The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-11-18
HOW TOM CAME BACK.


"And. mother. you are not to cry, or
to worry about me, when L am gone, y
said a tall, handsome lad, wearing the
blue uniform of a soldier, as he came
down the little lane from the old red
farmhouse, with his widowed mother
hanging on his arm. Think how proud
you ought to be that you have boy
to give to the dear old country, now in
the hour of her trouble, when she need4
the sword of every SON she has! And
think how proud, how much prouder
you will be one day yet, when you see
up the green lane, with the stars on
my shoulder, mother. and a sword of
honor by my side! Nothing less than
a colonel will your boy be. dear moth
err when you get him back again.
When whenI" the mothers sad
heart kept saying: but she gave no ut
terance to the words. She kissed him
and babe him go, as many another
mother did in that terrible hour of the
Yyn's agony.
went home and closed her doors
q the world, and wept her very
cit out for her soldier boy.
cd in the next house, at the foot of
iane, down behind the hill, a young
" with blue eyes and brown hair,
Ga face like an apple blossom in
a sat weeping, too, for the soldier
Sitaken her heart with him as he
(SFled SO calamity away.
o khall do my duty like a man, my
= O Jenny" he said to her on the
q pg before he left And in our
a one has a chance to rise to the
K highest rank. You'll see me come
" with the golden stars upon my
and you shall be an officers
wife, Jenny. though you are only a
lady love now. And l shall
have money then, you know. And we
will build another house here in the
lane for you and l. close to your home
and to my own, and here we shall live
and love each other for many happy
year, L hope
These were the words poor Jenny
had to remember as she wept by her
gayly from the town. She watched
him, lovingly and proudly, through the
war, wherever his regiment, "the fight
ing Twenty-Seventh," was ordered to
go. And at last there came an awful
battle and the rebels were triumphant;
and the fighting Twenty and
many another gallant corps were "cut
to pieces, and Tom-bright, handsome,
gallant Tom-oh where was he?
till Andersonville gave up it's living
dead.
Among the names of those rescued
prisoners Jenny and her adopted
mother saw but. one.
Tom was alive-Tom was coming
home once more.
And on the evening appointed for
mis- arrival they waited together. trem- !
bling and hopeful, at the farmhouse |
gate. as he had asked them to do when
ne went away.
Would he come running up the !
green slope like the gay light hearted |
BOY of old? Or would he walk more |
slowly. as became a soldier and an Of !
icer, with the stars upon his shoulder !
md the sword of honor at his SIDE; yet |
heir own dear gallant Tom. in spite [
If all the glory, just as ne was of old? /
While they discussed the question be-
ween their smiles and tears they saw !
crowd of neighbors coming slowly UP /
he lane Their faces were grave and /
ad and stern, and they seemed to be
something in their midst. AS
hey neared the gate every man took
IF his hat, and four of their number
,ore a rude litter forward, and laid it I
lown at the widows feet.
What was it2 Who was it, That I
wasted, haggard figure. with the sharp 4
zones almost sticking through the I
hriveled skin; with the shadowy face
nd the great mournful. hollow eyes;
nd the skeleton hand; and the torn
,rivate's uniform, all ragged and a
mass of dust and Dirt
"Motheri Jenny Thank God l die
t homer said the thin, piping voice
Then at last they knew him. And
With wild cries and tears and prayers,
hey threw themselves down beside
i'm Just as he held up his trembling, /
vasted hands to theTn-and diedl
Such was the dreaml Such the full
llnent! And this was but one out of |
many!
rH0pm TOMETX TnnD nrr