The National tribune., 1902-12-18

most as solemn as being married, I think
but Ma says its pritty near scanlous fol
a young girl to talk that way. She say
girls was diffrunt when she was young.
Il just couldn't 60 to prayer meeting
tonight. Elder Skruggs he'd pray for the
soldiers who died in their sins, and Eldel
Butts would cry Amenr Then thu
preacher would pray for every one Of tbs
/ boys who went from hear and call names
and ask the Lord to sustain them left be
hind to mourn, and he'd name all of them
and then old Mrs. Brand, she'd get te
Ieryin', and praying for them whose hus-
bands and brothers and sons amt never
been hurd from, but maybe amt buried
and then they'll all sing sAmazin' Grace,
and Fde think of You and just scream
right out. l can't sing 'Amazin' Grace
while you are away. Ma says Ime fool
ish, that / ought to LET the grace of God
in, but Pa he says kind OF solemn like
'Girls's hearts are softer than ourn, Ma;
! the child will learn wisdom after while
You can't put Solomun's head on girls
shoulders and he never said once that
Ide haf to go, and that amt like Pa. He's
strict about church and prayer meeting.
So line all alone tonight with you. 1t
aint Sunday, but line writing anyhow
| "Oh, my deer, l wish you was home.
l do love you and l want to tell you so.
Writing is so slow and your so far off.
But / don't want you to come till you
have beat the Rebels, l don't care if you
run them into the Atlantyc Oshun. Ma
says Ime blood thursty, but I don't care.
Them nasty things have made so much
heartache and sorrow for every boldly that
it seems like they ought to be swalered
up like the Red Sea swallered Farieo' s
Hosts, and Pa says that is reel good
Scripture Docktrine. and Pa ought to
know. l was too a war lecture in the
Meeting House the other Night, and the
man who talked told us about the Spar
tan's Mother who told her sons that she
hoped. they'd all get back, carrying their
guns, but if they got took and their guns
taken away, then she hoped they'd be
brought home dead. He said it nicer than
that, but that was what he meant, and
CESS Ime like that Spartan woman.
love you and want you more and more
every day, but Ide rather. know you was
dead down there in the Carliny swamps,
where the papers say you've ben, with the
Stars and Stripes for your grave clothes
than to have you come sneakin Home say
in your sick, like some of the fellows
round hear has. 1 aint got no use for a
coward. So you go ahead and lick the
Rebels, but hurry up about it. We're
singing song up hear that says
but lie never leave Our Banner
till in homer l can come
and when l sing it | think of you.
me and Ma and Mandy and Annabel
belong to the Ladies' Aid Sossiety. 1t
meats most every day now. We've tore
up all our linnun sheets and piller slips to
make lint out of. Ma she said if Onr
Brave Boys won we would soon feal able
to bye more linnun, bu, II they diedn't,
then we wouddnt want no more sheets of
no kind, and me and Annabel Just kissed
her and vert to pickin lint. We all felt
that way too. They aint hardly linnun
thing left in this county. Us girls has
picked lint till our fingers is wore to the
quick. Mandy she makes outiful House
wifes and she puts thread and needles and
buttons and thimbles and bees,yaxes in
them. Pa he said Manuy could have all
the money she needed for them, but
she said she wanted to earn it her.
sef. So she goes without sugar
in anything and won't eat no candy.
and Pa he gives her a dollar week.
Mandy's getting reel steady. This awful
war is steaddyin all of us. We hear about
all the grand things our soldiers are doing,
and we know you and brother 81 and the
rest is doing your part noble and brave,
and we are awful proud of you.
Il didn't get no new dress this Winter
Pa he give me the money and said could
do what I pleased with it, so me and
Mandy and Annabel, we bought muslin to
make sick shirts for the hospitals and
yarn for socks, and hankerchifs, and
things like that. Annabel said she
couldn't wear new dress when SiI
couldn't see it. Wasn't that sweet of
he-? Mandy said it was just a sin for
folks to spend money on clothes when SOL
diers were suferin. I've got on that red
dress you like me in. I put it on when
ever l write to you. I've got tie blue
bow ON my hair, and I've got on that
white ribbon belt. You said once that l !
made you think Of the flag when l was
fixed up that way, so mebbe when you
know ! remember to wear them when II
write to yea you will think about me and
eight harder for the Flag. Bur, dear
Will don't get hurt. I want you to be
brave and not afraid Of nobody, but /
sometimes when l read about the dreadful |
6ghts and think that mebbe some whereI
down there you are lying with your dead
Face turned up 10 the Skye inst /
r~r~~y& 80 ~ uI