In them were but few references to himself. Even
in the privacy of his correspondence with his home, there was not a
boastful thought over a thing that he had done, and only the vaguest
reference to the homage paid to him, as tho it were all a part of a
soldier's life. It was only through others that the mother learned of
the honors given to her son in France.
At the beginning of each letter he quieted his mother's forebodings for
him, and he turned to inquiries about home. Out of his pay of $30 a
month as a private soldier he had assigned $25 of it to his mother. He
wanted to know that the remittances had reached her. Two brothers had
married and moved away. Henry, the eldest, was living in Idaho, and
Albert in Kentucky. He wanted news of them. Two other married brothers,
Joe and Sam, while still living in the valley, were not at the old home.
He wanted every detail about their crops that told of their welfare.
His most valuable personal possession was two mules. Were George and Jim
and Robert, the younger brothers, keeping those mules fat? How much of
the farm were they preparing to "put in corn"? Corn was sure to be
scarce and would be worth $2.50 by harvest time! Was Mrs. Embry Wright,
his only married sister, staying with his mother to comfort her? Were
Lilly and Lucy, his little sisters, still helping her with the hard
work--of course they were! And in every letter there was an inquiry
about the sweetheart he had left behind.
Pages:
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155