Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-06-16
HIS BOY WAS OFF TO WAR.
He Didn't Like the Idea at First. But in the
End Was Proud OF It,
(New York Sum-

t-NtW OfK sum-
He was a tall, thin man. with white
| hair and carefully trimmed white
! beard, and, as he settled down in a seat
in suburban train yesterday after
| noon, he said to the other occll,ant Of
! it:
Young man. have Just been down to
Camp Black to see my boy and | want
| to talk to somebody. | am going to
talk TO you if you don't object Then
when l get home I'll talk to mother.
You see. mother is just as interested
| in the boy as I am. and she worries a
good deal more. That is natural 10
women folks. They don't know much
about camp life. and they think it is
worse than it really is. | went through
the whole business from 81 to Ga, and
| am none the worse Tor it. The gov
eminent never had to give me PEN
sion. Mother and | didn't think there
was any danger of the boys going
when the war started. You SEQ. he is
only 20 years old. and he never has had
any military training He has heard
me talk about it, though, and | guess
| that fired him up.
Mother. she talked lot about the
unless they We're needed. and / didn't
fancy the idea of the boys going The
| first thing I knew the boy was drilling
| away with a company at home, and
| he didn't say anything to us about it.
/ quieted mother by telling her that
this company would not be accepted
and ii wasn't. Two nights later,
when 1 came home, mother met me at
the door and told me the boy had gone
He had been afraid to tell me about it
for fear / would stop him. He just
told mother good-hy and said he was
going to Camp Black to be mustered in
at the first opportunity. Mother want
ed to fix Up 4 lot of things for him to
make him comfortable, but he SAID he
N"u.unt take anything. The govern
ment would provide everything.
We'll, | was sorry at first. and then
thought how / felt back in '6l, and,
honestly. | was proud Of the boy. |
just told mother everything l could to
cheer her up. l said | would wait a
few days and give the boy 4 chance to
see what camp life really was, and
then | would so down to see him, and
if he was homcsick and wanted to
way. Mother said she hoped he would
get enough of it. l didn't say any
thing. but | thought if the boy did back
out l would feel very bad about it,
We'll, it rained and poured, and
mother worried all the time for fear
the boy would get his feet wet. She
thought he would take cold and be
sick. She wanted me to go and see
him. | said / would wait. This morn
ing | came down to New York and |
bought the boy a lot of things that,
from my own experience, I knew he
would need. | felt that if when l got
to camp l found the boy was ready to
back down, | would give the outfit to
some boy With more courage. | didn't
like to think of that possibility, though.
Il bought him some light underwear
the best that | could get. and | got him
two pairs of shoes that / knew would
stand the racket. Shoes mean as much
to the soldier as a gun, and the boy
had gone off wearing a very light pair.
| got him a combination of knife, fork
and spoon. such as / had carried for
four years and knew the value Of 1
got him lot of other things, and then
basket filled with the best they had. 1t
has been tough weather. you know,
and all the way down to Camp Black l
what the boy would say
When he did see me, he said, 'IIullo,
father! | hope you haven't come to ask
me to so home l would not have to
give his outfit to some other fellow. He
vas glad to see me, and when he saw
he shoes he Rugged me. Then l OPEN
cd the basket of lunch and he invited
lid have a good time. | told the boys
about my own experience in the army
and they asked me all sorts of ques-
tons. 1t took me back to 81, and l
vas glad that my boy was going to
nave a chance for the same experience.
Il am going home now to cheer
mother up. She will be disappointed
when she sees that the boy isn't with
ne, but | will make her just as proud
# him as l am. l tell you, l feel
roung again. and I hope l havn't
,othered you with all this chatter.
vas so proud of the boy and his grit
hat | had to talk to some one. Good
~. This is my station, and mother will
re impatient to see me-
AS he rose and walked out he threw
,acl< his shoulders and Strengthened
Up, evidently filed with pride of the
10Y and the memory of other days.