Fair play., 1894-05-26

tie town and John enlisted One day,
with banners flying, and the beat Of
drum and noise of fife resounding
through the streets as if it were gala
day instead of day of gloom and fear,
they marched away.
l remember it plainly. as II it were
but yesterday. seeing John stoop over
the baby in her arms, as II loath to
leave them, kiss the tiny face and hands
over and over again.
He fought and fell. captain among
our boys, and when well enough they
sent him home, only for the loved ones
there to see how intensely ne suffered.
The Journey was too much for him.
Unconscious when he arrived. he re-
manned 50 until he lifted up his eyes in
that land where battle strife and beat
of martial drum are never known and
soldiers graves are never dug. We
buried hin-I say we because our
whole town horOrei our fallen cap
tain, and universal was the sorrow ex-
pressed for his wife and babies
There was a little money left, and
Mary kept her place and raised garden
stnff to sell. As years rolled by that
was not enough to give her even Il
scant supply, and she moved into town
and took in sewing.
Time had healed the sorrow in the
hearts of the town folk as it had COW
cred the grave with green. As watched
her thought of her sorrow and great
needs. and wondered how we could SO
soon forget her.
saw her enter Il shop and come out
directly with u disappointed look, tuck
ing something under her arm. In my
own arms carried Il box of cut flow
ers which | had purchased to place on
the grave of an only son whom | had
laid to rest Just after that dreadful bat
tie Of Ball Run.
Although it was raining very hard at
this time, wondering still more at her
mysterious way, | followed. The last
place which She had entered was a
music store and | raclied my brain to
find a reason for her doing So. She
hurried along and presently she seemed
to come To the desired place, cautiously
looked around her and then entered.
When | came abreast OF the place l
saw that it was a loan-shop Could it
have come to this? Was she so reduced
in circumstances that she found it nee
cssary to pawn articles to exist? l
waited patiently until she appeared,
the Something under her shawl was
gone and she started to retrace her
steps homewar,!.
did not follow farther, but resolved
that | would not sleep that night until
knew just how Johns wife was
situated. After changing my wet gar
nients for dry apparel and having cup
of tea, | started for her home.
When | reached the door of her
APARTMENT at the end of long, dimly-
lighted hail, heard her running the
machine and singing as she worked.
was surprised at this, for with poverty
| had always coupled discomfort.
She answered my knock by opening
the door and saying how surprised she
was to see me standing there. We
talked of many interesting subjects,
she telling me Of the children and her
work and OF her many, many struggles
with poverty and doctors and drug
bills. Naturally our conversation turned
to the subject OF Decoration day as the
morrow had been christencl, and smil-
ing such sweet, calm smile, she
arose and going to the sink at the 9TH
er end of the room brou ght from it
box filled with flowers, which she had
bought to place on Johns grave.
She told me then, with her eyes filed
with tears. she knew her John was a
noble soldier and he SO dearly loved
flowers she could not think of his grave
with but flag to mark it and SO she
had managed to bny scmc for it. The
children would go with her early on
the morrow and they would spend ar
hour or two with him
she had managed to buy some"