Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-05-25

TO call oil you whether you nre at home
or not" To himself Fred said, "I'll give
you one good scare. Maybe 1t will do
you good" Then aloud he said, II am
very much obliged to You for your in
formation, Mrs Green. Good day"
In the weeks that followed Addie for
got nj about Joe Richards. True to her
word, Mrs. Green went away for her
visit, taking care to keep her destination
secret. Fred Forbes was back In the
city working as only busy reporters d.
and his brief letters to his cousin did not
mention the story. Day after day John
Richards carried flowers to his sons
grave. dividing his time between this task
and the garden where he raised the bios
SONS at home.
The young people were decorating the
church for memorial services one day
late in May, when the postmaster came
in all out of breath with special de-
livery letter for Miss Adeline Forbes.
Special delivery letters were rare at this
little country Office, SO the obliging official
closed up shop and hurried out to find
the owner. II lowed something must be
wrong, so brought it right away" he
said, tanning himself after his hasty
| walk.
Just listen to this!" exclaimed Addie,
after reading the letter. Everybody
gathered around to hear it.
MY Dear Cousin-Do you remember
your story about the deserter's grave in
the old cemetery that Mrs Green told
you! Before writing it up for the paper
sent Joe Richards name and regiment
to the War Department, and asked them
for his record in the army. send you
the reply got, and hope you will give it
a wide circulation without letting 1t come
| to the ears of his sensitive father.N
/, ri seems TINT Joe was detailed to Hook
after n lot of sick and wounded soldiers
in nm old farm house down in Georgia,
and the sight of the suffering turned his
brain. He did everything for the poor,
| mangled sufferers that he could, but lost
his reason. He and his comrades were
captured by the rebels, and in the trou-
blous times that followed Joe's identity
was completely lost. After the war he
was confined in an insane asylum, and
only when death came to release him
was he able to tell about his former life.
His poor old father was heart-broken
at the thought of his son suffering all
those years among strangers, and never
| spoke Of it to any one.
II will never print the story. 1t is too
pathetic and too sacred; but l hope YOU
will see, Addie, that the poor fellow has
justice in the minds of his neighbors and
one-time friends at last. had hoped
to come back and bring the letter myself,
but cannot get OFF. l am sure you will
show it, though, to rs many as possible
before Decoration Day. Hastily,
FIRED"
John Richards sat near his sons grave,
as he always did while the work Of dec
Grating was going on, and looked visit
fully at the white-robed children strew.
ing flowers while the band played sol
emn funeral dirge. "AIy Joe was as
brave as any of tlem," he said aloud.
"And yet they never put flowers on his
grave. Poor boy, as long MS father lives
you will not be neglected"
Nearer and nearer came the music, and
nearer and nearer marched the flower.
laden children. Keeping step to the mu-
sic, the old veterans took their places
around the Richards lot, and one by one
twelve exquisite floral pieces-one for
each year he had been neglected--were
laid near Joe's blossom-covered grave
Through his tears Joe's father saw q
white pillow inscribed "Comrade," and q
lovely crown laid reverently on the green
sod, and then he sobbed like child.
A choir, led by the musicians, sang
"ltest, Hero, Rest" after the wealth OF
flowers had been lavished on poor Joe
and then the crowd drifted away leaving
the old man, who never knew his SOL
had been thought deserter. to gaze with
proud satisfaction on the tardy tributes
to the memory of his soldier boy.-Farm
and Fireside.