Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-12-03
MY CORRESPONDENT.

New York News: There was a time
when / neither wrote stories nor read
them. That was when / was a great
stout fellow, with shoulders like those
they tell of In the old English ballad of
Robin Hood that measured n doth
yard" from tip TO tip. l rather fancied
all that sort of thing was for women
and girls, and perhaps l might have
thought so stul if / had never been TO
the army, and had never come back, TO
sit, hour by hour, for weary days, doing
nothing. Then l began to read works
of fiction, and to wonder, as l found
the ones l liked most Were the truest,
whether my left hand writing might
not be turned TO some account in jottng
down my memories, and mixing them
up with my fancies, as they say story
writers by profession do, and as 1 think
probable.
1t was patriotic as most fellows, l
hope, but when l marched away / did
think Of riding back General Baguet-
Wen say Bagnet; it's rs good a name as
any other. l could see mothers eyes
sparkle and Sister Jean clap her hands
for joy, but / didn't think as much Of
that as of what Miss Stockton would
think OF it all. 10 tell the truth she had
driven me away from home. l was
desperately in love with her. That might
have kept me, you say. But you see
she vas the belle Of the place, and her
people e very fashionable and lived
IN a great country seat, with a host of
servants to wait upon them, and we
We're only farmers, and in busy seasons
mother and Jean did their own house
work, and l knew l was rough and UNI
polished and not tit for her, and under
stood that though she never took airs"
She felt a much above me as though
we We're not "all free and equal" So
| said this to myself: I'm nevcr pine
and whine about it. As l an L couldn't
win her; I'll 20 away with the boys and
fight as a soldier should, and III make 4
name even she might be proud OF, and
come back, God willing, TO Try my fate"
So Rachael Stockton did drive me from
home, you see, and make Il soldier Of
me without knowing ii.
l shall never forget how mother took
it. She was in the kitchen peeling
onions when l went in to tell her.
She said:
Paul, what brings you home so early ?
You're not sickY'
NO mother" said /, I'm wen
enough, but thought I'd spend the last
afternoon with you. I'm off tomorrow
or cried she. Where, Paul?'
TO he army, said l.. I've en-
listed
She dropped the knife she held and
sat down, the great tears rolling down
her cheeks.
They say we mothers should be glad
TO send our boys from us" she said,
but it's hard TO hear. 1 shan't ever
see you again, Paul. 1 know that wen.
Why mother said !, what a
fancyn
But fancy or not she stuck to it, and
Kept sobbing softly to herself as though
| were dead. She got everything ready
for NE, but she never once stopped
crying, and l went away leaving her in
tears. l never saw hCr smile agair, Cor
"A month afterward she died. A fever
broke out in the place, and she was the
fourth who fell its victim. When the
neWs came l wished almost that l had
put away all my dreams Of glory and
fame and Rachel Stockton, and stayed
ut home, but it was no use wishing, none
in the world, and / was growing fond Of
a soldiers life-fOnd, although l began
to understand it better, and to know
that every brave man did not become
m ofiicer-altLough that fancy of being
some day rich and renowned enough
to make wen Miss Stockton proud of
me began TO seem no more substantial
than the fancies Of a dream.
One day when ] was rather low spirit
ed, for we Were in camp and there was
nothing TO do but think, my friend Jack
Ammon came to me laughing.
DO you want some funI' asked he.
"FUn,' said l.. is there any,
Yes said he. Join the p]ostofioe
club
What's tbat!' asked l..
"A dozen of us have formed a club, =
said he. We're going to correspond
with any charitable young ladies who
win take pity on our forloru situation
Nonsense, said 1.
Fact" said he.
Well said 1, in the first place Tn
no writer. In the next place l don't be-
lieve any girl i should care to cor
respond with would write TO me-
Nonsense for YOU said be. The
girls think q good deaf Of the soldier
boys. / can tell you
They put an advertisement in the Hay
Hin Journal, and each Of them had a
letter. Jack showed me one. / read IT,.
il was a school giilish thing, but pleas
ant too. Certainly there was no harm
in it. So ] joined the club, and wrote IL
letter to whoever chose to answer d..
The girls, whose real names were hid
den, We're told Of it, and one day an
answer came to me signed Leah.
1t took my fancy, / wrote again
Pretty soon 1 began 10 wish / knew who