St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-08-06
WHY HE ENLISTED
By BARTON PiTTMAN.

Il
AZ THE recruits commenced to scat
~ ter around in the shade, the jour
naIist and tie Hancock volunteer pro-
ceedsd toward the headquarters OF the
colonel of the regiment. After the sal
uta;ions had been exchanged before the
tent OF the commanding officer the vol
unteer addressed tie colonel, saying:
.'Cap'n if you need any more Of HaE-
cock county boys, I'll get'm for you.
"Ifthey're all as fine-looking physical
specimens as yourself" said the colonel.
iovially, I'D like to have whole army
OF them; our regiment will be filled up
in day or SO, but I'll let you know in
time"
After they had left the quarters OF
the colonel and were stretched upon
tine grass in the shade the newspaper
man took occasion to put his favorite
question: "Why did you enlist?"
Sometimes this question elici:s an out
burs: of patriotic ardor which fills the
air with stars and stripes and eagles;
sometimes (most frequently it calls
forth a hard-luck story, which paints in
Flowing colors the virtues Of the victim,
but on this occasion the answer was
merely: "Well, have nothing to lose. =
'Bus," protested the newspaper man,
"there's no telling how long you'll have
to be from home, and there's no man
that will take the same interest in rum
hing your plantation that you do, for l
presume you are a farmer?"
That's true, sir; that's true" was
his deliberate response; "but you see
things amt just as they was. Bef00E
Mary left took interest in every thing,
bu, nowIi jes' sdrfit the fxfm ovellto
acouple offenows and though nights
wells to come to the front and fight for
my country. I'm "a years old, and I
amt never done noshin' but farm. and
I thought I'd take a little fightin' in
mine jes' at this stage"
Here forced smile played over his
rugged. care-worn features. The cor
respondent wished 10 follow the clew
Just thrown out about the desertion Of
Mary, but didn't know just how 10 pro-
ceed. "Well, l don't want to discoug-
age your patriotism" he said, "but
you're giving up the peaceful leisure Of
rural life for the dangers and excite
ment of campaign in which disease is
rs much to be feared as Spanish bull
let's"
Stranger" said the volunteer. "that's
jes' il. From the way you talk bout
peaceful leisure l see You amt never
lived in the country. Farmin's good
thing il a mans got money or don't
mind workin'. and don't. but that was
. jes' the whole trouble. l bleSe now
when / think of it that If had a had
more time 10 make her happy she'd
been conien;ed 10 stay, but il seemed
to me we was married at the busiest
time of the year, and then afterwards.
ii looked like had jes' as much to do
at all times. always had to look after
the milkin' a, daybreak. and then be-
sides the regular work there's enough
chores ard the like to keep a fellow
hustlin' all the time. Even on rainy
days there's harness to mend and sucl,
But, friend" and here his face bright
ened up until it was radiant with the
reco.!ections, "if you could have seen
that little wife Of mine in the dairy.
you'd seen the preitiest sight you
ever saw. In a little speckled calico,
ekimmin' the milk and washin' the
crooks, singin' the whole time, jes' as
happy as a lark. Sometimes ii seemed
to me she was more like an angel than
woman. But beg your pardon. sir"
he concluded, refilling his pipe, you
said you wanted to meet all the Ham
cock boys here. an guess I'd better
go make you 'quainted with 'em 'stea5
of .ellin' AAu all my personal affairs,
which isESStLe right things to tell to
strangers"
This sudden halt in the narrative an
noyed the journalist, who had inter-
viewed woman suffragists, heard the
confessions of criminals, synopsized
the prayers of ministers and even in
vaded the sanctity of the home for the
purpose of publishing to the world the
secrets of private life. The story had
somehow placed him in that super
sympathetic condition from which tact
takes fight, bnt. summoning the little
skill which remained, he determined to
make the man lay bare his heart.
NO." he said, don't apologize for
anything you say TO me. I'm interested
in il all. When man is manly and pat
riotic his life is always interesting to
me. We all have our sorrows, and It'll
a relief to tell them occasionally. Did
you say your wife is no longer with
you?"
laundering as this speech may seem
to a mind which seeks and finds hidden
motives. it was sufficient to satisfy the
5, simple son of Hancock county, so he
continued:
"Yes, sir; it's over three months
since saw her. Cnderstan', now. /
amt blamin' her Al all. She was young
ana pretty and full Of life, an SO Id les
rather to think OF it all as big mistake.
For q little time after we was married
she seemed to be happy. but then /
noticed that she didn't pear to take the
same irteres' In things. It was les,
after she had spent the day at Sulphur
Springs with lot Of young folks. !
drove her over there to n nicnic ore