Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-01-20
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys OF Both Arrr ies whiled
Away Life In Camp-Foraging Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thrif.
hing Scenes ON the BattIefsIa.

IT was me urSt christmas AFTER the
war. Appomsttox had not been for
gotten. and desolation still hung over
the South like a great black shadow,
I The plenty of the past, the poverty
Of the present the dark certainty of
the future, haunted memories, and
heartaches and tears were in the place
Of joyous feeling and gladful smiles.
4 The terrors of yesterday, the suffering
Of the today. and the forebodings of
the morrow would form no back
ground for a Christmas like those OF
the use-to-be
The James flowed on TO the sea,
washing its muddy waters against the
icebordered banks. A light snow on
the hard, unyielding earth only add
ed TO the gloom. The wind moaned
through the winter-swept pines.
Fences strewed the dirt roads still
marked by the heavy ruts OF artillery.
Here and there was the chaTed and
blackened wreck of some bones OF
some faithful horse whose rider lay.
perhaps. beneath an unmarked mound
In the little burying ground about the
shell-battered church, the spire of
which just rose above the hills in
the distance What a picture of de
spair. And it was Christmas morn
ing Christmas morning! And the
great world was echoing with the an
geic melody, Peace on earth, good
will to men,
/ With unbending figure he stood
leaning against one Of the heavy pill
lars that supported the portIco TO
one of the historic mansions. A black
SLOUGH hat was pulled down over the
I long gray hair The suit he wore was
only part civilian. The coat was
gray and tightly buttoned about the
waist-the one relic besides the sa
Der, of the gallant cavalry that was
no more Was he thinking Of the
last Christmas in camp, of a forage
+ before sunrise. a roasted pig held
over the logs with bayonets. an inter
rupted feast, and q charge on Christ
mas evening thar had written the
names of heroes on the page of his
tory? Was it that?
/ Across the field the smoke ioated
upward from the mud-smeared chin
ney of a hut-several huts 1t was
where the negroes lived, Two tot
tering old men. two boys, big enough
/ to work in the field, and one old WON
an-that was all. The rest had gone.
One of the boys was bringing the
horse from water AS it followed its
ragged groom along the road 1t made
strange contrast with the surround
ings: for. fat and sleek. It seemed as
if there must be plenty everywhere
vet the barn. like everything else was
almost depleted. How closely he had
watched the animal, From the call
TO arms until the bugle sounded for
the final taps IT had been his constant
companion. And then, after all was
over. they had come back through
Richmond and then to the old home
He smiled when he remembered how
ne and the boy had hooked up the
old charger and a solitary mule to a
plow and worked until the faithful
mule had died. There was not
enough in the field or the stable for
/ Two.
The old men and the boys had
Joined each other and were coming
across to the house. In the kitchen
/ rAuntie" was making corn bread and
frying bacon. Christmas morning In
mansion on the James and corn
bread and bacon for breakfast! In
the dining room she-she who had
borne so much--was setting the plates
! two plates, How she thought Of
the faces that had gathered three
Fears ago. some that We're no more!
She finished, and. going up stairs,
brought down a Bingham apron. She
made It herself-made it over from
IN old one she had worn. With eyes
/ full Of tears she handed ii to the dear
old "Auntie' and whispered Merry
! Christmas" She could say no more.
/ Memory was bringing up visions Of
/ the old days The Christmas days in
servants quarters-an apron for each
woman. dress for each child, with
coin IN eaCn pocket. But thOse days
! were gone and the slaves had van
shed
/ The four colored men had stopped
in the road and were talking He
came IN from the porch and said a
word to her, and they sat down by
the window He gazed over the river.
and she laid her head on his arm and
cried softly TO herself. Both were
looking into the past, and both saw
the same pictures. 1t was Christmas
morning on the plantation. The house
was full OF young people. In the par
Tor a log fire cracked on the hearth
aud there were laughter and shouts Of
merriment And such q breakfast,
What stores were brought from the