Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-02-13


, father that hung above the sewing
, machine. The day the soldiers went
: away her mother had looked at this
picture and smiled,-a strange, ex-
/, ultant smile, which the little girl
could not understand. Uncle Reub
marched at the head of the regiment
He wore a coat with pretty, bright
buttons, and mad gold straps on his
shoulders. The people called hir
Captain, and oh, how they cheered as
, he passed. But grandma cried She
chung to Mellicents mother, and sob
bed, My baby, ON, my baby"
It was funny, Mellicent thought to
call tall, broad-shouldered, handsome
Uncle Reub a baby.
After the soldiers went away it
was very quiet in the little village.
There were no young men left except
poor EmmOns Hale, who walked with
crutches. Mellicent sadly missed lie
troop Of stalWart boy cousins who
used, alternately. to pet and tease her.
Every night about Z O'Clock a Ium-
boring old stage coach, like a crawling
black beetle, emerged from the woods
on the lake road and crept slowly I'D
to the store and post-ohice. 1t brought
few copies of the New York Tribune
and the Boston Journal. The war
news from one Of these papers was
always read aloud after the mail was
changed and the black beetle had
crawled on again up the steep New
London hill. EmmOns Hale read.
His audience Of old, sun-browned men,
eager boys and few anxious, white
faced women in the backgrOun
! listened breathless1y Whenever En-
mons paused heart-strings frightened
The next line might bring tidings Of
! fearful import to some one Of the
! little group. Mellicent's mother did
not like to have Mark join the nightly
crowd at the post-oftice So old Tom
Cummings, who worked for Squire
Hazen, mile beyond the Harmon
house, used to stop on his way home
every evening and give them the
latest news.
For a long, long time, it seemed to
| Melliccnt old Tom never said any
thing but "alI quiet along the POto-
mac" When he said that, night after
night her mother would sigh. but
Aunt Matilda would stamp her foot
and clench her hands. saying, 81 wish
| were man."
But grandma always looked reliev-
led. Uncle Reub Uncle Brad and
/ Uncle Cy Were on the Potomac, and
she liked to have it quiet there
But sometimes, after awhile. old
Tom would begin his news with,
"There's been a big battle Then all
three women would turn white and
trembIe so they could hardly stand
while Tom pointed ont the lists of
I"dead' and wounded" and ''missing."
| One night Uncle Brad's name was
among the missing. Then, for long,
weary days everybody in the house
, except Mark and Mellicent seemed to
stop eating, Mother and Aunt
! Matilda spoke in low tones to each
other about a dreadful place called
/ Libby prison. If grandma CHANGED to
/ come suddenly into the room they pre-
| tended to be talking about something
else At last news reached the little
/ glen that Uncle Brad was dead Then
Aunt Matilda his twin sister, shut
her lips tightly after saying, Better
that than Libby prison" and went
about her work as usual. But She
scoIded Inefficient sharply that night
for being cross with Mark. "Ycun
be sorry some day" she said. for
every angry word or selfish act toward
your brother" Mark was mis- Aunt
Matilda's boy. She thought. rightly
enough. that his sister imposed or
him. She said MelIicent was spoiled
4 few nights before the soldiers
went away there was tOrchlight pro
ccssiOn. Every house in the village
was Illuminated The band played
People cheered themselves hoarse.
Mark was wild with enthusiasm. and
Mellicent, who had been allowed to
sit up beyond the usual bedtime was
Cntranced.
Not long afterward a few scattered
democrats organized a parade. But
they met with no encouragement
The little mountain hamlet was IN
. t@nsely loyal. The local musicians re
, fused to serve, and the downcast pro-
cession marched SILENTLY in driz-
Ziing rain. past darkened houses.
Inefficient had crept out of bed and
watched from behind closed window
blinds. Mark eNulted at the crest
fallen appearance of the enemy. But
Inefficient was very sorry for the hand
full of men. greeted only with Kisses.
As the detected line passed the house.
she threw open the shutters. and.
leaning far out on the windOw-sin N
her little white night-gown. waved her
hand. frantically crying. "Hurrah,
Hurrah," in the shrillest of childish
voices. Mark dragged her back and
! shut the window with a bang. His
face was scarlet. He was very angry
He raised his hand as if to strike her.
/ Then he let his hand fall, and only
looked at her with blazing eyes. He
{ had never been angry with her before.
MelliCent was frightened. IL"
| she stammered. Il was only just hur-
raining for the poor democrats Else
folks didn't 1t had been one of her
baby peculiarities of speech to con-
fuse else" and other" Under press
ure of strong excitement. she still
made the old mistake.
You're a traitor. Mellicent Harmon,
a miserable traitor! and I'm ashamed