The Bienville Democrat., 1922-03-02

1T didn't get home all at once, pr
cisely," the grandfather explaine,
"When the war was overA suppose W
felt relieved, more than anything else
"You didn't feel SO gay when tn
war was, though, guess!" the bo
ventured.
II guess we didn't"
"Were you scared, Grandpa? Wer
you ever scared the Johnnies woul
win" -.
mo. We weren't ever afraid o
that"
"Well, weren't you ever scared your
self, Grandpa? I mean when you wer
In a battle"
"Oh, yes; I was" The old mai
laughed. Scared aplenty!"
II don't see why," the boy sal,
promptly. II wouldn't be scared in ,
battle" m
wouldn't you?"
"'Course not! Grandpa, why dom
you march In the Decoration Day pa
rade? Wouldn't they let you?"
I'm not able to march any more
Too short of breath and too shaky IL
the legs and too blind"
Il wouldn't care" said the boy. "rd
be In the parade anyway, If l was you
If I'd been in your place, Grandpa, and
they'd let me be in that parade, I'd
been right up by the band. Look,
Grandpa! Watch me, Grandpa! This
is the way I'd be. Grandpa"
He rose from the garden benct,
where they sat, and gave complex
imitation of what had most appealed
to him as the grandeurs Of the pro-
cession, his prancing legs Stimulating
those Of the horse Of the grand mar
shal, while his upper parts rendered
the drums and bugles of the band, as
we'll as the officers and privates of the
militia company which had been a fea.
ture Of the parade. The only thing
ne left out was the detachment Of
veterans.
"Putty-boom! Putty.boom! Putty.
boom-boom-boom!" he vocifel,ted as
the drums-and then as, the bugles
TIA, ia, ra, tara" He addressed his
restive legs: "Whoa, there, you
Whitley! Gee! Haw! Git up!" Then.
waving an imaginary sword: "Col.
lumn right! Farwud march! Halt!
Carry harms!' He carried arms.s
"Show-dler harms!" He "shouldered
arms" and returned to his seat
"That'd be me, Grandpa. That's the
way I'd do" And as the grandfather
nodded, seeming to agree, a thought
recently dismissed returned to the
mind Of the composite procession and
he asked:
well, why weren't you ever afraid
The Johnnies would whip the Unions.
"Oh, we knew they couldn't"
! guess so.' The little boy laughed
iisdainfully, thinking his question sat.
sfactorily answered. Il guess those
,le' Johnnies couldn't whipped a flea
they didn't know how to fight any at
III, did they, Grandpa?"
"Oh, yes, they didg"
"What?' The boy was astounded.
Weren't they all just reg'lar ole cow.
|rds, Grandpa7"
No. said the, grandfather. "Thev
vere pretty fine soldiers"
They werei Well, they ran away
you began shootin' at 'em.
Iidn't theyT'
Sometimes they. did. but mos, 4,na.
hey didn't. Sometimes they foueht
! lke Wildcats and sometimes We were
he ones that ran away
but the Johnnies were bad men.
weren't they, Gfandpay'
mo"
The soy's forehead, customarilv u.
ant, showed some little yertica,
hadows, produced BY a struggle 70
hink. "Well. but" he began slowly
Listen, Grandpa. listen here! Yon
aid-you said you never rot scared
|le ole Johnnies were eoln' to win.
They did win pretty often" said
ne grandfather. ''They won good
lany battles."
! mean. you said you never rot
cared they'd win the war;"
no, we were never afraid of that
well, but Il they were good men
nd fought Ike wildcats, Grandpa.
% kep' winning battles and every.
1lng how could that be! How could
ou help bein' scared they'd win tho
arr! "a
ne dfathers feeble eyes twin
leo prsntly. Why, We knew they
ouldn't Ramsey.
| At thi4 tAe iitlls vertical 1hadoxs
D Ramsey q toeehs1d became -