Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-10-01

Il WN--> turned involuntar,
~ lily to see what it
"Well, mother,
said he, "the President hez called for
troops, and I'm goin' to enlist"
ooh, ye be, be ye?" returned Mis-
Barlow, dryly. =,
A hot flush burnt on her face, and
she felt once more the sinking OF heart
she had known so we'll during the
years of the Civil War, when Billy
had been doing active service in the
field. No wonder she hated the very
mention of war and fighting. Her
strong, young husband had come
back to her a broken wreck from a
long imprisonment to be watched and
tended like child for the rest OF his
life. People tapped their foreheads
Significantly to the mention of Mis-
Barlow's Bill, and said he wasn't all
there, but the most imaginative OF
them were far from suspecting how
much of him wasn't there.
'Down to the town hall I'm goin'
tomorrow mornin', sures gun. Sho,
t'won't be long, mother! You don't
mind my goin'?"
He spoke almost pleadingly, step
ping round where he could steal a
glance at the face bent over the dish
pan, working fiercely in the press of
many emotions.
you're too DID," she said. cts
the young fellers they want to have
shot down in battle or murdered in
other ways that's even wuss."
There was lump in her throat.
"But I'm veteran, don't ye see?
Makes sight O. difference. I guess
the;fell be no doubt about my gettin'
in. I'm sound enough, if ! am fifty
five," and Billy, shouldering an imag-
mary gun, went through the manual
of arms with precision which would,
indeed, have delighted the captain OF
his company.
"You'll see about gettin' my things
ready. won't ye, Liza?" he asked
presently, pausing in the march he
had begun up and down the room,
while the Gathering of dishes in the
sink might have represented the rat
tie Of hostile musketry. 1t was as
tonishing to see how the old, manly
occupation seemed to bring back some
of the old. manly spirit. For the first
time in years there was the ring Of
decision in his voice, and it struck
deep into the poor wife's soul. He
should never go back again to that
cruel army. She had given up enough
to her country already, and she turned
upon him sharply.
"No. Iwon't. You amt going to no
war, William Barlow, and you might
as well make up your mind to it first
as last. So stop your nonsense and
go put up them plates in the closet. !"
Bill quailed from mere force of habit.
He mechanically picked up the pile Of
plates, still damp and warm from the
excited hands of the washer, and car
ried them into the buttery. On or
dinary occasions he would have re-
turned with feeble smile and some
meek acquiescent jest in the face Of
opposition, but tonight he fingered,
strengthening the bowls and platters
on the shelves, out of sight of his wife,
trying very hard to collect his scat
tered wits with one great effort of re-
sistance.
Mrs. Barlow, wiping her hands on
her big blue gingham apron, followed
him in few minutes. He looked up
at her, and there was something in
his manner that filed her with sud
den anxiety.
GIVE give way to ye in everything
else, Liza, like lamb, now haven't
I? But this amt for you to decide,
and I'm goin to enlist to.morrer morn
in. There, we won't say no more
about it. Mebbe shouldn't be called
on to go to Cuba, anyhow. It'll make
a new man O. me to see the old flag
foatin' in the wind again"
His dull eyes kindled, and host of
recollections rushed into his befogged
mind. 1t was useless for the dis
turbed wife to try to lure him away to
other topics of conversation. When
he declared from time to time that he
meant to enlist next day, she no longer
contrsdicted him, but heard his plans
in silence, and even reminded him of
the particular corner in the attic where
his battered knapsack had been stored
away, so that he had ceased to suspect
her OF opposing his designs when the
clock struck nine, and they prepared
to shut up the house for the night.
"I want You should sleep in the
spare room tonight, William" said
she.
"Why, 'taint house cleaning time,
is it?" asked Billy, good-naturedly,
accustomed to the upheaval of all
household ways and traditions in those
hours of trial.
Pretty nigh. I want to git the
room aired out little, and a feather
bed like that is all the better bein'
slep' in now and then"
"Just as You say" returned the
veteran, taking up his lamp. "And I
shall be stirrin' pretty early, anyhow,
SOS to get the chores done before I
step ever to the town hall, ye know.
Mebbe I'll come back a colonel after
this trip, mother.
"Mebbe ye will--if ye start" said
mother. automatically, but the sober