me, I hope I
shall never hear that you failed to do your duty as a soldier."

There were no tears in her eyes--she was past that now--but didn't she
suffer?

"The mother who conceals her grief
While to her breast her son she presses,
Then breathes a few brave words and brief
Kissing the patriot brow she blesses,
With no one but her secret God
To know the pain that weighs upon her--
Sheds holy blood as e'er the sod
Received on Freedom's field of honor!"

How many such partings there were all over this fair land of ours,
brought about by the ambition of demagogues so few in number that we can
count them on our fingers!

Rodney's heart was so full that he could not reply to his mother's brave
words. Now that the test had come he found that he had less fortitude
than she had. He gave her one kiss, gently disengaged himself from her
clinging arms and bolted for the door.

"De good Lawd bless young moster an' bring him safe back," cried the
tearful blacks, when he appeared at the top of the steps. "Dem
babolitionists aint got no call to come down here an' take him away from
us. We-uns never done nuffin' to dem."

"That's just what I say," answered Rodney. "And I am going to help lick
them for bringing on this trouble when we wanted peace. Good-by, one and
all. I'll be back as soon as we have run the Yankees out of Missouri,
and that will not take more than two or three months."

Rodney tried to get into the carriage, but the black hands that were
extended to him from every side barred his way, and much against his
will he was obliged to linger long enough to give each of them a hasty
grasp and shake. The only one who stood aloof was the black boy who had
been Rodney's playmate when the two wore pinafores, and he leaned
against the corner of the house and howled piteously. Rodney felt
relieved when the coachman banged the door of the carriage and mounted
to his seat and drove off. His only traveling companion was his father,
who intended to remain in Baton Rouge until he had seen the boy start on
his way up the river.

It was dark when they reached the city, and after Rodney's horse and his
trappings had been left at a stable (civilian trappings they were too,
for Rodney was afraid that a military saddle and bridle would attract
attention and lead to inquiries that he might not care to answer), the
coachman drove them to the house of a friend where they were to find
entertain