Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-05-27
The Start and the Partings.

started Tor Chickamauga.'
The little woman laughed as She spoke
An elderly man standing near asked
Did you have relatives in the regi
ment?"
mo. sir"
"a thought So
The little woman stared at the Old man
| rs he turned ami walked away.
The littlc woman did not comprehend
how much WAS meant by striking tents
and going closer to the enemy. The old
man did.
The little woman did not mean 10 APP
pear frivolous and though less. and the
old man did not intend 10 be eruG and
rule But the latter thought the former
frivolous and the former thonght the
latter rude Both were misunderstood.
The old gentleman knew what such n
breaking camp meant. Ever since he
went out 10 see the regiment take the
train for thiekamduga he had been
thinking OF scenes and incidents with an
other camp "break-up." when i thou
sand young men, himself one Of them.
| marched out Of the gate and climbed into
cars and were whiried away - the front.
Who can tell how much such il Srune
aS the little woman laughed over meant
u that old man?
Only those who have mad his cxnerl-
efcc, AMI their wives. mothers and chill
drcn.
More than half Of the Thousand he
Went away with never came back Rep
rtScatatiVos uf his regimen, tll,.h On ynor,..
had been recalling some ~ these. lie
had looked lnto tht hlhc eyes ot a broth
or who sleeps in Virginia. thought % two
| captains who died cheering the c8rupauV
| ne WIS lh' n three tent mates who had
| fallen. one AT Antietam, ony ut Sputt+yI-
wanna ana on" AT GraV"iiy Ran. ilc had
bc'n thinking Of the he1rthrcakug
scenes dt parting. when The order 10
| leave camp ana sp south came, uf the
| 'Goi bless ynus' of mothers wives.
| chiidfSh and sWrcthcarts. OF their tears
| ana iheir aG"nizGd faces AS n" train
/ pulled out. lie had witnessed similar
scenes yesterday WHOM the regiment for
| this war went away. It WAS not i laugh
| ing matter With him. His Ola heart had
bt"h very heINN, and several times. when
win win a bowed head while overfuIi tear
| All the world could not convince him
t13t II .s not a serious hing for a reg
ment 81 men, fresh from happy homt :
! - break camp am Z" out IN search of q
chance 10 shoot and be Shot AZ,
troops are breaking camp i'll most Of
| l,,e states this week. Suppose We look At
Such an enterprise
ne order u move came suddenly, ANA
/ IN" start must he made in a few hours.
| hut thg teiekfarh and fast trains made
!, poS-ihle for many q the relatives and
/ t'lends OF the soldiers to reach camp be
| Tore th"y left
/ AS saw mothers. wives. sisters. chill
! urth dhl S"eei ihedfts hurrying - camp
| q. thought Of what our old captain
| Sald nearly thirty-seven years ago when
| 4 young Fellow asked for a furough to
20 nome ana see mis- dear ones once more
/ "t!0tt iedflhS the state.
w hen the company left home l kissed
/ my WiIe ana babies and said good-by. II
| was thG hardest task | ever did 10 leave
| lHeh' II was as hard for them as il
/ enough - 80 through that ceremony
! again ana guess they are not. II We
| tAIf ihe,l again II viii be when the warts
ended; houns man follow my example.
SISTERS 10 remain At home. Partings in
times Ike these are too heavy a tax ON
u " p"oi hloFtdls 70 engage in more than
"i1Gs. rt ,.,...-
NJ young man TOOK ms advice. \ lit
.le headstohe on Arlington Heights
mars ,I, niS resting place
ne y. captain Kept MS word. When
tnrned G"C ar, no'te IN , III lneo the whole town
| ~ ~ iiau aohe lour years before 70 cheer
"iiri ~ WIT capltlh good fortune.
ne oId captain who trembed at the
er',, mEit OF asain meeting and parting
! from SorroWful woman and four chill
i,n1,, n1,,an% nH' topraSe 90 enough to lead his
tyi, ttUiiri'@nH' the regiment ana hnIlly the
p,ie''nr' IN ,h'p ne very JAWS of hell, TO
Scdte walls ana to make daring. danger
Gus IharSes across torpeloed fields. That
,,;dai MY ne came hack Dattle-scarred.
m.ue'E k'io"h' POPULAR with shoulders
| "tTs''Ied. s,t
~ cdlS are ready. hnapsacks are
prS3h" an" HaNefsaGks hiIed The final
,E'1i iia ~ t"'ne, ne nu&le sounds.
i o. III. u = mriid 'iohg me iine. There
if, - i" i.i9'her win each arm encirclins
| s nos ana covering their brown faces with
hi"tn'I I KISSES ana mother tears. | heard
nwar v S'S' A., - snt III 1sai'ifsntoned f up brushed
| away hef tears ana force1 smile: My
BOYS ne as brave hopeful and prayerfu.
| az am.
am Slad hcr boys did not see her half
az ~ liouI later, S'ttlne on the grass outside
~ amp CRYING as though her heart was
phheohihs' ,heri ~ u would nave been harder for
'iyin 70 leave her
teoHuef ~ a soldier parting with his
we ana bapy. AS he kisses them and
sttpS INTO llne the little one reaches its
Iat hands toward him ana crows, ana
,I ,iit Grave woman smiles at him through
ht, telfS. "A tanned mana passes over
Soiuief eyes. and the parting Is over
/ put hol the heartaches Such is war.
,""ttilSarts nad parted before the bu-
gle sounded. They had. in the main been
conducted to the gate where tha G,ai