Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-08-06
WHY HE ENLISTED.

AS the recruits commenced 10 eCdIleI
around in the shade the journalist and
the Hancock volunteer proceeded toward
the headquarters Of the colonel Of the
regiment. After the salutations had
been exchanged before the tent of the
commanding officer the volunteer adj
dressed the colonel, saying, "Cap'n, if
you need any more Of Hancock county
boys I'll get'm for you. =
IF they're all as fine looking physical
specimens as yourself, " the colonel an
swered lovially, cid like to have a
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 the
grass in the shade the newspaper man
took occasion to put his fayorite ques-
tion, "Why do you enlist?' Sometimes
this question elicits an outburst of pa
triotio ardor which fills the air with
stars and stripes and eagles, sometimes
(most frequently it calls forth hard
luck story, which paints in glowing
colors the virtues of the victim, but on
this occasion the answer was merely,
"Well, | have nothin to lose. But, !"
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 running your
plantation that you do, for | presume
you are farmer.
That's true, sir; that's true, was
his deliberate response, but you see
things amt just as they was. Before
Mary left | took interest in everything,
but now-I jes turnt the farm over to
a couple of fellows an thought l
nights we'll TO come to the front an
fight for my country. I'm 81 years old,
an amt never done nothin but farm,
an thought I'd take a little fightin
in mine jes' at this stage
Here forced smile played over his
rugged, careworn features. The CORE
spondent wished to follow the clew
just thrown out about the desertion Of
Mary, but didn't know just how to pro-
coed. "Well, | don want to discourage
your patriotism, " he said, "but you re
giving up the peaceful leisure of rural
life for the dangers and excitement of q
campaign in which disease is as much
to be feared as Spanish bullets.
"Stranger - said the volunteer
that's jes' it. From the way you talk
bout peaceful leisure I see you ain t
never lived i'll the country. Farmin's a
good thing if a man $ got money or don
mind worl1in, an / don't, but that
was jes' the whole trouble, | b'leve
now when [ think of it that if / had a
had more time to make her happy she'd
a been contented to stay, but it seemed
to me we was married at the busiest
time of the year, an then afterward it
looked like l had jes' as much to do at
all times. | always had to look after
the milkin at daybreak, an then be-
sides the regular work there's enough
chores and the like to keep fellow
hustlin all the time. Even ON rainy
days there's harness to mend an such.
But, friend, " and here his face bright
ened up until it was radiant with the
recollection, "if you could have seen
that little wife of mine in the dairy
you'd a seen the prettiest sight You ever
saw. In little speckled calico, skim
min the milk an washin the crooks,
singin the whole time jesi as happy as
a lark. She looked like a little pink
rosebud. Sometimes it seemed to me
she was more like angel than a wom-
an. But / beg your pardon, sir, !" he
concluded, retilling his pipe, ''you said
you wanted to meet all the Hancock
boys here, an Iguess I'd better go make
you quainted with 'em stead of tellin
you all my personal affairs, which isn't
the 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 invaded
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 supersympathetic
condition from which tact takes flight
but, 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 it all. When a man is manly and pa
triotic, his life is always interesting to
me. We all have our sorrows, and il 5
relief to tell them occasionally. Did
you say your wife is no longer with
your
laundering as this speech may seem
to mind which seeks and finds hidden
motives, it was sufficient to satisfy the
simple son of Hancock county, so he
continued
Eyes, sir, it's over three months since
/ saw her. Understan, now, / amt
blamin her at all. She was young an
pretty an full of life, an so I'd jes rath-
er TO think Of it all as a big mistake.
For little time after we was married
she seemed to be happy, but then mo-
ticed that she didn't pear to take the
same interes' in things. 1t was jes aft
er she had spent the day at Sulphur
Springs with lot of young folks.