News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-02-01

They didn't know how to fight any q
ALL did they, GrandpaT
"Oh, yes, they did"
"What?" The boy was astounded
weren't they all just regular ole COW
ards, Grandpa?"
NO" said the grandfather 'The,
were pretty fine soldiers
"They we're? Wei, they ran away
whenever you began shootin' at 'em
didn't they?'
Sometimes they did, but most times
they didn't. Sometimes they fought
like wildcats-and sometimes we were
the ones that ran away"
"But the Johnnies were bad men
weren't they, Grandpa?"
No"
The Boys forehead, customarily va
cant. showed some little vertical
shadows. produced by a struggle to
think. "Well, but" he began slowly.
Listen, Grandpa, listen here! You
said-you said you never got scared
the ole Johnnies were goin' to win"
"They did win pretty often" said
the grandfather. "They won good
many battles"
81 mean, you said you never got
scared they'd win the war"
'NO. we were never afraid of that"
"WelI, but if they were good men
and fought like wildcats, Grandpa,
and KEEP winning battles and every
thing, how could that be? How could
you help bein' scared they'd win the
war;"
The grandfathers feeble eyes twin
killed. brightly "Why, we knew they
couldn't, Ramsey"
At this, the little vertical shadows
on RamSey's forehead became more
pronounced, for he had succeeded in
thinking. "Well they didn't know they
couldn't did they?" he argued "They
thought they were goin' to win, didn't
they"
yes; guess they did. But you
see they were wrong"
well. but" Ramsey struggled
Listen Listen here, Grandpa. Well.
anyway, If they never got scared we'd
win, and nobody got scared they'd win
well, / don't see"
you don't see what?"
But Ramsey found himself unable
to continue his concentration. "Oh,
nothln' much,n he murmured.
II see" And his grandfather laughed
again. you mean: If the Johnnies
felt just as sure of winning the war
as we did and kept winning battles,
why shouldn't we ever have had any
doubts we were going to win? That's
1t, isn't it,"
81 guess so, Grandpa"
"Well I think it was mostly because
we were certain that we were right"
81 see" said Ramsey. "The Johnnies
knew they were on the side of the
devil" But at this, the grandfather's
laugh was louder than it had been be-
fore. and Ramsey looked hurt. well,
you can laugh if you want to-" he
objected in an aggrieved voice. ANY
way, the Sunday school Superintendent
told us when people knew they were
on the devils side they always"
81 dare say, / dare say" the old man
interrupted, little impatiently. But
In this world mighty few people think
they're on the devils side, Ramsey.
The South thought the devil was on
our side, you see"
well that kind o. mixes it all up
more'n ever"
suppose you look at it this way:
believed TO he its right to be a coun-
try by itself; but we were fighting for
Liberty and Union, now and forever,
one and inseparable' There's the rea-
son we had the certain knowledge that
we were going TO win the war. How
plain and simple it isl"
Ramsey didn't think so. He had be-
gun 10 feel bored by the conversation.
and TO undergo the oppression he u.s.
ually suffered I'm school. The earnest
old voice OF the veteran was only
sound in the boys ears.
boom" The veterans hal begun
to fire their cannon on the crest of the
low Hill. out at the cemetery; and from
little way down the street came the
rat-a-tat Of a toy drum and sounds Of
a fife played execrably. A file of chill
dren in cooked hats made Of newspa-
pers came marching Importantly up
the sidewalk under the maple shade
trees; and in advance, upon a veloci-
pcdc. rode tin-swOrded parsonage.
sAriekinc incessant commands but not
concerning himself with whether or
not any military obedience was there
by obtained. Here was a revivifying
effect upon young Ramsey; his slug
gard eyelids opened electrically: he
lcaped to his feet and abandoning his
grandfather without preface or apollo
". sped across the lawn and out Of
lie gate. charging headlonc upon the
commander Of the company
you get Of that 1ocipede. Wesley
Benderr he beloved. You gimme
that sword What rights you got to 90
beln' captain o. my army. I'd like n
know who got up this army. in the