Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-05-27
"How's YOUR RHEUMATISM TO-DAY ?"


Matte Lewis, l remember, was mad
about him enlisting just when they
were ready to get married. But Grant
told my husband he just had to go
when soldiers were needed"
Mrs. Hubbard stopped using her
handkerchief as a fan. Land sakes,
haven't you heard about that, Marilla
Wilson? Oh, yes, | see Grant real
often, and Mattie-Mattie is a cousin
of Hubbard's and I'm careful what |
say to his people, but l did give her a
piece OF my mind on Decoration day,
'9S. Matte | says, you'll be sorry
for this some day. says And Matte
says, trying to be easy: If you mean
sorry for wearing this new pink lawn
to-day, Cousin Hepsey, I'm sorry al
ready, for it's beginning to fade now
and it's only IL o'clock in the day!'
Oh, Matte always held hel head high. "
well, it was hard on her, Grant en-
listing when she'd had her wedding
dress tried on, and the new house was
ready for them"
Yes, and all the harder because
she wouldn't talk about it. She just
says to Grant, quietly: on, yes, she
says, we can put off the wedding until
after the war with Spain is over, to
please you; and then We can put il
off for good to please ne! And not
another word would she say kept it
was real nice day, but looked a lit
tie like rain!"
Il know. Y see, Grant thought her
being a soldiers daughter she'd un-
derstand, but she didn't. | saw her
say good-by to him myself just like
she'd met him for the first time the
day before yesterday"
"M'hm. The old Cap'r he cheered
till Grants train was out of sight that
day. Said he'd never regretted that
leg he left at Charlottesville till then;
but he thanked God he had a grand
son to follow the flag. Well, Matte
wouldn't answer Grants letters and
she wore her wedding dress to a
church social, soon as it vas finished.
When Grant wrote the old Cap'n all
about San Juan. he just put on his q.
A. X. suit and went over and read it
aloud to Matte, as proud as a lord"
Did Matte"
"She turned kind of white and says
She; 'How's your rheumatism to-day.
Capn?' says she, seems to me you
walk like it was better Oh, you
couldn't get a word about Grant out
of Matte, When Grant came home,
kind of pale and shaky after the fever,
she just said; Good morning, to him
and asked if he didn't think it was
warm for the season of the year.
Well, the old Cap'n was taken i'll just
the day before Decoration, and Grant
sat by him like his last friend was 60
ing. When morning came we stopped
in on the way to town; the Capn was
Just alive then. We could hear him
calling once: Follow the flag. boys.
Follow the flag.' an once he mumbled
something to Grant about Matte.
"Well, | was mad when l saw Mat
tie Lewis, all in white, cutting cake
and pouring lemonade at the city hall,
and | up and told her what people
thought of her. | guess it brought her
to her senses, for she put down that
lemonade pitcher and out she went.
When she got to Miller's, the old
Capn seemed TO know her, but he Just
kept whispering: FOLLOW the flag!
Grant stood up pretty white, but Mat
tie was cool as a cucumber. That's
what I'm going to do, Cap'n,' she says,
and give Grant her hand"
"And so they were married."
Eyes; right there by the Capn's bed
side. Here they come now-that's
their boy carrying flag to put on the
old mans grave. He says he is going
to be a soldier, tool"