The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-02-05
JANE WAS SIMPLE MINDED
BUT SHE CHERISHED THE
PEARL ABOVE PRICE.

autumnal glory. MOlHer edTIHt
glowed in the splendor Of produc-
tiveness, and the harvest was full.
Yet the voice of the mower and
the song of the reaper were silent.
The harvesters had fled. The con-
federate forces were marching into
Kentucky and taking possession of
the strongest posts of the union
army.
Louisville was the union rallying
point. l was one of the party who
came to Cincinnati with expecta-
lions of following the Ohio troops
to Louisville, and never shall
forget the absorbing excitement of
those days! Cincinnati was the mil
itary depot of Ohio and Indiana
regiments; hither fiocked the vet
erans The streets were thronged
with blue coats; swaying phalanx
of excited, serious, grieving people
blocked the depots. Six trains had
left for Louisville that day, and the
seventh was pulling out when we
found seats in a rear coach half
filled with soldiers.
1t was not until we left the city
limits that we became conscious of
a woman's presence. She sat near
the stove, a modest, sweet faced
woman. A babe not more than 3
weeks old slumbered on her bosom,
while two children-the elder could
not have been 4-clug to her skirts.
We became interested in the chill
dren and soon won the mothers
confidence.
She was on her way to Louis
vile to find her husband. He had
enlisted in the army the previous
spring. She had not heard from
him since; she was destitute. She
had waited and hoped patiently for
his return, but days made weeks,
weeks rounded into months, yet he
came not. Then she heard the call
to arms. All the able bodied men
round her back woods buckled on
their armor. 1t was night when
she heard their muffled tread pass
her cottage door, and, gathering her
babies together, she followed the
departing troops. She had paid her
| fare and 25 cents was all she had
now in the world.
"But | will find him." she said
John was a good man. He will
not let his children starve."
"What was the number of your
husbands regiment" asked one.
81 don't know" she replied, I'M
disturbed by our expression of SYM
pathy.
"Do you know the name of the
commanders"
mo, sir"
What makes you think you will
find him in Louisville?"
81 know it. He will be there"
"My good woman" said our
spokesman, 81 am afraid your jour
ney will be fruitless one. How
can you hope to find your husband,
when you don't even know the num-
Der of his regiment? 1t will be
like looking for a needle in a hay
stack"
Il will find him." syas her conf
dent reply. She needed not our
smiles of incredulity. She was ap-
parently unmoved by our sympathy
and Indifferent to our offers of as
sistance. She simply smiled in the
face of her sleeping baby and drew
her children closer There was a
pathos, a heroism in the woman's
condition and purpose that appealed
to every man. Common woes be-
get fraternal feelings unknown
when peace smiles on a land and
wealth and luxury stupefes the no.
bier the kidlier instincts. So every
heart was open. Yet she needed
not. Her eyes were beyond they
had reached the end of the Jour
ney and were looking over the COM
bined forces of our army-looking
for John.
She was an igonrant, simple
minded woman; never before had
she been beyond the limits Of her
backwoods home. AS the train
sped along we discussed the posi-
bilities of the success Of her err
rand, and finally suggested that the
best plan to pursue when she reach
ed the city was to secure her lodg-
ings in some quiet quarter, where
she could leave her babes while