, 1890-03-27
TOLD BY THE NAYSIDE.


I way through CUPS ltl AiN hlll7i WIN
many turning-, set still seeking the
/ West, to lose itself at last In tine
| Wabash, il "a little country church
The site IL level, but below the hill
-lnnts sharply down to the road.
Above the church an equally steep
slope rising toward the East Is dot
ted with graves
One stone with Inscription recalls
IA pathetic story. Below the name
and date OF birth and death is sin
gle line: "Shc was the mother OF
five soldiers" There j. no need to
sec that the date of death IL lsGj 10
know that the feelings, stirred to
their depths by our great national
strife, were still strong Ia the hearts
of the mourncrs who placed the
plain monument over the grave.
When I came To the village "a year
or two before her death. she who
sleeps there was "Aunt Margaret
Ia all the community. Her hus-
band, "unclc Billy Weston, had
already passed his thrccscoro, aud
she was little younger. lie had
an old mans fonducs= for talking Of
the past, and delighted to tell of
their courtship aud marriage, and 10
describe the cabin To which lac
brought his bride.
This first meal IN their now home,
and many succeeding oues, was
taken from IA board placed ncrOss the
backs of two chair, But they were
young and strong aud hopeful, and
their Industry and economy had
brought the reward of u home aud
abundant means long before | knew
| them.
Children came to them until there
were live sons and two daughtcr-.
The iir-t great grief Of their live. was
the death of the youngest daughter
just when she had reached woman.
hood.
Two sons were married, but IL was
only n few years until one Of them
returned to the old nome, bringing
his two molhcrlcss littlc girls. Iis
wife had been Killed by stroke Of
| lightning, the babe In her arms
being unhurt.
Then came the outbreak Of the
civil war and the cal for volunteers.
One son alter another enlisted until
all were in their cOuntTy's service.
But Il few months passed before the
youngest, who was set u hoy, les,
than ~ years old, lcll u victim To
disease brought on by the exposures
OF camp lic. His remains were
brought home aud buried on this
hillside.
At the siege Of Vick-hurg another
fell while leading his men In an A..
saIlt. They had loved their cap-
tain as II fell To- thu lot ur "A Grw
uHlcers To be loved. They marked
his grave carefully, and when the
tide of war rolled on, leaving Nicks-
burg accessible to civilians from tho
North, the father brought the body
nome ana lhld II beside his brothers
resting place.
Under the double strain of grief
for the dead and anxiety FOR the lly-
lngj Aunt Murgurcts health began
to iail. Very gradually her strength
declined until the early spring of jGj
found her confined to her bed with
the end seemingly near Then fol.
lowing the news Of Lees surrender
came word Of the mastering out OF
troops and the hurrying honiewnrd
OF the veterans. Two Of the three
surviving sons reached home and
were at their mother = bo ,side. Only
Wilton was absent.
81 must live to see nv bovi
must live to sec WilIW she rcpcnt.d
again and again, and IL seemed ia
those about her that only the mlpht
OF her niother-lONc kept the feeble
spark of life from being cXtin.
guished.
Thus the days passed until thc
news of LincOlni- nssnsaIn,,inu
hlled the land wi TIA horror aud grief
lhto the western home came I'D.
lngs that the regiment To which
Mill belonged had been detained M
washington oity; they would moi
DO mustered out until the cNcitr.
Imeht had IN u measure subsid,d
Inc mother had not strength To bear
,hc culsippointment and never raj.
Ileti ailor the news was received
She passed away IN the carly Anil
morning and WIS laid beside hor
sons the next afternoon.
Tie old home wa. brokrn u,
Ihe second son remarked and tnnL
his two little girls home. VIII won,
into business IN a. not very dI.t,,nt
city. Uncle Billy went to live viii
ms Oldest son, who resumed thn
practice Of medicine in IA noIphhor.
Ing county.
There he remained n few months,
then he came back To the vlllnue.
al, ilcn mas pleasant home, and
ms wife, Jennie, h very kind y ha
said, "but could not stnv n", NV
iron my graves any longer
lie bought IA little house. movol
what furniture he had left inlo II
made arrangements to take ~
meals III n ncighbOrs, and scttIcd
down to his lonely live. / uscI I'to ,o
think that I had never seen nnv
thinS more pathetic than that gr,y-