The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-01-23
UNCLE BEN'S LETTER.


silver teaspoons Before answering my
Question Bill opened the box and held
it 50 that I could look into il, and but
for a vellowing envelope it was empty.
&c took cd the envelope, touching II
with exceeding care, and handed 1t tc
ne.
'sWhat Of it?'' I asked after reading
the name and address-''Mrs. Mary
Hullett. Antioch, Lake county, Ills. y
"You notice, said be, that 1t has
never been opened p"
Yes / answered, land what Is
this postmark written with penl
WHY. it is Gettysburg. isn't it:''
"Yes. That's where the letter was
mailed, addressed to my mother, and, ss
vou see, Nc one has broken the seal. "
why. that's strange Tel me about
It.
In order to get tho history of relic
I had 10 feel, or rather pretend that
felt, = great interest in it. Bill took
tho letter and pat it away, and after
time told ne the following bis Of fani-
ly history:
Yoa see, my mother thought more
Of her brother, ny Uncle Ben, than she
did of almost anybody in the world
While quito young she married in the
cast, and she and father, together with
nv Uncle Zen, o1me on to this state. ]
don't rccollcc: much about nay father,
for he died not long after WIS born,
but from what have always understood
the marriage was not a happy one.
Wei, Uncle Ben finished paying fol
the farm and had the deed made over
20 mother.
~ merely mention these small details
70 show how much the brother and the
sister were attached 70 each other. We'll,
when the war broke out-and | recol-
lect il we'll, for ! was smart chunk OF
2 bcy-Uncle Ben swOre that 1t was his
duty to 90. My mother was a very pa
triotic woman, but with the selfshness
Of womau's affection she could not
see why she should be called upon to
give up her oniy brother. But Uncle
Ben declared that every woman should
not only be called upon 10 give up her
brother, bat her son. ber husband, her
life, If needs be. he was so devoted 10
the Union, so strong in his denuncia-
tiOH OF al people who were lukewar1n,
that when the time came he was elected
captain of a company. And so of be
marched, leaving my mother in the
deepest grief At night she would awake
me with her sobs, and many a time when
1 heard no sound would put my hand
on her pillow TO find it wet with her
tears. OF course the violence Of her
grief al not last, for pride and the
love Of country bade her be brave, but
whenever We received news that bat
tie had been fought she would lock her
self in her room and there wait 70 hear
that her brother was dead.
THUS it went on until his death was
mentioned in the dispatches. He was
killed at Gettysburg, and two days later
there came = letter from him. My moth
CT knegy that Il had been written Just
before he went into battle-probably the
very last thing he did was to seal it
and she declared that the seal must ney-
er be broken. / remember that some Of
the neighbors argued with her that she
ought to see what the letter had 10 say,
lint she said not, it must forever re-
main sealed. So she never did open il,
and when she came to die she told me TO
keep ii just as she had kept it and to
leave it 20 my favorite child, with the
same instructions that she had given
me. Ny mother was of excellent stock,
and have thought tlat this prompted
her sometimes 10 say that the crest Of
her descendants might be All unopened
letter. She always said this laughinely.
bat ] have noticed that il is in spirit
Of fun that we sometimes show cur
pride. Well. as You see, / have never
opened the letter, and l never intend
To I'm going to leave it TO my son An
drew. "
Bill aid went fishing thas after
noon, as we aid nearly every Saturday
during the summer, and all the time
we were casting was itching to know
what was in that letter Of course ]
knew that it contained simply a few
lines telling his sister that 4 battle was
on, and that he trusted in God and the
right Bat | wanted to see the lines. ] |
could fancy the shape Ct the sprawIinc |
characters, written with a pencil by the |
light of a candle held by bayoret |
stuck into the ground
"Bill, said ]. ''you would have |
found ne among the neighbors urging
your mother 10 open that letter. 3"
But not ii you had seen that not TO /
open 1t was a sentiment with her. -
We'll, / don't know about that.
Probably not
Tho next time went out into the
country 10 fish with Bill found him
IN rather detected state The drought
had continued so long that he knew
that the crops must be a failure and
summer boarderS had not come III num-
bers sufficient TO insure an Offset for
the damage. Bill said he didn't care TO
fish IF l were TO hang the biggest
lass in the lake, il is question whether
I'd have courage enough TO pull hi.a
out, >" said he.
oh, Ii surely isn't as had as that!'' !
argued. ''One good season Will make
everything all right -
No, he replied, shaking his head.
In fact. there may not be another sea-
son for me.
What do yen ulean:'
Why, ys:r before last. in order 10
build the large extension te the little
mouse InaJ we had lived III so long, ]
had 10 mortgage the farm OF course 1
thought that | would soon pull oat, but
/ haven't l can get few hundred dol
lars more than the mortgage is for, anC
1 thought that / would let the thing &
rather than 70 worry any longer a1c
take few hundred and rent me a shan
~ in the village. / am a sort of plas-
terer, and may pick up bare living
He was so depressed that cared not
TO talk 10 him. and took the first train
and returned 10 the city. Several weeks
passed. / went not 10 the country fol
the reason that 20 me the whole land
scape had been saddened. had become
much attached 20 Hallett. He had 3
drol way Of speech, dry laugh, an6 :
his mischievOus eye cut 50 odd capl
now ard then that ! was drawn 10 him.
But / cared not 10 see him now that
misfortune had befallen him, for MY
friendship for him was founded on !
humorous sentiment One day met .
Ean from Antioch and asked him about ,
Bill. whether or not he had found
purchaser for his farm. Il think Ii
has. the man answered. II understand
that fellow named Fetterage has aboui
closed a deal with him. Sorry for Bill; {