The Natchitoches enterprise., 1899-04-13
WANT TO GO HOME. "

Under the shade Of a tree hung a
hammock; in the hammock o man,
percsed On the rof d 5:s green parrot
Now and then the bird raised its head
| and croaked
II want to so homel want to go
homeI"
THAT parrot used to belong to a fell
low that took sick of typhoid and went
/ to the hospital. said soldier stand
/ ing by He took the bird with him,
and it used to sit on the window while
he tossed and moaned with the fever.
/ The chap was horribly EomcsicL. and ne
was always moaning Il want to go
/ hOmel | want to go homel' And the
parrot picked it up Ever since the fell
low died and the parrot CAME back here
! to live it's been croaking i want to go
/ hOmei until il makes us homesick.
i Sometimes in the night when every
thing is still. that parrot will croak out
Il want to 90 home! | want to go
home!' Just the way the boy did when
he was dying. ard it's enough to make
ones blood run cold to hear Kim.
The parrot slowly hHttarad down to
the open window. spread its wings and
balanced itself on the window sill Ii
looked around the room and in Il sob
bing tone repeated again and again II
want to 90 honIel WANT to 90 holEeI
"Oh. SO does everybody, Polly. said
a soldier V hose white face showed he
had just got ont of the hospital 80
does everybody We all want to 90
home You are not the only one.
But the parrot still swung back and
forth on the window ledge and vhanted
Il want to go home! | want to so
/ home!"
You must be sure and say we want
to come home. said Il private from his
window in a soft whisper, 80 the officers
could not hear him. 1--WE have been in
this accursed spot four months, and we
want to go home. We GiGn enlist for
regular army work We enlisted to
fight and not for garrison duty. Most
of us fellows had good jobs back in the
States and we want to so home
"You think MGnzaHillo is a pretty
nice placer You wait until you stay
here four months and have learned to
count the days by cutting notches on a
stick You stay here four months and
sec nothing but these yellow buildings
and the blazing sun and always the
same faces and hear nothing from your
friends in the States, and you'll be hOl-
lering like that parrot over in d com
pany. 4 want to go home, 60 home. go
homei
The soldier walked out of his quar-
tiers and stood leaning against the side
of the barracks. looking out across the
range of hills to the north.
Away over those hills and across
the water there's the States. | guess,
though it's SO long since was there
that l almost doubt it 1t seems as
though hadn't done anything all my
life but loaf around a miserable little
town ON the side of hill and wait for
a steamer to come once every 1000
years and let off few Americans and
put ashore some beef that we can't eat
and few papers and now ard then
letter You Americans go away as soon
as the steamer is loaded and then there
is the old monotony again.
"Sone Of the fellows go away to the
hills and sit there by the hour thinking
of the States. But | don't. I'd he afraid
some time that if did might take
my gun ont Of the rack and try to swal-
low the muzz!e while pressed the trig
ger with my toe.
But wish could get back to West
Virginia again. I've got a girl back
there-or did have. | haven't heard
from her for long time heard she
was sick. and then | heard she was
married don't know. suppose am
about the same as dead to her anyhow
You can't expect girl to wait for you
forever But want to go home. ]
don't care whether the Cubans get sal
walton or not. | don't care if Spain
comes back and gohbles up the island
again just want to go home. That q
all ! want 10 go home.
He drew his hands across his eyes.
walked back into tie barracks and be-
gan putting uIs dCCOA lGA Ltti4tS III oLOCl
for the dress parade that evening.
"lt's Sunday. said the sergeant
lounging outside the quarters. but we
have dress parade All ceremonies on
Sunday in tie army were abolished by
congress, but we have them just the
same The Colonel wants to keep Us
busy 1t doesn't 90 % let men have
nothing to 90 They get to brooding
ana soldier that gets the blue devils
is worse tkan a sick horse
The bugles blew first call for dress
parade. and the Americans went ont 10
the common in front Of the barracks
It was poor sort Of ground for dress
parade Ii was only a couple of hun
dred yards wide at most and Ehelved
down in a manner that made 1t seem
wonderful that the band could keep
from slipping down into ManzaEiiio
when it marched across the parade to
take position at the r;Zht Of the InA