The National tribune., 1903-03-26

| am l=lldt oiu DiuSh-N
man just awfnl3' sobbed Annabel, as they
came out of Secretary Stanton's private
office, regardisss5of being overheard by the
throng in the ante-room. These, however,
paid no attention to her. They had trOu-
bles of their own, and the messengers in
attendance were too familiar to such
sights as to be at all interested. Il never
saw anyone look so hOrrid and hateful
as ne did when he refusued to let us go
down to see ST. she continued, breaking
down into an April shower of tears.
He has had so much to do with war
that he has become absolutely callous to
human misery and suffering" said Mrs.
Klegg. '.They say all soldiers get that way
after a little while. and the Secretary of
War, who is at the head of all them. must
be the very worst. Don't cry, daughter.
| The Lord will provide some way for us to
see ST. He will not let the righteous
perish from off the face OF the earth.
cheer up"
Il would like to be man for just about
| 10 minutes to take old Gold-Specks by the
ear and tell him some things lie ought to
know" snapped Maria with her eyes Hash
| ing. "He seems to think that the earth is
his and the fullness thereof. When did the
Lord turn it over to him, I'd like to
| know"
Maria! Maria!'' demonstrated Mrs.
Klegg. Don't be irreverent.'
Il amt irreverent. It's him that's irrev-
erent. He acts as if he felt himself Il
good deal bigger than his Creator. He
makes me hot under the collar, as the men
say"
HE does think himself bigger than his
CREATOR said Judge Julian, sarcastically.
He has acute spells of believing himself
bigger than the President, who made him
and can unmake him any hour. They
come as regularly as every other day
ague, and last two days"
Il always supposed that this was free
| country. and decent folks could so about
as they pleased" sighed Mrs. Klegg. Il
didn't know anybody could put up a
boundary fence on it,
What was the use of orr boys taking
GoldsborO, if we cant go down there, I'd
like to know snapped Maria.
There has been so much importantly
| for passes" Judge Julian began rather
apologetically.
but there never was a case like this"
| sObbed Annabel. Isl was never sick be-
| fore"
There have been many thousand sick
| soldiers in this war-very sick sighed
Judge Julian, with melancholy memories
of his four years of faithful visits to the
hospitals, looking after the sons of his cOn-
| stituents.
"And / suppose their mothers must have
| felt as terribly about them as / do about
ST." thought Mrs. Klegg half audiby.
Gracious Redeemer! Amt war awful.'
..None of them was so good soldier as
| ST, and hadn't just got married., muir
INJURED Annabal TO herself.
wills worth all of them put together
| thought Maria"iH
| THAT man in there may rule the army
said Mrs. Klegg determinedly, but he
| isn't my lord and master. No man can
stand betweensme and my sick son. How
far is it over to GoldsborO, anyway!
Can't be so very! far. Can't be as far as
| to some places ia Indiana. Can't we get
team and drive over? / have driven
| further than that. with Father many times
| to go to meetings. | don't care il the
rebels are in the way. The can't be such
savages as to-stop a, mothers going to the
sick-bed of her son.
"Humph, Goldsboro is go miles from
here" said Judge Julian. Its Il thous-
and miles, if You count in the depths of
the Virginia and North Carolina roads.
You go down a long ways toward China
every time your wheels turn. No, the only
thing to do is to get on one of these boats
that they are sending down there. There's
lots of them going to Goldsboro with sup
plies. The thing tc do is to get a pass
and an order to go on one of them. Ed.
Stanton can't stop us. Well go right up
| to the White House."
60 to the White House, chorused the
women aghast. why, we are not fit to
call on Mrs. Lincoln. We amt dressed"
added Annabel. And she began to
straighten the full folds of her dress, fur
lively CHANGING down to see if the ''horrid"
,,olored balmoral which Maria forced her
to don was showing from beneath the
IL Int,, Oh
..Ought we to call first?' she questioned
as she satisfied herself that her dress was
hanging properly. Il thought-leastwise
| have always heard--that new corners to
town ought to wait till folks call on
them
Mrs. KIegg began to look troubled
Judge Julian turned to speak to some civil
ian who had jnst entered the room and
that gave them time to consult Il little.
Il never thought about going to the White
House to make visit" said the dear old
lady, as she began to smooth her bands of
| shining hair. in which age had laid but
few gray threads. Maybe Mrs. Lincoln
won't be ready to see us this early in the
morning. There must be lot to do in the
Presidents house these times, if every
body who comes to Washington goes there
to visit her"
81 wish you had your black silk and
had my gray challie,' continued Annahel,
still intent on looking her best, and in
wardly matchmaking Maria for her eco
nomical streak. MARIA, oughtn't we to
20 back to where we slept and get OH
clean collars and brush our hair again."
she finally asked the silent girl. Maria
had been abstractedly gazing out of the
deep embraZured window where the sky
line in the distance was broken by the I'M
| finished Washington Monument. In be-
| tween were rows and rows of hospital
tents, whose inmates dragged themselves
| about the ellipse or along the broken side
| walks, their white, drawn faces, bandaged
heads and tapping sleeves telling the story
of deadly struggle with sickness aud
wounds She had not heard word of
what Annabel had been saying. but turned
as the sound of her name fell ulon her
ears n nu
what? Did you speak to me, Anna
| bel?" she asked. ms her thoughts and eyes
returned to things. inside the room again.
"Well, you are certainly provoking"
sighed Annabe1. Who was tired and peev-
| ish "We justaOOk awful in these clothes,
and Mr.. Julian wants us to go to the
White House to call on Mrs. Lincoln. Ma
and me think we ought to slick up little
before we 60, and we amt right sure,
either, whether we ought to call first Mr..
Julian is just aiman, and they don't know
about things"
Maria smiled little sad smile, for al
ready the woe Andswant and suffering had
oppressed her Heart. She could not under
stand how anybody could be thinking of
clothes at suclr a time, but she knew how
close to pretty, Annabel's heart the out
| wa ri odorninO had nlwayS hoan opd NO,