, 1890-10-23

Jlm's sweetheart, m suppose Bill
felt closer IN ever t. Jem on thet ac-
count. IN so th' boys went off T.
tn fight, an Ssr' Ann m me settled
down Z tn work of tn farm, though
somehow feelin's of apprehension
an uneasiness at news that come t
us once In awhile did not allow us
much of thet contentment thet he'd
been round our lives afore thet
great disturbance broke out. Jim
was our only child; he was tn COM
fort an Joy of his mother m me;
an T. think that he was a.
marchin' forwards maybe Z his
doom was thoughts thet often
pressed 'pon us 18th no light ham.
So we couldn't take a-hold of things
as we he'd done afore, but kinder let
tn farm take its own course, 'cept
Z care for what growed Of itself.
"Wall, thar come a soldier a-ridin'
down th' road one day, an a-givin'
tn alarm that tn Yanks was
a-comin'. Purity soon everything
was excitement down thar all
through th' valley.
"Thet night some one pounded on
th' front door of the old house, jesps
If they wanted Z smash 1t in. We
thought sure tn Yanks was after
us, or alter our possessions, an Sar'
Ann m me was a-thinkin' what
we'd better do when tn poundin'
come again, ,'n' this time / recog-
nized Bill Martins loud voice
a-callin' out:
"'Open th' door, Uncle John.
Jim's hurt an I've brought i'm
home T. you.'
"When l opened the door sure
'nough thar stood Bill a.holdin' Jim
in his great big arms, m tn moon
a-shinin' on his pale face. Great
heavens, stranger, but how tn
moonlit face of M boy Jim thrilled
me! / couldn't move or say word I;
n Bill jest pushed right by me N
laid Jim on tn floor.
"Bill said thet Jim was hurt
purity bad, m thet he had tainted
from tn long ride he'd taken; said
he'd fetch tn doctor, m then git
back Z his lines, bout dozen miles
down tn valley.
ave did all we could for Jim, but
he was outen his head m talked
bout home, m bout his sweetheart,
m other things.
"N a day or two th' doctor said
thet as th' Yanks was a-comin'
right along up th' valley, m as thar
was a lot of confusion all round US,
thet we'd better leave tn oil farm
an go up in tn mountains whar il
was quiet like, m whar tn air was
better for Jim. So we moved up
here on this here spot, m fixed
things 's comfortable for Jim as we
could, but tn boy was still
a-wandering Of his mind.
Mag Martin-who was Z be
Jim's wife-came along with us m
tended T. Jim constantly.
"It was bout three weeks alter
we'd come up here on tn mountain
18th Jim, IAN when he seemed T. be
a-gettin' little clear of his mind
though he didn't pear t know whar
he was mr. who was a-takin' care of
'im---when tn Happenings thet hev
turned our lives come bout.
"Twas on q bright an still night
in tn fall (; 'pon one of those nights.
stranger, when it jest seems g II tn ;
world was a-standin' still an
clothed in all its softest an most
beautiful shade T. have its pictur
took. Th' moons CLEANS lit up th'
whole mountain side here, a-givin'
a soft shade IN one place, an then
a-touchin', like breath of silver,
tn smooth sides of tn rocks, m tn
other brighter spots on tn great
slope. Th' air was gentle as could
be under tn spell of splendor thet
was all erbout, an not thing moved,
an not sound was thar Z break tn }
terrible peacefulness. call 1t ter
rible,' stranger--as l always hev
done-because l felt, even afore tn
terrible part come, thet sech un-
common conditions of nature he'd
all uncommon meanin'. felt, N
other words, jest - If somethin'
was a-goip' It happen--s0niethin
strange even T. the moon, m stars,
m this great mountain.
"B' this time Jim was a-gettin'
round u little, but still his mind
want right.
"Sar' Ann m me, an Jim m
Maggie was a-sittin' thar by thet
big rock " see m front, m | noticed
several times thet Jim was uneasy
like; Y seemed 3 If somethin' was
a-pressin' on him. Purity soon he
walked int tn house 3 IL he wanted
Z rest, Just q he'd done afore. We
didn't think of 1t, m staid there a.
lookin' at the moon, an a-talkin'
bout the beauties of the scene, W he n
all u once Jim come outen TIL
shauty all dressed up in his soldier
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