The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1901-05-30


kneadin' dough. an stood in the stoop
just benin me. ODE JUS said Jerry l
got the telegram OPIUM somehow. It wux
Jeremiah Braxton was killed In the first
charge jes' turned round to ma. She
put 'er hans agin the door. sort a-trem-
In sort slow-like up the front stairs.
1t wuz awful hard. stranger; awful hard.
Purity soon ODE Simcox rid OF arter
the gals to tell 'em to come up. found
ma a-kneelin' at the little ole carpet
covered box where tibet boy Jerry used
to kneel at family prayers. Seemed like
jes' couldn't stan 1t nowhow. stood
theer an 'membered nigh about every
thing from tn time tibet boy wux born d /;
how ma laid out tibet he wus to be our
foundation, an named him jeremiah;
an then when he listed how he TUX her
up in his arms right fore the kernel an
the major an all the boys down at the
gate. saw It all onct more, then les
kneeled down by ma and put my arm
round her an jes, repeated what Job
SEE, The Lord giveth and the Lord
taketh away. blessed be the name Of the
Lord"
Here the young man found It con-
venient to wipe the cigar smoke out Of
his eyes.
well. the gals cum in shortly an
made thur ma 50 to bed, an put thesr
arms round me an said, Poor daddy, poor
ole daddy same time they bein' fearful
bout their own two men. Shortly afore
dark up Gums Parson Hale. % thought
to give spiritual comfort, and 10 I Tux
him right up to ma. wux standin, on
the front stoop when 1 heard ma sort I
break out % though shes mortal hurt
an heerd her moanin'. oh! my first
born'd and now my youngest, my baby,
my baby tell ye, boy, felt turnin'
to stone. know'd then what 'twux.
Thet boy, Sam, on'y eighteen year COM
In fall. jes' a full o pranks a. pup
dog. sing like bob-o-link, spell down the
whole school or recite Classy ianky' and
Lucy Gray til W couldn't keep your
tears back. 6ho, you'd q LATED yurself
sick the time he rugged mp In his sister
Ruby's clothes and went over to Mis-
Skaggses to hire out. An, he want
ashamed to warsh dishes 'ner kiss ma
right afore company emmy where, NO,
SIR"
Here the old man choked up again. and
two big tears sig-zagged down his tanned
cheeks.
As I wus sayin. It cum too quick fur
me. boy. ! kind O s'posed luved tibet
boy leetle more'n the others, ennyway
clean furgot my raisin' aud my bein'
the seenyer deacon and q class leader,
fur ] jes' hatchery throw'd my hans up
an'-an' cursed Gawd. did. son,
did jes' thata." There was tone Of
horror and awe In the tone with which
he confessed to this sin Of thirty years
back.
NV course. I've prayed fur forgive
ness ever since, an feel like got it, too,
but jes' then the devil wus in me. An
would ye believe it, tibet boys ma she'd
got up an come down to find me an wu3
standin' right theer an heerd 1t all.
When turned and seen her jes' stag
gered an fell down afront Of her. Then
she kneeled down an put her arms aroun'
me a. I had done In the mornin' with
her.
I'VE got through It all somehow, BY
the Lords help, and when along later
news cum that Leander wus took, too,
INA she jes' turned to me with q sort nv
resigned smile on her face, an low I
jes' smiled back: ennyhow me an her
an my two darters, both widders, with
boys whose fathers never seen them,
looked to Parson Hale. an the parsou
he talked and prayed right there, better'n
ever heerd Inn In the pulpit. An now
when Decoration Day comes 'roun', ma
she was seventy-f0ur last March-goes
up to our room an gifts out the picturs
and things belongin' to the boys and lays
'em out on the table. and then she puts
flowers with 'em and flags all 'roun' their
picturs that hang on the wall, and tries
to keep cheerful. but she won't never
cum down to see the boys marchin', nor
60 to the graveyard that day."
''But Lishe and Wash, the two that
cum back, belong to the post, and jes'
hatchery have q powerful lot O. pride II
seem them with the other fellers."
Here the deacon grasped the young
mans arms, and, pointing to the front OF
q line Of "vets," exclaimed delightedly:
THAR they air. thar they Anthem two
right under that dag, an ef do say It
~ oughtn't to. them two boys constitoot
heap O me an their mas pride!
The young man looked and saw two
soldieriy men, gray-haired and gray
bearded. stepping Oh proudly to the old
familiar 6fes and drums, despite the war
legacy Of stiffened jointe. The two
''boys," despite their srayness. their halt
ing steps, were still boys" not only to
this little old dad" but to that long line
Of spent. crippled and MANNED defenders
Of ''the just cause"
well. young man." continued the dea-
con 40 he was helped from the box, I'm
obliged to ye fur your Kindness, an,-ye
Won't take It hard from an old man-ye
look asif you were one O. these young city
fellers that burns the candle 1t both
ends, an Of you ever fed o though you
was clean tucksrsd out and wanted %