But his mother had discouraged him.She had affected to look with some contempt upon the quality of his war ardor and patriotism.She could calmly seat herself and with no apparent difficulty give him many hundreds of reasons why he was of vastly more importance on the farm than on the field of battle.She had had certain ways of expression that told him that her statements on the subject came from a deep con-viction.Moreover, on her side, was his belief that her ethical motive in the argument was impregnable.
At last, however, he had made firm rebellion against this yellow light thrown upon the color of his ambitions.The newspapers, the gossip of the village, his own picturings had aroused him to an uncheckable degree.They were in truth fighting finely down there.Almost every day the newspapers printed accounts of a decisive victory.
One night, as he lay in bed, the winds had carried to him the clangoring of the church bell as some enthusiast jerked the rope frantically to tell the twisted news of a great battle.This voice of the people rejoicing in the night had made him shiver in a prolonged ecstasy of ex-citement.Later, he had gone down to his mother's room and had spoken thus: "Ma, I'm going to enlist.""Henry, don't you be a fool," his mother had replied.She had then covered her face with the quilt.There was an end to the matter for that night.
Nevertheless, the next morning he had gone to a town that was near his mother's farm and had enlisted in a company that was forming there.
When he had returned home his mother was milking the brindle cow.Four others stood waiting."Ma, I've enlisted," he had said to her diffidently.There was a short silence."The Lord's will be done, Henry," she had finally replied, and had then continued to milk the brindle cow.
When he had stood in the doorway with his soldier's clothes on his back, and with the light of excitement and expectancy in his eyes almost defeating the glow of regret for the home bonds, he had seen two tears leaving their trails on his mother's scarred cheeks.
Still, she had disappointed him by saying nothing whatever about returning with his shield or on it.He had privately primed himself for a beautiful scene.He had prepared certain sen-tences which he thought could be used with touching effect.But her words destroyed his plans.She had doggedly peeled potatoes and addressed him as follows: "You watch out, Henry, an' take good care of yerself in this here fighting business--you watch out, an' take good care of yerself.Don't go a-thinkin' you can lick the hull rebel army at the start, because yeh can't.Yer jest one little feller amongst a hull lot of others, and yeh've got to keep quiet an' do what they tell yeh.I know how you are, Henry.
"I've knet yeh eight pair of socks, Henry, and I've put in all yer best shirts, because I want my boy to be jest as warm and comf'able as anybody in the army.Whenever they get holes in 'em, Iwant yeh to send 'em right-away back to me, so's I kin dern 'em.
"An' allus be careful an' choose yer comp'ny.
There's lots of bad men in the army, Henry.
The army makes 'em wild, and they like nothing better than the job of leading off a young feller like you, as ain't never been away from home much and has allus had a mother, an' a-learning 'em to drink and swear.Keep clear of them folks, Henry.I don't want yeh to ever do any-thing, Henry, that yeh would be 'shamed to let me know about.Jest think as if I was a-watchin'
yeh.If yeh keep that in yer mind allus, I guess yeh'll come out about right.
"Yeh must allus remember yer father, too, child, an' remember he never drunk a drop of licker in his life, and seldom swore a cross oath.
"I don't know what else to tell yeh, Henry, excepting that yeh must never do no shirking, child, on my account.If so be a time comes when yeh have to be kilt or do a mean thing, why, Henry, don't think of anything 'cept what's right, because there's many a woman has to bear up 'ginst sech things these times, and the Lord 'll take keer of us all.
"Don't forgit about the socks and the shirts, child; and I've put a cup of blackberry jam with yer bundle, because I know yeh like it above all things.Good-by, Henry.Watch out, and be a good boy."He had, of course, been impatient under the ordeal of this speech.It had not been quite what he expected, and he had borne it with an air of irritation.He departed feeling vague relief.
Still, when he had looked back from the gate, he had seen his mother kneeling among the po-tato parings.Her brown face, upraised, was stained with tears, and her spare form was quiver-10 RED BADGE OF COURAGE.
ing.He bowed his head and went on, feeling suddenly ashamed of his purposes.
From his home he had gone to the seminary to bid adieu to many schoolmates.They had thronged about him with wonder and admiration.
He had felt the gulf now between them and had swelled with calm pride.He and some of his fellows who had donned blue were quite over-whelmed with privileges for all of one afternoon, and it had been a very delicious thing.They had strutted.
A certain light-haired girl had made vivacious fun at his martial spirit, but there was another and darker girl whom he had gazed at steadfastly, and he thought she grew demure and sad at sight of his blue and brass.As he had walked down the path between the rows of oaks, he had turned his head and detected her at a window watching his departure.As he perceived her, she had im-mediately begun to stare up through the high tree branches at the sky.He had seen a good deal of flurry and haste in her movement as she changed her attitude.He often thought of it.
On the way to Washington his spirit had soared.The regiment was fed and caressed at station after station until the youth had believed that he must be a hero.There was a lavish ex-penditure of bread and cold meats, coffee, and pickles and cheese.As he basked in the smiles of the girls and was patted and complimented by the old men, he had felt growing within him the strength to do mighty deeds of arms.
