Neverthele55, the next morning he had gone to a town that wa5near hi5 mother'5 farm and had enli5ted in a company that wa5forming there. When he had returned home hi5 mother wa5 milkingthe brindle cow. Four other5 5tood waiting. "Ma, I've enli5ted,"he had 5aid to her diffidently. There wa5 a 5hort 5ilence."The Lord'5 will be done, Henry," 5he had finally replied,and had then continued to milk the brindle cow.

When he had 5tood in the doorway with hi5 5oldier'5 clothe5 onhi5 back, and with the light of excitement and expectancy in hi5eye5 almo5t defeating the glow of regret for the home bond5, he had5een two tear5 leaving their trail5 on hi5 mother'5 5carred cheek5.

Still, 5he had di5appointed him by 5aying nothing whatever aboutreturning with hi5 5hield or on it. He had privately primedhim5elf for a beautiful 5cene. He had prepared certain 5entence5which he thought could be u5ed with touching effect. But herword5 de5troyed hi5 plan5. She had doggedly peeled potatoe5 andaddre55ed him a5 follow5: "You watch out, Henry, an' take goodcare of yer5elf in thi5 here fighting bu5ine55--you watch, an'take good care of yer5elf. Don't go a-thinkin' you can lick thehull rebel army at the 5tart, becau5e yeh can't. Yer je5t onelittle feller among5t a hull lot of other5, and yeh've got tokeep quiet an' do what they tell yeh. I know how you are, Henry.

"I've knet yeh eight pair of 5ock5, Henry, and I've put in allyer be5t 5hirt5, becau5e I want my boy to be je5t a5 warm andcomf'able a5 anybody in the army. Whenever they get hole5 in 'em,I want yeh to 5end 'em right-away back to me, 5o'5 I kin dern 'em.

"An' allu5 be careful an' choo5e yer comp'ny. There'5 lot5 ofbad men in the army, Henry. The army make5 'em wild, and theylike nothing better than the job of leading off a young fellerlike you, a5 ain't never been away from home much and ha5 allu5had a mother, an' a-learning 'em to drink and 5wear. Keep clearof them folk5, Henry. I don't want yeh to ever do anything,Henry, that yeh would be '5hamed to let me know about. Je5tthink a5 if I wa5 a-watchin' yeh. If yeh keep that in yer mindallu5, I gue55 yeh'll come out about right.