ter gazed on it
long with lack-luster eye and then rushed from the room with her check
apron over her head.

When my father rode up on horseback I ran to tell him that the envelope
had come.

We all stood breathless and watched him break the seals. He took out the
letter and read it silently and passed it to my mother.

I have the letter before me now, and it says: "The Department is still of
the opinion that it does not care to accept men having varicose veins,
which make the wearing of bandages necessary. Your name, however, has been
filed and should we be able to use your services, will advise."

Then we were all very glad about the varicose veins, and I am afraid I
went out and boasted to my play-fellows about our family possessions.

It was not so very long after, that there was a Big Meeting in the
"timber." People came from all over the county to attend it. The chief
speaker was a man by the name of Ingersoll, a colonel in the army, who was
back home for just a day or two on furlough. Folks said he was the
greatest orator in Peoria County.

Early in the morning the wagons began to go by our house, and all along
the four roads that led to the grove we could see great clouds of dust
that stretched away for miles and miles and told that the people were
gathering by the thousands. They came in wagons and on horseback, carrying
babies; two boys on one horse were common sights; and there were various
four-horse teams with wagons filled with girls all dressed in white,
carrying flags.

All our folks went. My mother fastened the back door of our house with a
bolt on the inside, and then locked the front door with a key, and hid the
key under the doormat.

At the grove there was much hand-shaking and visiting and asking after the
folks and for the news. Several soldiers were present, among them a man
who lived near us, called "Little Ramsey." Three one-armed men were there,
and a man named Al Sweetser, who had only one leg. These men wore blue,
and were seated on the big platform that was all draped with flags. Plank
seats were arranged, and every plank held its quota. Just outside the
seats hundred of men stood, and beyond these were wagons filled with
people. Every tree in the woods seemed to have a horse tied to it, and the
trees over the speakers' platform were black with men and boys. I never
knew before that there were so many horses and people in the world.

When the speaking began, the people cheered, an