Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-06-04

record is kept she, with thousands Of
other women is Ell rolled among this
cOuntry's martyrs. | was reading the
other day where some one, talking
against woman suffrage, said: What
has woman done for her country md
it made me long for the use of my right
hand that | might tell to the world
and especially TO such poltroOns what
she has done. But I am wandering as
usual. 1t was bitter moment wn1n l
turned the key in the door, and stood
for a minute on the steps Of the home
where [ had known so much of JOY and
sorrow There was nc one but the old
dog to bid me farewell; no one there,
but little later I held my sweetheart's
hand and heard her sob out. Go, Bert,
but I shall never see you again She
was the prettiest girl in the village and
the best-just mite of G thing, with
long yellow curls and a face all pink
and dimpled. I tried to cheer her IN.
but my own feelings were a strange
contradiction. The loss of my mother
and the pain Of parting with Ruth
Warred against the joy that felt in dt
last being able to take my place among
men-being able to show to the world
that | was no coward.
1T was three years before returned
and what return! There was no one
to greet me, for Ruth slept in the same
quiet acre with mother. But it was as
we'll. From strong young man land
people said handsome) I came back in
part the wreck you see me. -Four
times | was wounded, twice unto death
it was believed; but someway | pulled
through each time-why, God only
knows. My father came on a few days
later, the mere ghost of himself, for be
had spent six months of the time in
AndersOnville and there contracted
consumption. Our little property was
badly gone to rack, and now that rather
could never again v ork at his trade it
seemed l must do something. Ae dill
not believe he had consumption md
doctored ceaselessly, travelling come
times hundreds OF miles to consult
some noted physician. The little money
we had both saved was soon gone and
only my wages as principal in the vii
lage school of two grades kept us from
want. Four years father lived and all
what care I could and taught my
school. Maybe that was what [ was
spared for; but war had certainly been
our despoiler. 1t was all so different
from what had be IN planned in the old
days.
meanwhile | was growing more and
more helpless, more as you see me now;
for, with an old wound in my side con-
tinually breaking cut and the rheuma-
tism that I had contracted, I suffered
much. Of course I gave up teaching.
People expected me to; they wanted an
erect and snowy man. At first, you
see, a disabled soldier was quite hero
but I, wore off when they got used
to feeling that the war was over. I
kept books sometimes; I worked for
the neighbOrs in their gardens;
bought a COW and sold milk; did any
thing and everything I could to make
my small living and keep the old "oof
little mortgage on it now. Father had
put it there in order to secure the SER
vices of a noted physician from some
where, who, of course, never helped
him bit. | was getting a, small pen
sion by this tine and every cent of it
was put up for payment on that mort
gage. l only lacked fifteen dollars
xvh mir
friends out of the village, the house
burned down and everything money
as well-burned with it. I let the man
who held the mortgage take the lot and
the cow, and I, with just the clothes on
my back, babe those three graves good
by and started out into the world.
could not stay there after that, for
could not get used to having people,
who had courted me SO in my prosper
Gus days. cold and Indifferent now.
And it has been about the same
thing ever since. There's a deal Of
talk about love for the old soldiers AMI
teaching the young patriotism and all
the rest; but in reality the majority
look on us, especially those of us VINO
charity, old fossils, with the feeling
that we are very much in the Way
They make a mighty fuss about dags
for the school hcusesebut they don't
mind letting the chIIuren pelt us with
mud when we go through the streets.
Some of the boys wanted to go in to the
memorial services today, but they
knew they'd just be tormented and
made fun Of If it's respect you want
| tell 'en, you'd better be dead than
alive But that's all my story, and it's
done me good to tell it. The boys call
me Uncle Grant because 1 talk so much
about the good man; but have TO talk
about something, and I don't onen
mention my little heart history to 'em
as I've told it to you today. There's
been nothing since but just tossing
about until l came here, and here
hope to stay till I'm called to the true
soldiers final reward. o, you can't
think how, nights, when / can't sleep
for the pain, picture my getting home
and meeting mother and father and
Ruth"
My friend came up now, score Ct
faces watched me curiously as I wiped
the tears that would not be stayed:
pressed the old veterans hand, nodded
to the rest and we went away AS
repeated the simple story on our home
ward way, my friend grew very grave
and said: