Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-10-13
A TRUE STORY OF THE WAR.
How n Loyal Union Woman Helped
Descrter to Escape
Capture.

Saturday evenings we have story
telling times at our house - that is,
when the grown up people don't go out
somewhere or company doesn't come in
and everybody feels like it. There is an
element of uncertainty about it all that
makes us children feel particularly de-
lighted when we really find ourselves
cozily settled down before the fire
listening to n story. Sometimes COM
pany doesn't interrupt. For instance,
when Aunt Mary came in the other
night she noticed that the warmth of
our greeting was tempered and at once
divined the cause.
"Oh, you request" said she. Would
you rather have story than see your
aunt? Very well, then, L won't open
this bag of chestnuts tonight, but will
try TO find some children who love me
better than stories"
Aunt Mary always was a tease, and
we had bad quarter of an hour before
she consented to be Modified and passed
the chestnuts around. Tom had gone
to fetch the corn pepper, and we were
to roast them while we talked.
For" said Aunt Mary, with slight
return to her injured air, 81 mean TO
prove to you that 1 can tell a story as
well as anybody"
OF course we knew that, having
listened TO many of them, but we never
replied to Aunt Mary when she felt
like teasing il we could possibly help it.
We had learned wisdom by sad expert
ence.
"When / was young lady," she be-
gan, 81 was very much interested in the
civil war. | wanted to go and take part.
think that was the first and only time
! ever wished that l was man. / even
went so far as to do my best to get taken
as nurse, directly against my parents
wishes, but / was SO young that they
wouldn't have me. In vain / applied
to all the agencies whose address could
hear of, and wrote letters to the heads
of the various hospitals. l was too
much of a puritan to lie, and the fatal
fact of my being only 16 annulled all
my pleadings. Little did think, in the
ardor of my patriotism, that L would
ever defend deserter; but 1 did"
whats a deserter?" asked little
Mary, nestled close against the aunt for
whom she had been named.
"a man who joined the army and
promised to be a soldier and fight well
for his country, and who then gets
afraid or homesick or tired or some
thing and breaks his promise and runs
away. A man who did this was always
despised by the true and brave soldiers
and when he was caught he was very
severely punished. / despised the very
name of one myself, and knew that II
/ was a man nothing could ever make
me desert the army had joined ex
cept death or victory" Aunt Mary's
eyes flashed and we boys Strengthened
up in our seats and were glad we be
longed TO her.
Nevertheless, when the time came,
did help n deserter against the regular
army men, as you shall hear. was OF
the train, going to visit married sister
who lived several hundred miles away
when our train was boarded by banC
of soldiers who were out hunting fol
deserters. Instantly man who hat
been sitting opposite me with his wife
pale, timid-looking woman, dropped
on the floor and hid under my seat. /
was in the days of hoop slSir,s, and my
dress was in the height of style and very
full. He could not have chosen a more
complete hiding place than behind my