Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-06-20

thing to tell,
What we'eye done that IS best when WE'VE
l- done so fes0 things well! =sz-
Memory does not always love on tragic
! Nor does she like her pictures dabbled
DER with blood.
When clone we take .Felrospectiye view
We quickly pass those scenes which ara
stained by brutal strife,
| Which the world lauds as great, and
ft (which gives us glory. 4etaEtk
| you a story:
Just after the late war, on a cold. stormy
! night,
] sat snug in my quarters, while the warm
dancing light
cast its trembling shadows on the walls
round about. .-...-
As if Laughing grotesquely at the tempest
Ny cast-of equipments loosely piled up
in chair, -.
na myself in another with my feet i'm
the air
Leisurely smoking my pipe, (the mere
schum thai Jack Moore T
Gave me, poor Jack! you knew him, he
fell at Grand Ecore.l
| / was waiting impatientlv for nay evening
meal,
! While old "aunt Dinah, with blHstering
Ethiopie zeal, E#sy
Was storming at the darkies, who in ller
sable view -i- Il
Were dc no countest niggahs dad she
done ebber knew 5-.rl
But aided by her busy hands and repFsR
ing blast, lE
The meal WIS soon ready, and my supper
laid at last,
I started for the mess room, and crossed
say half the floor, I
When heard gentle rap outside, upon
my door. .
i" Who's thatg',I said, in a Somewhat slir-
-' iey voice I own, "
MOI what you dear Bob would cali hos
pitable tone,
Come in, say, cant YOU come in! when
u Won are foldw sH -
81 ean't,'' said timid voice. 'Iny fingers
are 30 cold =
turned The Knob and looked etit into The
night and storm,
And saw standing shiyering there. the
dripping scaIj clad form --t
Of a sad faced little girl, a face hat grief,
NOT years 80
Had made look wan and old, while from
her ewes the tears, -
Afoeking the big cold rain drops, were
creeping DER her cheek;
D stood r moment, silent, watching fer
her tn speak,
She stood skill on the Threshold, / should
say minute,
Looking down at her basket that had
nothing i'm IL,
Siill she seemed to hesitate, as if some
what fearful rFE
like one VSpsedtO Kindness, while har
still l&Srful
sought with anxious looks my own, 50
impioringly sad
That I'd have given her the then the last
biscuit had.
q" Come in, my dear child, " said !, come
IN hy the firel - a-HrA
And tell me rs Nou warm Yourself Whit
YOU desire!
She came into the fireside and took tho
prOdered seat, -. .-- -a
And held 20 the warming biaze her pNdr
half frozen feet,
Which were bare and stOckinglcSS. and
blue and pinched with cold, as.f
And, like her dress, all stained DER with
yellow ciayey mould.
Her gown was tattercd and worn and
yainly heightened out F..sF
With different material, and patched and
darned about;
An old, faded handkerchief covered her
-rr qnkempt hair, Ha~ur-Q
Which would have been beautifulWith
half hand of carer
Her eye was that gentle blue which artists
%. love 10 paint. . .r
In their ideal pictures of some sorrOwing
saint;
In fact, her W hole rirnid grace, and gentle,
modest ways - tBsEFH
Seemed 10 tell that She had known
other and better days.
When by the fire she'd warmed hertremh-
ling, hslf-clad FORM, IN 81
! asked what brought her forth in such n
bitter storm.
- 4 came. SIR she said, blushing sadly
and hanging her head,
q came TO see If ] could get small piece
of broad. .tir
But cannot tell you, sir, how much ]
puI ny Ss51 @S'lss 8 SsE5 i so sick, Tom Aa-
He LOST his leg at Dallas; he was soldier
then,
For they took most of the boys, as well az
all the men.
We all done what We eOuld, sir, and tried
TO win the fight, -
We gave our country all We had, thinking
we were right.
NY father died a soldier, Confederate sol
dier, too, rJaM
And that is why ! feared so, sir, to ask Of
bread from you.
But We are so very poor, have neither
.st bread nor meat, ----.r-r
And we've not had for two days q single
lulHR ~ tdt.
We used to have plenty, sir, and horses,
too, to ride, ... .st 4
With servants, and nice home, and all
we wished beside; fis 80
But we've had to sell them all: they re all
gone, one by one; f-r- fF rH
Our home, the stock, everything We had,
is now all gomez <-r-tf..I
Ne had to sell our dresses for anything
they'd bring; .s
And last week we had to sell dear mann
mas wedding ring"
! It's long, Bob, since you've seen tears
upon my hardened cheek, t.f
| But my eyes ran oyer then, nor did Think
il weak;
For If you'd seen her sad sace, and heard
her tale of woe,
You d forgot your manhood, ard grown
womainsh, know. al ii
| Ere she came | was hungry, could have
gnaweda a bone; n f---.. u
lBdi it was all OVER now, my appetite was
gone; i
Just then my sable Dinah heard begin to
scoId,
Asking why de nisssa let de supper done
So led 81 the little one out % the table
In careless s4ss rpdft1sloh lay . our usdsls sol
diers' fare.
I And sat her down beside Il, In the warm
A est seat,
And, Bob! it did my, ,soBl good TO see that
poor child eat; ts
Coffee, cold ham. batter-eaLes, vanished
past all recall, aaaF
! | wondered where 80 small child could
have put IL all. aoi'N
( The child herself seemed mortified and
iaH SAID stif ] could -aa2a
I'd eat less, but I'm so hungry, and this is
so good. ~ -4St~sso
When she had fnished her meal and
drawn back in her chair,
And held to the Blowing CRATE her LITTLE
feet so bare,
1t brought to mind little one just about
her size, 81
With Just such browrgcuTly hair and ten
der loving eyes. y S'S@ "
And + thought; perhaps, such fate might
overteke my own,