“ [332] by. Be of good heart, mother. God will take care of you, and save-save the- .” A low sound then rattled in his throat, and he passed away, with the name of his country on his lips. The mother bent down and closed the eyelids of her dead son; and then, kissing again and again his pale face, turned to go away. As she did so, the chaplain, taking her hand in his, said to her:
The Lord gave: the Lord hath taken away.Looking up to him with tranquil face and tearless eyes, the woman answered: “ ‘ Blessed be the name of the Lord.’ They have murdered my husband, Mr. Chaplin, my oldest boy, and now John, too, is gone.” Then, laying her hand on the shoulder of her living son, she turned to the colonel, and while her voice trembled a very little, she added: “He's all I've got now, Mr. Cunnel-give him John's place in the regiment.” A tear rolled down the colonel's weather-beaten cheek, and he turned his face away, but said nothing. There was a convulsive twitching about the chaplain's firm-set mouth, as he said:
The Spartan mother gave only two sons to her country: would you give three?“ I'd give all-all I've got, Mr. Chapl'in,” was the low answer. And this was a “poor white” woman! Her words should be heard all over the land. They should go down in history, and make her name-Rachel Somers --immortal.
