The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-08-25

and mother how he had been abused
| they would not blame him--woud not
| call 1t case of desertion. 1t was
| sundown when the boy approached the
| barn across the fields. He caught sigh,
! of HIS mother at the kitchen door. arc
| he heard the father in the barn From
the hour he deserted up to this he had
pictured himself how he would rush in-
! to the house and take the old folks by
| surprise, but now he changed the
| program. He went skulkingly along
the fence until he reached the barn.
and there was shame in his face as he
entered and stood before his father.
When the old man heard the stei
he looked up and stood leaning on thu
pitchfork in his hands. He saw hi
son William before him. The bU!
had been heard of last at the front
lie was here and in citizens attire
ind he had no shout of greeting. Il
had been case of furlough he woult
Lave been In uniform, and some news
would have come in advance. Ideas
passed through farmer Hopkins brain
| like flashes of lightning, and after
long minute his face grew stern, his
| eyes had cold look in them. and the
watching son realized that the truth
was known.
"Well?" hoarsely Queried the father
| with stern-set face.
"They didn't use me right down
there"
"And so ye ran away?"
eyes. 1t wasn't exactly deserting,
| but"
But ye sneaked off like cur, never
mindin' the disgrace sure to foller!"
For half minute they looked into
each others eyes. The boys knees
| grew weak and his face went white,
and the face in front of him was so
hard and cold that he wondered If he
had ever seen It. before. BY and by the
| father sternly said:
| Stranger, I take It from yer beiD'
here that ye'd like supper and lodgln's,
but must tell ye that we can't accom-
modate."
THAT is" continued the father, on
less ye was goin' right back to tho
army to do yer duty as soldier and
| to stay until honorably discharged.
wouldn't let a deserter share the pen
| with my hogs!
1--WE got son down at the front,
| said the farmer in a voice which trem-
bled little. "His names William
Hopkins, and he's in Company G, OF
the Sixteenth. If ye was goin' down
I'd send word to him. I'd send wore
| that he was expected to be a man
| among men, and to come home with
a record as good as the rest. I'd hey
ye also say to him that If he deserted
his colors he'd never call this place his
home agin. I'd ruther hear he was
| killed in battle. Did ye say ye was
goin' right back to the front?"
| The son nodded his head.
| wall, then, / shall hev TO do sun
thin fur ye. I'll go into the house
and git ye bite to eat. I've jest paid
the taxes, and I'm short O. money. but
I'll bring ye out twenty dollars.
guess that will bring ye through. II
ye don't get through, ye-ye-"
II shall get through" whispered the
deserter.
Ten minutes later the farmer was
back in the barn, having a bit to ca,
one hand and $40 greenback in the
other.
you are pretty sure to see Will
giam?" he queried. as he handed over
the articles.
Eyes"
"Wall, tell TN jest what I said, and
tell him his mother won't know
nuthin' about it.
One day as Company G had just fin
ished drill, the missing private, Will
liam Hopkins, walked into camp, in
charge of the provost guard. He had
on a portion of the federal uniform
and he had approached the pickets
| from the direction of the enemy.
.And so you were taken prisoner and
escaped" exclaimed the captain.
Eyes; / got away"
well, I'm glad to see you back.
feared you had been wounded and
crawled away to die. Better write 4
letter home this afternoon, as the old
olks will be worrying about you. You
| seem to have had rough time of it,
but you'll soon pick up"
The prodigal soldier had finished
page of his letter, when the orderly
sergeant stuck his head into the tent
to say:
Say, I'm mighty glad it happened!
Those rebs have knocked some sand
into you somehow. You don't look
| like the same man. How's the home
sick business?"
"All gone"
"Good! All it wanted was a sort OF
shock to drive it away, and you got
one. If you hadn't gone out with us
that night you'd have kept on brood
ing over things until you'd played the
fool and deserted. All right-all right
you'll make soldier yet"
And two months later farmer Hop
kins returned from town one day with
letter in his hand, and as he tossed
| II IN his wife he said.