Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-08-02

shs was s-gittin thinner and her eye
hollerer. Hts hard 20 bar death whir
yer hearts sot On them that's tuk. bui
hits right smart harder to bar ths on
sartinty right straight long. week Ia
and month out, when one don't know d
20 bs her boys 10 alvin OF deed.
"Oftsn and often whin mo and MINI,
lied down long side by Aich other thal
ar wintAh couldn't 70 10 aleep 10
thinkin. And when the darkness wa
On ths hills. and tho cold slsst dru,
down the valley. and the wind wa
s-howlin bout ths house like pack ol
hungry wolves. ia think heard Jack oI
Pike A.hollerin 10 help. and I'd start NJ
from done with my heart a-jumpin I'LL
! felt sick and giddy and my ear
a-strainin 10 catch the voices of human
out In the sto'm. Then I'd reach out my
han. hopin Minny wAs asleep. and I'd
nnd her a-settin mp. too. and s-pantin'l
ef she'd tccn chased up hill.
"Hit amt much 10 tell 'bout. mebbs
but hit WA mighty hard 20 bar. Sone
times ! felt that ef ~ 10 I could 60,
away by myself and holler like mad 90 9
bit that hit'd do ma heap of good: or
thought u could q throwci myself dAi
Vn the snow and cried till my tsah,
melted hit down ~ tbs rocks and
through them. that hit'd o. brought ins
sase. hut ! didn't want 20 Let Minny
know jcst how I felt and. pore gal. sbs
was a.tryin all the time 10 make believe
that she WAS fcelin right psert. and she'd
sing at her work whin sbc thought
Was a.lsstenin; and then whin shs
thought wasn't nigh. she take On Till
her eyes was rel. And KNOWN how
coinfortin teAhs IL % wimmcn folk. when
they's all alone by tharsefs. ! never puf.
tended that ! notic~l her cy,- &C that
didn't think che wasn't nigh bouts hap
py's ths day wAs long. And 10 hit wa
all during that long. cold wintah. and
Devah a-heahin from the boys. NO uns
tried to cheat aioh other inter bslisvin
Vat we wasn't both Iowahful mis'able. :
The summer pas>cd. and now and then
an old man who hal ben over to VII.
liams store. or -ome woman whose men
folk had "rcfugc,.i.- would drop In ~
ses Mrs. Hurd and Minny and 10 talk of
Desperate battle. In Virginia and Ken
tuc.y. aud In places they had never
besri c.leforc. And the old men would
ssi
"shss a-cunin. aud hits powahful
slow. 20 10 shuAh. bit tho ole hAg's q
s-OnIn To the mountains agin. aud
sh.'ll snow up down laar ChAls,on way,
~hrr lhcm dosgos iebcls fu.. pulled
her down"
Dgt the news % III. battles troubled
Mrs. Iiuud sorely. Thousands u men
.!l'. ,ao would say to Minny. ''and all
bT.vc ma like our Jack AMI Pike. fo
thar cla't b. any brayer'n they j.. some
ihia ,c;'s ms them two couldn't come
clAh of the dainjah."
and Minny would try To cheer bei
mother with hopc she did not herself
f,el. n the story of Confederate disaster
came Ia the mountains. as u did after
Mill Springs. DDnelson And shiloh. then
tl,. mother and daughter b-gan io worry
about Pike. for they knew him too well
to believe that hs hal gon. north with
Jack and Joined the Union army. And
when the story % Bngg's invasion ot
Kentucky AMI Kirby smiths march north
from Cumberland Gap came and the hills
wer, fllei with runor- u Union disas-
icr.. then Mrs. Huri and Minny gave all
their thoughts to Jack. AMI all iheir
prayers were for the overwhelming defeat
of the Coufcleraies-
The two women harvested their little
crop of corn, sweet potato-. and sorghum
and kille,i two pigs that had become fai
On mast. - that they were safe against
famine f,r the winter. one night In No
yember. is6s. when the young winter
wind. were having practice drill In ths
mountains. Mr.. Hurd and Minny were
aroused by hearing . heavy step on ths
boar,issi spac. between the two cabins,
followed by loud knock at the door.
Who's thar demanded Minny. and
she sprang from the bed aud seir~i the
rihe that was kept conveniently leaning
against the footboari.
"Iiits me!' replied . hoarse and no,
unfamiliar voice.
"who Is your"
"Piker'
"Pike! Oh. Gcii ilits Pike!-
without waiting to light ths lard lamp
at the ash covered FIRE. the mother and
daughter flung open the door together
and their arms were about tho rain soak
el form.
Pike closed the door snd covered ths
one window before he would let them
make light. This done. he laid aside
his belts and rife and told his story while
Minny cooked him something 10 eat