Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-04-15
WHEN HE W EN- I TO " a 3.
Written for This Paper.l ]

@ w hen John w. harle enlisted in company
| a. - regiment Of infantry, Iowa national
guard, there was not the vestige of war
cloud above our national horizon. Private
Karle, or Johnny as he was known to his
family, was but 20 years Of age, and SO had
, to secure the consent of his father before the
state Of Iowa would accept his services as a
soldier. That was easily accomplished, and
for three months or more afterwards his
which served as drillroom for Johnny's
company, at every weekly drill They
watched with much pleasure his advance
ment in the duties of soldier; they ex-
pressed their feelings in affectionate en-
braces when he graduated from the awk-
ward squad into the ranks of the company,
and after he had been in the service for six
months and more they felt that the COM
pany captain was negligent to the best in
terests of his command when he had not seen
fit to decorate Johnnys arm with pair of
chevrons.
! But there was to come day when their
pride was to give way before crushing sor-
row, when they were to regret the day they
had given permission that Johnny should
enlist as a soldier. That day was when the
first tiny war cloud appeared Johnny, SEN
sible boy that he was, said nothing. of it.
The rumors of possible war did not disturb
him in the least. He had been soldier long
enough to learn that it was his duty to obey
when the order to march came, and not to
speculate on the chances of the order com.
ing.
! 1t was his father who first discovered signs
of war as he read the morning paper at the
breakfast table, His sisters were still asleep,
and his mother was in the kitchen giving the
groceryman her orders for the day.
: "Here is chance for trouble, John" said
the father; "better scour up that musket of
yours little"
Johnny was not enough interested to in
quire where the trouble was coming from
and the subject was dropped.
After father and son had left for the office
the mother found time to read the morning
paper, and the first thing she saw was the
scare heading announcing possible war.
"Goodness me, what if Johnny should
have to co." she exclaimed. Il must speak
to his father and have him get him out Of the
company right away
i Johnny's sisters did not read the paper
; that day, and it was two or three days later
before the rumors of coming war warranted
! another scare head sufficiently large to at
tract their attention. Even then they did
not realize that it was anything serious and
attempted to have fun with their soldier
! brother over the possibility of war and his
connection with it. The sisters comments
did not worry Johnny much, and they soon
stopped It was not until week later that
: the first little war cloud had grown to such
/ proportion that it reached from horizon
to horizon, and Johnny was still a member
Of the company.
"Pa, have you asked for Johnny's release
from the company" asked the anxious
mother at the breakfast table.
Don't think have, MOTHER" he replied;
"guess Johnny is old enough to ask for him
self now if he wants out"
"But, pa, you know he won't do it, and
here is this dreadful war coming on"
"Can't help it, mother. / am not making
the war;
II don't believe you care bit if our boy
: does have to go and get shot down. / am
going down to see the captain myself this
very day. I'll just tell him he has to let my
boy out of his wretched company"
:. His mother saw the captain, but did not
secure Johnny's discharge, although she
| came away with feeling that war was yet
long way off. The captain had not yet been
swept away by the wild rumors he had
/ heard. When he got orders to move he.
would believe that there was trouble in
sight, until then he preferred to wait.
Shortly after Johnny had joined the COM
pany his grandmother had visited at his home
and was as proud Of him in his uniform as
his mother and sisters were. Now she
wrote to ask if he was still member Of the
company, and if he would have to go if there
was war.
Il gave one son to the nation,' she wrote,
"and | do not feel that am called upon to
F.; give grandson now. If he is still in that
| company for goodness sakes have him get
! out"
| But Johnny did not get out. When the
night for their weekly drill came around his
! mother and sisters tried to keep him from
attending it, and when they did not succeed
! in that they decided to accompany him to.
the hall so as to bid him good-by if he should
not be able to get back home again.
| At the hall the company executed "fours
right" and 'fours left, column right" etc.,
and at the end of the drill the first sergeant
published an order promoting Private Karle
! to a corporalcy, but no one said anything
about war, or about leaving for the front
that night.
Johnny's promotion caused his mother
! and sisters to forget their enmity for the
captain because he would not let Johnny re-
sign, as they termed it, and it was not until
letter arrived from his aunt the next day
! asking if Johnny was out of the company
that they thought Of the war again.
II won't put up with this nonsense any
longer. John has got to get out Of that
company this very day." and his mother put
on her wraps and started for the Office to en-
! force her demands.
But Johnny couldn't see it that way He
, had just been made corporal, and he
couldn't think of quitting now, and, besides,
he couldn't get a discharge if he wanted to.
| !Neighbors came in, the postman brought
letters from other relatives, the mother and
sisters cried and scolded; but all to no avail,
for Johnny stayed in the company.
Mrs. Karle, is John here?""
! He has just gone to bed" Il. r..
i well. tell him. please, that the captain
wants him to notify his squad at once and
I ' = ' =. 4 = .