Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-07-21
WHY HE ENLISTED
By BARTON PiTTMAN.

/ ~ ten around in the shade, the jour
nalist and TIE Hancock volunteer pro
ceeded toward the headquarters of tn,
colonel of the regiment. After the sal
utations had been exchanged before tn,
tent of the commanding officer the vol
unteer addressed the colopel, saying;
"Cap'n if you need any more of Har
cock county boys, III get'm for you
"Ifthey're all as fne-looking physical
specimens as yourself" said the colonel
iovially, I'D like to have whole army
of them; our regiment will be filled W
in day or so, but I'll let you know il
time"
After they had left the quarters o.
the colonel and were stretched upon
the grass in the shade the newspaper
man took occasion to put his favorit'
question; "Why did you enlist?'
Sometimes this question ELECTS an out
burst of patriotic 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 nothing to lose
But" protested the newspaper man,
there's no telling how long you'll have
10 be from home, and there's no man
that will take the same interest in run
ming your plantation that You do, for |
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, Before
Mary left took interest an everything,
but pow-I jes' turnt the farm over to
acouple of fellows and though nights
wells to come to the front and iightfor
my country. I'm 81 years old, and
amt never done nothin' but farm, and
| thought I'd take little fightin' in
mine ies' at this stage"
Here a forced smile played over his
rugged, care-worn features. The cor
respondent wished to follow the clew
just thrown out about the desertion of
Mary, but didu't know just how 10 pro-
coed, well, don't want to discour-
age your patriotism" be said, but
you're giving up the peaceful leisure of
rural life for the dangers and excite
ment OF a campaign in which disease is
as much to be feared as Spanish bull
let's
Stranger" said the volunteer, that's
jes' it. From the way you talk bout
Peaceful leisure ! SEQ you amt never
lived in the country. Farmin's good
thing if mans got money or don't
mind worEin', and I don't, but that was
jes' the whole trouble. ! bleye now
when ! think OF it that II had a had
more time to make her happy she'd
been coptepted 10 stay, but it seemed
10 me we was married at the busiest
time of the year, and then afterwards
it looked like had ies' as much TO do
at oil times. always had to look after
the milkin' at daybreak, and then be-
sides the regular work there's enough
chores aud the like 10 keep a fellow
hustlin' all the time. Even on rainy
days there's harness to mend and sUch
But, friend" and here his face bright
epel up until it was radiant with the
recollections, "if Yop ?QuId have seen
that little wife Of mine In the dairy.
you'd a seen the prettiest sight you
ever saw. In little speck!ed calico,
sllimmin' the milk and Washin' the
qgocks, sipgiu' the whole time, jes' as
happy as a lark, Sometimes It seemed
10 me she was more like an angel than
a woman. But beg your pardon, sir, y
he concluded, reflling his pipe, you
said you wanted to meet ql, the Han
cock bqYg mere, an' ! guess I'd better
go make you 'quainied with 'em STEAD
of telliu' you all my personal affairs,
which isn't The sight things to tell to
strangers"
This sudden halt in the narrative an
noyed the journalist, who had inter
viewed woman spfrrQgists, heard the
confessions OF criminals, synopsized
the prayers Of ministers and even in
y9ded the sapatity 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
iakes night, but, summOning the little
skill which remained he determined to
make the man lay bare his heart
no" he said, don't apologize for
you say to me. In, interested
ia ii all. When a man is manly and pat
riotic his life is always interesting to
me. We al have our sorrows, and it's
a relief to tell them occasionally. Did
you say your wife is no longer with
you?"
laundering as this speech may seem
10 a mind which seeks and finds hidden
motives, it was sufficient 10 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 al all. She was young
aud pretty and full of life, an SO I'd jes'
rather to think OF it all as a big mistake.
For little time after we was married
she seemed TO be happy, but then l
noticed that she didn't pear t9 take the
game interes' in things. 1t was jes
after she had spent the Gay at Sulphur
Springs with lot of young folks. l
drove her over there TO a picnic one
mornin' and then come for her in the
evenin'. There were q doHea OF more
girls there and several young men from
the cities, but there warn't none of 'em
could touch her when it comes to looks.
She seemed to enjoy bein' within so
much that couldn't help kinder stand
in round and lcokIn' on for awhile,
but then ! hurried on back for had
LOT o. hoein' to look after. Well, sir,
was the proudest man In the. world
when | went back there for her that
night. Everybody crowded round,
even the old ladies, ard told Me what q
pretty danger Mary vas. All the young
folks ip the country was there, but
Mary was the popularcs' cf'm-all. The,
wouldn't hear to our drivin' back then,