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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1888)
THE WEST SHORE. " No, ir, I ih awignM to ray company at li.fw tUt if be returned to Wapakonetahe would Amy, and rj--n anrw the old wounda be m trirg to Leal. Ho longM to I again in active n-rtirr, that he might d.rget his troubles in the t iritMJi nt f I attic It waa a Hevere trial for him to f.r'go th pleasure of aeeing his dear mother and little itU r, who, he knew, would be expecting him. He l,v-d hii mother with a deep, filial love, amount ing lm't to adoration, and when he finally made up hia mind notjtn go home, he aaid to himself, " Dear mother, I know you will lo disapointed, and per U blame me for my aelfiahDCM, but I think it for th Nut" He wrote a long letter, explaining why he could it come home, and gave it to one of his com- anion, with instruction! to hand it to his mother. " Tell her," naid he, "that I am well and haveen lilsl for the war." " Now, look here, Tom Norwood," aaid Ned Gray, " I'll do nothing of the kind. Do you want me to break your jior mother's heart? You just go and park that knajaack and go homo with us. I know )ou want to iw the folks as bad a wo da" " No, Ned, I khall not go homo with the company." " ()!), you Ik blowed with such nonsense! I tell )ou you fcrp g,ing homo with the ua. Why, every. Uly in the country will I at tho dejot to meet us. (VU1 Harrington telegraphed tho captain that they -re g.,irig t,, pVP u h rousing reception and a big dinur, big ierhei and such, besides all the girls ill there; and all this you will miss by these !DmhibP notions of yours," M Well, Nst I hoj you will have a good time, as ) My but I will not I there to enjoy it with you. I Miould like my much to go with tho boyg, and lo all, to mo mother and littlo Mamie, but I can " I haie ttKHm for tho ct.urhe I have adoptcd-n-ti.i nhirh I can not explain to you." " Well, oldU.y," rr,,IWNH "you may have l7 h"T fT!Unoudo,buUorthe -fn;Mcanta,ewhat there can I to keep you s?:r-unie,"i::s l'vck o h v ,uur 1 "guter naa gone you. that m it may, NM, I ,hall not I in War. IJemeaU'r me to the fnll. i 3 fondi," 7 )0Cr lut T,fil to your On the 5th of August, just four months after our citizen soldiers had left for the field, all was excite ment in their native town, for they were expected to return on that day, and the streets were thronged with people, dressed in their holiday attire. As the time for the train, which was to bring them, ap proached, the crowd began gathering at the depot. The streets were filled with horses and wagons of every description. Men, wearing the badges of mar shals, were riding through the crowd, trying to make room for a procession of citizens, which was headed by a band of music. Marching in the lead, was Josh Gundy, proudly carrying the stars and stripea. In the procession were carried several transparencies, with appropriate mottoes painted in black letters. Among them were " Welcome home," " We never for get our brave soldier boys," and " None so welcome as those who fight our battles." Colonel Harrington was in command of the procession, which he handled in true military style. The people did not have long to wait, for the vi brations of the town clock in the cathedral tower had hardly ceased, after striking the hour of 2:00, when the train rounded the curve about half a mile from town, and soon came to a stop in front of the depot, amidst the cheers of the people assembled there to welcome the company back to their homes. The train had hardly come to a halt, when the boys began to alight and rush into the crowd, to grasp the hand of some friend, or to be clasped in the embrace of a wife, father, mother or sister. The band played " Johnnie Comes Marching Home" and "Hail to the Chief." Everyone did something to show welcome to the sol diers. Mothers, with tears of joy in their eyes, held tip their babes to be kissed by their bronzed soldier fathers; fathers patted their sons on the backs, show g how proud they were of their soldier boys; young maidens gave their lovers a quiet, but heartfelt, wel come. Standing apart from the many joyous ones, was a oman, having around her three small children-one a babe m her arms, and the other two clinging to her b It "?m Tg M ih hearti would , f At, leuD 8Vh' ne the returned soldiers went up and took her by the hand, calling her Mrs. John- and her Jl!V 7 her old DeiShbor' VT Bhe broke affect C o he i gnef" hu8band had been ou h the Bddiers without him, Xr Tf dGath n the battl so dow Norwood was there, with little Mamie,