Mrs. Somers rose from her chair, and paced the room in the highest state
of agitation and excitement. The rockers were not adequate to the duty
required of them, and nothing less than the whole floor of the kitchen was
sufficient for the proper venting of her emotion.

"Do you mean to say, mother, that you would have given him leave to go,
even if he had teased you for a month?" asked John.

"Certainly I should," replied his mother, stopping short in the middle of
the floor. "I'm ready and willing to have my boys fight for their country,
but I don't want them to sneak off as though they had been robbing a
hen-roost, and without even saying good by to me."

"If Tom were here, do you mean to say you would let him go?" demanded
John, earnestly.

"Certainly I do; I mean so. But I don't think there is any need of boys
like him going, when there are men enough to do the fighting."

"You told Tom he shouldn't go."

"Well, I didn't think he really meant it. If he had--What's that, John?"
asked she, suddenly, as a noise at the window attracted her attention.

"Only the cat, mother."

"If Thomas or you had asked me in earnest, and there was need of your
going, I wouldn't have kept either of you at home. I would go to the
poorhouse first. My father and my brother both fought for their country,
and my sons shall when their country wants them."