney you can see from here, -
and she pointed through a break In the
wood. "They are all long since dead,
and lie here beside their son. They were
not members Of the Society Of Friends
that met In this little house, but their
parents had been, and when they died
there was, after all, not spot of ground
in which to bury them more sacred than
this, though it is SO desolate-so very,
very desOlate.
'But the bOysl They were never sep
arated until few months before the war
broke out. Ny son grew restless, and
talked Of going ont into the world and
doing great things. We held him here,
his father and /, foolish souls that we
were, feeling that we could not let hin
go; that to go once meant really to 60
forever. You know that when birds
once try their wings they never go bach
to the nest. And we had only one Othel
child, one girl, our Katie. At last the
pressure upon his restless spirit rasped
his ever quick temper, and he quarreled
with his father, left us in the night with
out a word"
She rose, turned her face away, anC
stood so long silent that thought she
meant to say no more.
But she went on presently, STOPPING
down and picking up a flower from thu
soldiers grave. '.Never before had /
trial like that. His father had been sterI
with him, I know, but he loved him, anl
! loved them both, and now anger rageC
IN their hearts toward each other. On
was gone where could not help him
and the other Rugged his wrath il
silence at home.
'Oh, the agony Of those days On,
by one they went by without bringin,
a word from my boy. The hours sa
upon my heart like mountains. The dis
grace of it almost killed us. To thinl
that our son-Our only son, whom W
so loved-had fed from his home ike
thief In the nigh5, and was wandering
we knew not where.
oAt last Wilbur came to me one day
bringing a letter from Willis, which has
been sent within one to him. He wrotl
} humbly to me, begging me TO fOrgiv
his unceremOniOus departure and assur
ing me again and again-of his love, bu
said not a word Of his father. His hear
was still full Of anger toward him. cOul,
see. I have that letter yet. have rea'
, It thousand times. 1t was the las
} lins I ever had from his hand.
''He was in Georgia. Why he wen
J south do not yet understand. Per
haps it was accident; perhaps it wa
destiny. Even then there Wsra rumor