Evening star., 1922-04-23

early years Of his married life-the
little home at Sacketts Harbor while
he was still in the Army: the pleas
ant people my family knew there
among the military group; the simple
house and the active work grand
mama had to do. cooking. cleaning
and sewing, looking after her boy as
well; then the years spent near st.
Louis, after grandpapa had left the
service and was trying to match his
inexperience against the practiced
business world. Farming and selling
wood were not profitable at all. but
moving from one place to another
looking for occupation was still
more wearisome proceeding.
r IFE promised to grow more diff
IL ficult instead of better. More
babies came and the problem in
creased immensely, till finally.
tempted by the hope of good open
ing. grandpapa moved to Galena and
settled there. He stayed until the
civil war in Galena, ILL.,. and there
he had found work to do which en-
abled him to keep himself and his
small family in moderate comfort.
OF these years there were lot of
stories told me, all showing grand
papa in an attractive light. One
caught a glimpse of the boy. my
father, straddling his short. fat legs
on his own fathers horse, seated in
front of his parent. Strong arms
held him on the mount quite safely.
while the small novice gurgled and
laughed for pleasure in the sport.
We were told Of the Joy my father
the desire for a pair which had long
burned in his boyish mind: of a
chance question from grandpapa.
which had one day ELECTED the
knowledge of his ambition, and the
saving of small coins till the few
necessary dollars were laid by. An
excursion father and son made into
town together followed in that story
Finally by way Of anti-climax the
boots my father liked best and had
chosen turned out to be a little small
and were soon outgrown. and then
the agony Of wearing them was hid
den for a long time before the little
suffering owner would admit the
trouble and lay aside his cherished
possession.
There were delightful tales of
wagonload Of hay or of wood they
took to market; or sometimes In the
buggy, the two went to2do a little
shopping for their household. I grew
able to see with my minds eye that
small boy and the quiet man of des-
tiny seated together talking Of all
sorts Of things as they logged along
over rough country roads. No one
realized as the pair passed that these
two friends were human beings who
were preparing unconsclously to lead
an Interesting. life above most other
men; that both were going to serve
their country we'll In many places;
that the quiet father was to be the
military leader during the civil war
and the responsible President who
would do much for reconstruction.
Nor was it written on the boys young
brow that he also would have fine
career and serve his country with
distinction. He was getting little Of
real schooling. but was being we'll
trained, and much information was
impaired to him unconsciously to
himself by his brainy associate.
+ 4 \ +
THEN came the war, with its bur-
/ den Of suffering and anxiety for
the shy. silent elder man. He had
left the career OF arms which had
been his original profession and now
returned to 1t humbly. doing first the
work Of aiding local volunteers to
prepare, doing next q clerks work.
Finally, almost in despair because
his appeal for any command was so
long overlooked, he seixed with en-