Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-06-12


I first remember Mrs. Caroline Green
as little Carrie Gould. We played in the
same games in the village school ground
and stood side by side-usually very near
the foot--in the juvenile spelling class
Her school life closed before mine, and
my next distinct recollection of her begins
at the time she became the wife of Mau-
rice Green.
Like many another New England girl
in those days, Carrie Gould welded the
man of her choice one day only to lose
him the next. Maurice Green married
her in Federal blue and marched away
next morning TO the front, leaving his
wife of day to mourn herself into At
of sickness over the separation. At that
| time l secretly thought she made too
| great display Of her grief. In a year l
was heartily ashamed Of myself for hav
| ing been so unchsTitable. The follow
| ing autumn my own husband, to whom
had been married but few weeks, en-
| listed and went away.
In the descla.a days that followed
| became the almost constant companion
of Mrs. Green. Together we traced on
| map the movements of the army divis-
ions, of which our respective husbands
! were, to us, by far the most important
part, and together we waited, hand in
hand and with hushed breath. for the
| gossiping postmaster to distribute the
daily mail
/ From the very first Mrs. Green seemed
L a. l. l.. II L. 4
returning 10 her alive. Time and again
l tried to reason her out of what be-
/ lieved to be "A morbid idea born of feeble
health, but all could say had no effect
upon her. She shuddered over the let
tiers that came 10 her from the south,
] and often hid them under her shawl
without daring to look at the handwrit-
ing of the address. | knew too well
/. what she feared. She feared message
| from some kind comrade that her hus-
band had fallen in action, or had died
unattended and uncared for in some
] great army hospital.
Il know how it will all end" she said
| to me one day, with tears in her eyes;
''some day the message l have dreaded
! find me lying dead just where received
1t, with the fatal thing in my hand"
Now and then soldier from the COM
! pany in which her husband had enlisted
came home on furlough to recover
from severe illness or a wound. Every
one of them brought favorable reports Of
/ Maurice Green. He was In excellent
1 l. l.. H..
name as brave and loyal man: his con-
versations with his comrades convinced
! all who cared TO listen that he was true
rs steel TO his girl wife In far off Maine.
| and that he looked forward hopefully
l and proudly TO the life they would live
| together when the war was over or when
his term Of enlistment had expired.
"rrne TO the flag and true to his wife!'
I she would say on such occasions in n
way that wasn't at all like her everyday
| talk "1ou needn't enlarge on the.
! knew that when he went away. IL he
deserted. should never look in his face
/ again. If he forgot the solemn vows he
made the day ne left me. know | should
! follow him to the end of the earth, if 1t
was necessary. 10 take his life. But he
| viii do neither" she would add, 81 know
/ he will do neitheri They viii XIII him
/ in some Of their wretched battles and
! shall never see him again"
Perhaps the person for whom this
/ manuscript is being prepared will object
10 his loss Of time in reading what have
written regarding Mrs. Caroline Green's
/ moods and fears | can't help it was
asked - be minute. How can | better
! obey orders than By describing exactly
| the Kind ~ a woman she was in those
! dayss IL YOU want to know whether
| Ms Caroline Green would Re apt II do
a certain thing OF not, Just figure out in
! vour own mind whether = morbid mind.
| and Jealous mind. and = revengefully
| Jealous mind. like the one | have at
| tempted 70 describe. would be likely "a
Ieai a person on 70 do the deed that has
been done There you have il. Mr..
Joseph L. Smith. and | hope and pray
from The very bottom Of ny heart that
! Won wia figure il out wrong II any harm
Is - come 20 Caroline Green by reason
Of vuur figuring u out night
Have mentioned the fact that Mrs.
Green NJ that time had brother living
in New YORK Well. she had graf.
ssaIwart. kindh@srted brother tsere. and
h4 va a. wrapped up IN has sister and
she III hi7s, that they spent snail fort
une every year II postage st2nsS lean