Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-02-28

ward the road. They rushed to the
door, and looked where she pointed.
A man in a blue coat, with amusk-
ct on his back, was toiling slowly up
the hill ON the sun-bright, dusty
road, toiling slowly, with bent head
half hidden by heavy knapsack.
So tired it seemed that walking was
indeed a proc ess of falling. Soeager
to get home he would not stop,
would not look aside, but plodded
on, amid the cries OF the locusts, the
welcome of the crickets, and the rus
tie OF the yellow wheat. Getting
back to Gods country and his wife
and babiesl
Laughing, crying, trying to call
him and the children at the same
time, the little wife, almost hysteric-
al, snatched her hat and ran out in
to the yard. But the soldier had
disappeared over the hill into the
hollow beyond, and, by the time she
had found the children, he was too
far away for her voice to reach him.
And besides, she was not sure it was
her husband, for he had not turned
his head at their shouts. This seem.
ed so strange. Why didn't he stop
to rest at his old neighbours house?
Tortured by hope and doubt, she
hurried up the coule as fast as she
could push the baby-wagon, the
blue-coated figure just ahead push
ing steadily, silently forward up the
coule.
When the excited, painting little
group came in sight of the gate, they
saw the blue-coated figure standing,
leaning upon the rough rail fence,
his chin on his palms, gazing at the
empty house. His knapsack, can,
teen, blankets, and musket lay upon
the dusty grass at his feet.
He was like a man lost in a dream
His wide hungry eyes devoured the
scene. The rough lawn, the little
implanted house, the field of clear
yellow wheat behind it, down across
which streamed the sun, now almost
ready to touch the high hill to the
west the criekets crying merrily, q
cat on the fence dreaming uninindiu
of the stranger in blue.
How peaceful it all was. My God
How tar removed from all camps
hospitals, battle-lines. little cabir
in u Wisconsin cOule, but it wai
majestic in its peace. How did h
ever leave it for those years o
tramping, thirsting, killing?
Trembling, weak with emotion
her eyes on the silent figure, Mrs
Smith hurried up to the fence
Her feet made no noise in TIN
dust and grass, and they were clos
upon him before he knew of them
The oldest boy ran a little ahead
He will never forget that figure, tina
face. 1t will always remain as some
thing epic, that return OF the pri
vate. He fixed his eyes on the pal
face, covered with ragged beard.
who are you, sir?" asked tn
wife, or rather, started to ask, 70
he turned, stood a moment, an
then cried
.'Emmap
''Edwardp
The children stood in a curiou
row to see their mother kiss thi
bearded, strange man, the elder gil
sobbing alphabetically with he
: mother. Illness had left the soldie
partly deaf, and this added to th
strangeness of his manner.
But the boy OF six years stoo
away, even alter the girl had recog
nized her father and kissed hin
The man turned then to the BABY
and said in a curiously unpaternt
tone:-
Come here, my little man, don
, you know me?" But the bah
backed away under the fence, an
stood peering at him critically
From "a Private's Return" in TIL
Arauo