The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-01-02

I
comet blazed in the sky. and Doc said
that meant war. Doe was y respecta-
ble-looking lad. indeed, now. He was
Is years old. but few would have be-
lieved it. His eyes still had that far
away expression in them. He was
older than his years.
That was \ winter long to be re-
membered. Gray uniforms were seen
at the last yearly meeting. held in No
vember, and the preachers at that /
meeting spoke words that sounded |
harshly in our untutored ears. Young /
women hummed warlike airs, and We're |
eager to catch the latest refrain.
/ remember how the crimson deep |
ened on Cousin Sues brown cheek |
when she ratified Off
Huzzai for the sword and plume that South
ern soldiers wear!
At the first frolic the fiddler wore a
red feather in his hat and played
s.Dixie.
| Men talked and women sang, and
/ the warm blood ran riot in the South
| ern veins. .sOn to war" 20. Johnnie,
aire YOU boun' to be soldier?'
Your waist. it is too slender,
Your hands, they are too small,
And your checks too red and rosy,
And sing O-and sing o.
Sure you viii, my deari
One wintry night the northern sky
] burst into a deep crimson, and we
knew that the supernatural flame of
aurora borealis was burning on the
brow of heaven. Doc said that was
the sign Of war Everything was the
sign of war We had noticed the omi-
nous ..Wf on the back of the locusts in
Ill. f.aIn
Rainev had muster every week, and
the tramp, tramp, tramp of gathering
squadrons shattered the slumberous
depths of the barrens,
knew that Doe had met Lge.ss Pax
ton at the frolic, and knew that he
had followed hec>every movement with
fascinated gaze. She was not grown
llSS. but she was most grown, they
4 all said. She was 13, and the young
men chose her for partner when they
PLAYED ..all around the merry pole, y
and Doc sat and watched her.
These were stirring times Men and
women shattered the fetters of con-
ventionality and grew from boys to
! men and from girls to women with
marvellous rapidIty-
} At a candy-pulling Doc pulled candy
: with her. The way of it was that they
! all PLAYED lonesome, and they needed
: one more to be the lonesome one.
and he was induced, much against bus
j will, to Join. His success emboldened
: him, and so the boy and the girl pulled
: candy, and both were so painfully
} conscious of their own youthfulnes:
! that they pulled in silence.
! Iucv's brother John was nearly Is
e He was a dutifuI boy and his mother
was widow He worked for her anC
for Lucy and they lived we'll
: Again spring gladdened the eartl
l with her spir tuelie beauty. But ther,
. was not as nlucn DolsterouSness at th'
a annual ..log-rollng rs usual. In fact
a there were very few log-rollings
: Mothers and daughters and youngel
o sons pulled the fallen trees togethei
Il the best they could and burned them
d Women in big sunbonnets, kept from
n Hopping over their eyes by woodel
a sssplits" inserted in the crown, graspe'
q the plowhandles. while ''tuckin!
It strings girded about their waists KEEP
n the skirts from trailing in the dirt
o All, they were made of superior met
le tie, these women of the barrens were
le That spring we had to work a grea
d deal harder and had less time for fish
ing than before. Doc helped us. II
ID was industrious, though still weak
N ling compared with other lads.
t, The first time | saw him twirl
ce strand of golden love vine over hi
is head and cast it on the bushes | wa
ut amused. Doc told me that he ha
named it Lucy Paxton" and if
= GREW he would know that she love
n him, and if not he would be disal
a pointed. He was getting too deep fC
,s- our philosophy then.
at A whole year rolled away, and c
er the next spring saw that the love VII
ed reappeared and grew on the bushe
ne Doe saw it too, and he was pleased
rs greatly pleased. He was not an a
IL dent lover He worshipped at a di
tn tance The young fellows who can
no home on furloughs were very gallal
lie and deferentiaI toward Lucy. Th
as must have worried Doc, but he new
iv- gave any sign.
Then came that call for men; tn
I'm plucking of the very flower of Sout
is. ern chivalry. O, remorseless war!
X. John Paxton was Is, and he must
he to the war and leave his mother a
lp- Lucy to fight the harder battle at hon
lie The '.enrolling officer" that agent
re- war whose approach was dreaded
nd much, he told us that.
We When he left Doc followed him c
ck- to the gate. After a short talk
W. officer departed after shaking Doc
his the hand.
nd fTve learned somethin'," he sai
len with radiant face, when he ca
say back THE enrolling officer says Il
John can stay at nome if he can get
oy. substitute. I'm gwne to be his 81
led stitute.
ard OF course John Paxton did not W.
lis to agree to the proposition. 1t lool
the unmanly for him to stay and send
md little fellow like Doc. But the lat
the argued, Il amt got nobody to k
ane for, an if git hurt nobody'l be
loser You've got Mis- Paxton ant
nth and-Lucy," he stammered, ''an' J
ought to stay an make the crap.
sides, want TO git to be a big Gen
some time, maybe, an then Ill-Tl
r well, want to go, anyhow, an
-ho+ gwine as your substitute. And
went.
Poor little Doc! Friend 49, -
e of our child
that had bef
4 by b;