The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-04-25

Hes quioter now, perhaps"
Mother, is there anything l can dc
ior him?"
NO, my SON." answered the woman
with a sigh, q don't think there is
anything that anybody can do. We
can only wait-and hope. He Is In
| Gods hands, not ours"
She lifted her face for a moment
and saw beyond the room, through the
night, and beyond the stars a Pres.
ence Divine. to whom thousands OF
other women in that dying Confeder.
acy made daily, hourly. and momen,
tary prayers. Less exalted, more hu.
man. less touched, the boy bowed his
head, not without his own prayer, too.
But YOU wanted TO see me. viii.
fred, Martha said" the woman pres
emily began.
yes, mother, I"
The boy stopped and the woman
was in no hurry to press him. She
OWNED what was coming and would
fain have avoided It all.
81 am thankful there is a lull in the
cannonading," she said. listening. 81
wonder why it has stopped?"
1T has not stopped" said WiIfred.
at least it has gone on all evening"
81 don't hear It now"
mo, but you will-athere!"
Yes, but compared to what It was
yesterday-you know how it shook the
house-and Howard suffered so
through IT,"
80 did l." said the boy In a low
voice fraught with passion.
you, my SOM"
YES, mother, when / hear those
guns and know that the fighting is 60
ing on, it fairly maddens me-"
YES, yes" she said; q know how
you suffered-we all suffered, we"
She turned away, sat down in a chair
beside the table, leaned her head in
her hands, and gave way to her emo
uons, There has been nothing nut
suffering, suffering since this awful.
war began" she murmured.
Mother said Wilfred abruptly, Il
want to speak to you. You don't like
it. of course, but you have just got
10 listen this time"
Mrs. Varney lifted her head from
her hands. Wilfred came nearer TO
her and dropped on his knees by her
side. One hand she laid upon his
shoulder, the other on his head She
stared down into his up-turned face.
81 know know, my boy-what you
want"
"I cant stay here any longer" said
the youth; 1t is worse than being
shot to pieces. just have to chain
myself to the floor whenever I hear
a cannon-shot or see a soldier. When |
oan.I go?"
The woman stared at him. In him
she saw family the face of the boy |
lying upstairs. In him she saw the !
white face Of the boy who lay under
he dew, dead at Seven Pines. In him
,he saw all her fith and kin, who. true
o the traditions Of that house. mad |
given up their lives for a cause now
practically lost. She could not give
I'D her last one. She drew him gently
o her, but, boy-like, he disengaged !,
himself and drew away with shake
II his head, not that he loved his
mother the less, but honor-as he saw
t--the more.
"Why don't you speak?" he whis
,ered at last.
81 don't know what to say to you,
faltered his mother, al
hough there was but one thing to say,
md she knew that she must say IT,
.et she was fighting, woman-like. for
ime.
q will tell you what to say" said
he boy
WHAT"
Say that you won't mind if | go
own to Petersburg and enlist"
But that would not be true, VIII
red" said his mother, smiling family
True or not, mother, can't stay
ere."
ooh, Wilfred, Russell has gone, and
Toward is going, and now you want %
o and get killed.
81 don't want to be killed at all,
aother,"
But you are so young, my boy"
Not younger than Tom Kittredge."
the boy; mot younger than
III Stuart or Cousin Steven or hun