Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-20


cried. though their hearts were happy. These
women were the stay Of the homes when the
thunder cloud of war swept into the army
every able-bodied man in the north who had a
soul as big as a flea. They were the wives or
the sweethearts who hoped to be the wives Of
the men who marched away, and with them,
today, no whit less enthusiastic, were thou
sands of women whose FIRST remembrance of a
fathers kiss is connected with a blue coat and
shining brass buttons. a soft black hat with
dropping p umes aud pretty gilt cord with
tiny acorns which childish little mother
coveted for dolls girdie. When one saw
these enthusiastically patriotic women as they
stood today with silver in their hair and Time 3
tender touch deepening about their eyes, it
was easy to understand why through all these
years the veterans have been SO loyal to the
women. 1t is because the women have been
loyal to them.
For the women and men we're one that day,
In a purpose grand and great"
The wives and sweethearts whose husbands
and lovers served in the war Of the rebellion!
What memories those tendeyest OF all words
recall! These were
THE loving women who watched and prayed
in anguish half resisted
Until the fatal message came: God keep you,
I've enlistedI'
When all day long the drums were rolled in
hateful exultation
And fife and bugle stung with pain the pulses
of the nation;
When woman's hand formed every star that
flashed on field of glory,
And womans tears were stitched along each
stripe in jeweled story"
Since Satan was banished to hell for stirring
up strife in heaven there have been men to
fight and loving women to bid them God
speed" But never since Rahab hid the spies
and Joshua conquered Jericho have women
been called upon to bear such burdens as
weighted shoulders, young and old, during the
war Of the rebellion. Nearly 3,0O00 m en-
left their homes and went to do battle for the
flag. Two-thirds of these men left behind
them young and middle-aged wives or women
to whom they bad plighted troth. There was
hardly home upon which red-handed war did
not leave its imprint. or the men who went
Some we're as brown as the tawuy south,
And some like the dawn were fair;
And here was the lad with his gir.ish mouth,
And there was the beard Of care;''
tie aged or for tine little children, whose hun
CRY mouths seemed always open.
The shot OIL Sumter seemed to fill their
veins with iron. They did not say with An
dromache
But, Hector, thou 10 me art all in one,
Sire, mother, brethren, though my welded
love;
Then, plying us. within the tower remain,
Nor make thy child an orphan and thy wife a
hapless widow"
All. no! These widows had within them the
laten. heroism which needed but treason 8
scream to startle them into lifelike Minerva
full panoplied for the bitter struggle. Risin.
| to the sublime heights of self-abnegation they
said:
go forth, brave hearts! Go whore the bullets
rattle.
For us TO plan. for US to pray, for you to toll
and battle;
Ours to uphold, yours to defend, the COM
pact none can sever,
And sacred be your name and fame, forever
and fOrever."
In the crowd today was a woman whose face,
| under bands of snow-white hair, gave one the
| impression Of tragedy, SO scanned and pallid
was it, while her eyelashes sparkled with swift
coming tears.
Il can't even now look on those ranks of
marching men unmOved," she said to her
whilom hostess, with pitiful attempt at smil-
ing. My husband was in the thirty first ILL
nois and was killed in the second days battle of
Fort Donelson. Somewhere his body lies in an
unknown grave, and Missing stands beside
his name on the roll OF his regiment. During
the months that came after until they length
ened into years, and every prison door had
been unbarred. every pen cmptied, prayed
that God would not leave me utterly desolate
l was fresh and comeiy when my husband en-
listed. but in those four years aged decade
1t was not the hard work nor alone the care of
my three helpless children that did it. 1t was the
canker Of hope deferred. Day after day, week
alter week, until the years measured three
hungrily scanned the war news, hoping to see
my husbands name, but 1t only appeared once
Just after Donelson. in the column of Missing !
He went to make up the nearly 1000 who were
never accounted for in any way. FINALLY man
aged to 80 south. haunled the hospitals and
thorough search was made through the prson,
But that one Horrible word was never effaced
from my memory. Throughout those two
bright, beautiful May days when the Presi-
dent and Gen. Grant reviewed the returning
armies l stood almost where stand now
and scanned the thousands and thousand
of war-worn men, while my heart grew sick.
Unconsciously had hoped until then that he
might be among them. All! but it was bitter
| to give up; to know that until eternity dawped
he would be to me only missing picture to
myself how he died, and wonder il life went
mcrcifully soon or IL through long hours he
battled with death, with his heart flied with
thoughts Of the babies and me. When see
those battered old hulks of men, with whiten-
ing locks and aging faces, am reminded Of
those first days after Sumter and Bull Run
when our boys, just in manhoods morning. Jeff
farm and shop, school and store, their wives
and mothers, sisters and sweethearts and
swung out for honor's bloody field The nation
called and they answered, while the women
| took up the burdens where the men Land
| them down. don't know how we en-
dured it doubt if We would have been 40
self-reliant and brave il We had known in the
beginning that it would be four years before
those men would return, leaving half q million
of their number martyrs to the cause. Oh. the
pity OF IT! Halt q million dead and 1000
missing"
That sweet woman's plant was echoed in
Thousands OF hearts along that line TODAY
Ponderous volumes have been written about
the ''women Of the war;" but the brave wiye,
| and lWeethearte Who Denoted THAR enerrio. u,