Evening star., 1898-05-23
THE PATHETIC SIDE
Friends and Relatives Assemble to
Bid the Soldiers Good By.
FEARFUL eyes AHD QUIVERING LIPS
Si-+O
Brave Attempt to Hide the Pain of
Parting.
THE SCENES WITNESSED

THE SCENES WITH ESSED
There was a jostle and jar at the depot
OF the Baltimore and Ohio Saturday even
ing, wnen the District Volunteers reached
there to embark for Chckamauga, but it
was good-natured throng. The people
had assembled to see their soldier boys off
on their mission of duty, and but few in
the great assemblage were without rep
| resentative in the ranks: Despite the at
tempt to be brave and cheerful, there was
the index of pain in many faces and scenes
OF real sorrow were not wanting.
He Jests at scars that never felt
wound murmured an old fellow Saturday
evening, as he stood beside a pair of lovers,
who in their deep grief over the coming
parting, were utterly oblivious to the surg
ing crowd and had been the subjects OF
not few laughing remarks from the
merry young people who were there to
see the troops start for the front. i've
been there said another with sage nod.
Me and Jenny went on just that way,
back in 1llinoy in '61 when 1 went to the
'front.' Looked to US as thought there want
anybody but US in the hull wide world, and
eternity was comm in between. We
llved through 1t. though, didn't we, MAJ"
at the same time poking matronly wo-
man in the ribs with his elbow.
We lived through it all right" she re-
sponded, with CHEEKY laugh, but don't
never want to see no darker days than
them was
That is just what 1 was a sayin'," he
returned. You don't catch me a maxim
fun of these kids. It's sorrowful hour
for them, and havin been wounded myself,
l know just how bad they feel. Heart
acne Will Kill inst g Ouick
KIND OF pain, If it keeps eatin' in. 1 know
that cause 1 seen fellows die in the hos
pital of just heart ache, hungry for home
folks. Here, you! Let them two alone"
he said at last, literally driving the laugh
ing group away.
Over at one of the car windows a father
was leaning out, holding his year-old baoy
IN one arm, and reaching down to grasp
his wffe's hand with the other. They were
not saying a word. the sorrow of parting
was too deep for that The baby was pat
tlng her fathers curls, and softly kissing
him on the cheek, calling him her "booful
papa" Suddenly she drew back her head
and rubbed her little hand over his cheek.
She Rocked at her hand and then laid it
over her fathers eyes. She drew it back
again and looked at it second, and then
said: Hes twyln! Poor papa"
A poor old mother came along in frenzy
of grief. She had been waiting at the Bal
timore and Ohio depot on New Jersey ave-
nue. and streets for an hour, and had just
found out that her son mile away at
another point. She had a little box of
lunch for. him. She stumbled along, ask
ing everybody she met If they had 'seen
Tim?"
Sure and he'll be thinkin' his ou!d
mother has forgot him, child of me heart
that he is
she could scarcely find her way. Suddenly
a lovely young girl who evidently knew
Tim, and Tins mother. left her party of
swell society friends and taking the old
lady's arm, said gently:
Come with me, Mary. 1 saw him in his
car down here a moment ago, and he sent
a bood-bye to you"
The poor little mother broke into happy
little laugh, and trotted off, showering
blessings on the f''darlint."
Hustled Out of the Crowd.
A fellow came along selling flags.
Here's yer or Glories! Only fl cents
apiece"
Here! You able-bodied young dutfer
Why amt you going off to fight for Old
Glory, instead of trying to make money
off of her?' asked a by-stander.
Not much' was the quick rejoinder
That's too much like work.
In the twinkling of an eye the crowd
began to hustle him, and he got out 1t
wasn't safe to stay there after that re-
mark.
Down by one of the cars, leaning against
the platform, stood a man and a maid.
They were lovers. that was plain to be
seen. But they were not making love to
each other. That was plain to be seen,
also. They were singing! Just shadow
of a song IT seemed it was so low, yet one
who was listening could tell that the sweet
soprano and clear tenor had often mingled
in days gone by and that they were in
perfect accord. With eyes cast down, and
right hand clasping left, they sang that
sweet old song OF Moore's which ends:
No the heart that has truly loved never forgets,
But as truly loves ON TO the close;
AS the SuniiOwtr turns her god VIII sh. aets
The same look that she turned when he rose"
The song told volumes, and an hours
soft nothings, would have expressed only
a tthe of the affection that Moore crowd
ed in his beautiful lines but they sounded
almost like miSererie.
A dear little girl. dainty as a bit of Dres-
den china in her pink silk and rich laces,
was with her father and mother, and car
ried in her little hot hand bunch of roses
She watched the laughing groups and
smiled, and when she saw tears on other
faces, her own sunny one cIouded over
but in all the crowd there seemed to be no
one that she recognized. AS her parents
paused, for an instant, she began to look
wistfu!ly about. Presently she spied one
of the ''bcys in blue" who was ili-clad,
and who stood with his hands rammed
down in his pockets, and looked furtively
t out over the crowd, apparently all alone
Miss Dresden eyed him over and over
again. There was something about him
that appealed to her. Stepping over to
MS slde-he was close to her-she said
gently:
Isn't your mamma here?"
He looked down on the child in astonish-
ment, but replied at once:
mo, my mother is dead, little girl"
And your papa" she continued, in
quiringly. -
'tHe is dead, too.' he responded.
MY. but you must be lonesome" she
said. comniseraungly. Il 'spose you
haven't got any little girl, either" she
vertured, slipping her hand tn his.
"Yes, 1 have, and that is what hurts
he said, drawing hfs breath quickly. "A
little girl Is all have got and she is about
Elsie that's her name, is away off in Cali
fornia. 1 wish could kiss her goodbye
he added impulsively.
The little girl looked at her mother, who.
by that time, Was watching the couple in.
tently, half smiling, and then back at her
strange acquaintance. Then she said with
decision: r