The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-07
TO THE ENoAArpa1ENr.
How "Your Uncle JoshY Preparos for Each
Recurring Meeting q tiie A9ye IN Blue.
Aunt mandy Goes with Him lately to
Kind Of Look After Him.


Recurring Meeting, o. tiie A9ye 10 Blue.
Aunt mandy Goes with Him lately to
KInd Of Look After Him.
Chicago T4ibtHe.
Your Uncle Joshua sits under the
porch at his farmhouse these summer
evenings, and sees the wheat in the
shock and the corn in tassel. Things
around the old place meet with his ap-
probation and he begins to think it's
time he took little trip. Your Uncle
Joshua wcnt,out with the boys IN blue
thirty years ago, andethefa is np!plaSe
ON earth aside from his home he SO
much covets or at which he SO much
enjoys himself as the grand encamp-
ment Of the Grand Army OF the Re-
public. All his children know this
fact, and although Uncle Joshuh has
time and again declared he had I'D cotn-
fort at the grand encampment the folks
only smile, for they well know he
couldn't be persuaded to keep away.
So the old soldier keeps an eye on the
place and date, as the posters say, and
about month before the time for the
meeting he comes to town apd goes
quietly down to the railroad depot,
where he learns the price of the tickets
and when the sale thereof begins.
"As NoTuIN' WAS DoIN'."
About week ago Uncle Josh came in
and told the folks he believed he would
go to Detroit "as nothin' was doin'"
on tho farm. Aunt Mandy knew what
that meant. Aunt Mandy is Uncle
Josh's wife, and she looked after the
farm while Uncle Josh spent three
years and more in tho red clay and tho
swamps OF the South. Aunt Mandy got
up early the next morning and went up
to the garrett, whore she took down
Uncle Josh's Grand Army OF the Re-
public uniform and hat from the peg,
where it had hung for about a year
She beat the moth millers out Of the
old suit, using a hickory switch for q
fail, and then put the outfit on the
clothesline out in the garden to air in
the sun, The coat needed few but
tons and tho cord on the hat was rusty.
Aunt Mandy made all the necessary
repairs, and when Uncle Josh saw the
way Aunt Mandy had fixed up the suit
he vowed mother was the best house
keeper on airth."
Uncle Josh has never missed an en-
campment in twenty years. He has
followed the Grand Army OF the Repub-
lie from salt water to salt water. He
used 10 start in primitive way, with
new boots and the brightest log.cabin
quilt in the family chest. He soon
found out that new boots would not do
at all, so he has discarded them, and
now he wears old comfortable brognns,
made a respectable width with copious
treatments OF home made tallow. Uncle
Josh hasn't carried q coverlet in q long
time because the folks where the Grand
Army OF the Republic encampments are
held always sec to it he has great big
bed to sleep In at night.
AUNT MANDY GOES ALONG.
Lately Uncle Josh doesn't like to go
to the encampments alone. It was
kind OF M outing for him at first, but
now Uncle Josh gets lonesome when
he's away from home. lie can't walk
rs well as no used to, and he needs
some one to look after him u little.
Aunt Mandy goes with him now, and
and she is SO well convinced that she
will get to the encampment that she
laws in q new frock and bonnet and
gloves, and lots OF little tixings so as to
have them ready for the day Of the
start. Last night Uncle Josh told the
bows and girls he wanted an early
breakfast and the team, then he turned
to Aunt Mandy and said:
"Mother, air, You ready?"
"Didn't know you wanted me" re-
piled Aunt Mandy, although she knew
better all the time.
"oh, 20 long there" said Uncle Josh;
"of course l wanted you. won't go
alone and you know it"
The sun wasn't an hour high this
morning before Bill drove the old
wagon in front OF thehouse. Then Bill
took out the tail board and set q chair
so Aunt Mandy could get into the con-
yeyance. Uncle Josh and his wife babe
good-by to the folks and jolted to town
seated on couple Of chairs, those old
chairs with seats made out OF split
hickory. He was at the depot two
hours before train time, but that made
no difference. Uncle Josh is patient
man, and nll he wanted was that he and
Aunt Mandy might get to Detroit and
return safe and sound.