The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1906-02-16
The Soldier Who
Did Not Return
[Original.l


She cultivated a little patch of vegeta-
bic garden in rear and few flowers
in front of her cabin, the latter be-
ing chiefly morning glOries. They are
rightly named No flower is more in
keeping with a bright summer morn
ing; none more delicately reflects it's
glory. Then, too, there was the fra
GRANGE of the country, heightened by a
newly moved field on the other side
Of the road. After having eaten my
breakfast | sat on the porch enjoying
the delicious country landscape, the
odors, the songs of the birds. After the
old woman had cleared away the
breakfast dishes she came out to do
some pruning, and l fell into conversa-
ton with her. During our chat l
mentioned that I had recently return
ed from Cuba.
"Cubaw she said, slight tremor
passing over her. 'You have been to
Cuba?''
II came from there a month ago"
did you see anything of my son
there?''
'Your son? What is he like? What
is his name"
''He is tall His hair and eyes are
like that bird cawing in the tree over
there"
His name? You have not told me
his name"
Harry
By this time I saw in the PARKWAY
look that there would be no practical
use in getting information from her
and let her talk on according to her
own sweet will.
"When the war came" she said,
Harry was just eighteen years old.
He wanted to go as a soldier, but he
saw that it would break my heart to
part with him, and he promised to stay
with me. But saw that he had come
to an age when to stay in this little
nest was not natural, just as the young
birds fly away when they are grown,
so told him he had better go. For a
week longer he kept his promise,
though [ had released him. He used
to walk back and forth in the road,
and l knew he was thinking of the eX-
citing scenes going OH in the war, and
again | told him that he must not
mind me, but go. Then he gave in
and, going to a recruiting station, en-
listed.
II remember the morning they march
ed away. Harry didn't want me to go
to see them off, but somehow l feared
that [ would never see him again. So
| put on my best hat and cloak and
walked all the way to the town. The
streets were crowded, but when l told
them that my son Harry was one of
the soldiers they made way for me,
and I stood right in front of the people
lining the street where the boys were
to pass. 1t wasn't long before ] heard
the drums and the music, and then
they came. I wouldn't have seen Har-
ry among SO many, but he saw me and
called 'MotherH 1t was only a smile
I saw through my tears and then they
made way for me again and | came
home. 1t was desolate for me to come
back here without the boy had taken
care of from the day he was born"
The old woman paused to wipe
tear from her eye. She was lost for
the moment in memory which she did
not need to describe in words, for it
was painted in the expressive lines of
her face
did you hear from him occasional
ly?" I asked
q off
they got to fighting down before San
tiago The last letter 1 got said they
were fighting all the time. Harry
wrote that every day they were draw
| ing nearer to the town and when it
! was taken they would all go home-he
would come home to me and never go
| away any more. I haven't heard a
word from him from that day to this"
There was a tremble in the voice
| when she spoke the last sentence
| "And did no one of his comrades ever
tell you anything about him?'
| His captain came to see me. | re-
! member every word he said, for l
have repeated them every day since he
| spoke them. Harry was the best man
| utll Ill lily IduhS, lie Sdlu, uuCil lie
was wounded and sent to the hospital
| the day before the surrender [ went
| there to see him, and he told me that
| he wanted to get well for the sake of
| his old mother, who was counting the
days till he would come back to her,
| and he made me promise that if I-if I
went nOrth-frst-I would go to see
| you and tell you about him. SO I've
come to tell you that-well, he wasn't
we'll enough to come with us, but when
he's better he'll surprise you some
morning by walking in on you as
sound as he was the day he left you"
1t was plain from these words that
the captain, though he might have been
brave enough to face the Spaniards.
was too cowardly to tell this old wo-
man that her son had died for his
| country. Five years had passed with
| out tidings, but they had not unde-