The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-27
Mrs. Deborah Doty Has
Lived Under Every
President and Ridden on
Each Succeeding New
Vehicle of Travel.
Vehicle of Travel.

the battle smoke had very little interest
for young Mrs. Deborah Doty. And Deborah
had her own little personal interest in that
war so recently ended here in her own coun-
try y rsron,e, tho NOR - 1919 v,v,d,v. . she
said in low voice, quite In another tone from
the sprightly one in which she had been
talking. Her eyes took on distant, remi-
niscent expression, and there was in them
for the first time hint of the forlorn sad
ness Of age. 1t was as though far, far back,
through so many years that the very thought
of the great chasm made you almost start
as though yawning abyss had suddenly
opened at your feet-it was as though the
poor old waif Of another age and time were
peer1ng far across the great misty gulf, try
ing to make out on the dim, faint shore be-
yond some vague form long since mere
memory and shadow. "Ah, yes, remem-
Der those awful war times as though they
were quite near. You see, it was the first
great trouble that had ever come to me.
was engaged to be married, and they were
all enlisting. and my lover thought he ought
to Join too; and go of and fight the English.
1t was right, and 1 didn't want him to stay
at home when others were going. But it
is all very vivid to me about his going. |
don't know how he felt, but I know how
felt. But l did not let on. I told him he
would not be much of a man if he stayed
behind. Not that he had any notion of doing
it-not he. He would do almost anything
do that. l didn't try and 1 didn't want to
try. He turned and looked over his shoulder
at me and waved his hat after he had bid
me good-by and got away across the field to-
wards the road where his fathers house was.
know l thought he was not going to turn
round at ALL and was just going into the
house. l can think just how he looked. Yet
it is so long. long, long ago."
1t was a little saddening to see the old
lady in this vein. drifting back on the tide
of her memory to that long, wide reef of
white gravestones which it was so
clearly breaking in melancholy waves. But
1t was not for long she let herself be car
ried thitherward. Her bright nature and
about and abreast of the current of the
day.
''But he came back from the war all right
after the English had had all they wanted
of it, and then we were married. That was
in 1S14-eighty-three years ago come next
December. 1 rode to church behind him on
one of those pillions l spoke of. Yes, he
was a good solder, too, and the govern
ment pensioned him and his pension still
comes to me-"
Nearly all her life Mrs. Doty has lived
here in the state of New York-all her life
with the exception of thirteen years. 1t is
marvellous how kindly time has dealt with
her. Her hair is almost soft and brown
as it must have been when she a
comely matron sixty or more years ago.
And there is hardly a deforming wrinkle in
her kindly face. But the marvel of all is
her vlvacity and CHEEKY brightness. Years
and years ago, when she was young wom-
an, her youthful heart seems to have ceased
keeping pace with the advancing years and
to have remained resolutely and perennially
young. She has lived to her descend
ants even down to the fifth generation. with
the youngest boy of nine years. And with
temperament she may live to see even an
other generation still come upon the scene
before her own kindly face disappears be-
hind the green curtain forever.