"If he wouldn't say it to me, he wouldn't be likely to say it to you,
John. It don't look a bit like Thomas to go off and leave his mother in
this way," moaned the poor woman, wiping away a deluge of tears that now
poured from her eyes.

"I don't believe he has done any such thing, mother," protested John.

"I feel almost certain about it, now. If the boy wanted to go, and
couldn't stay at home, he ought to have told me so."

"He did say he wanted to go."

"I didn't think he really meant it. I want my boys to love their country,
and be ready to fight for it. Much as I should hate to part with them, if
they are needed, they may go; but I don't like to have them run away and
leave me in this mean way. I shouldn't feel half so bad if I knew Thomas
was in the army now, as I do to think he ran away from home, just as
though he had done some mean thing. I am willing he should go, and he
wouldn't be a son of mine if he wasn't ready to go and fight for his
country, and die for her too, if there was any need of it. I didn't think
Thomas would serve me in this way."

"I don't believe he has."

"I know he's gone. I like his spunk, but if he had only come to me and
said he _must_ go, I wouldn't have said a word; but to go off without
bidding us good by--it's too bad, and I didn't think Thomas would do such
a thing."