Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-11-21
Playing q on a soldier,

to have any fun when they get 10
gether. That is the greatest mistakl
that was ever made. We supposl
there was more fun to the square mil
during the reunion here than was eve
enjoyed before since the world began
Among the Chicago boys, as a guest
was Theo. X. Davis, the artist Of Har
pers Weekly, who was all through tn
war, and whose pencil has caused
many a battle field TO be impresse,
upon the minds of hundreds of thou.
sands OF people who were not there
There was one Of the Chicago mel
who sometimes took in a little to,
much wet stuff, and who was I
little excitable when full, thouxl
a royal good fellow. The
visiting, the music, the marching, th,
cheering and the excitement Of tn,
reunion. with a little dust of liquor
had made him feel quite excited, and
he wanted to fight his battles oyel
again, but the boys kept him quiet
and finally got him to bed, and soon
he slept like a log. The boys we're in
the room telling stories, when some
one called attention to the sleeping
oOmrade, and in a second an idea oc.
Cured to Davis, the artist. He said
be would go to his room and get his
water color paint and brushes, and
some court Ulster, and paint the
face of the sleeping cOmrade so be
would look as though he had been in
a fight, and been knocked
all to pieces. The boys said it
would be q good idea. and pretty
soon the artist was at work with his
soft camel's hair brushes, and the
boys stood over the artist aud his
human canvas, holding their sides to
keep from roaring. The artist first
painted two black eyes that you would
swear had been made by a mans fist
Then he painted a swelling on one
cheek, and on the forehead he painted
what looked as though a sledge ham.
mer had mashed in the skull and
left the brain oozing out. Then the
artist took some strips Of court plaster
and stuck one across the painted
broken nose, another across the mouth.
sealing both lips; and the boys stood
back to look at the stricken man and
wait for the court plaster to dry. The
scene was so real that n OF
the boys actually turned pale
while looking at tho sleeper. The
boys held a consultation and agreed
that when their friend awoke they
should look heart broken, and make
i'm believe he nd been mauled outoi
all human shape; and they got a
strange veteran from Oshkosh to per
senate a doctor. After a little the
sleeper began to wake up, and one OF
his friends took a seat by his bedside,
took hold of his pulse, and as he
opened his eyes the friend said.
Now. don't exert yourself, and
don't try to talk. The doctor So
you will be all right if you remain
quiet"
The victim of the joke opened his
eyes and was going to ask what in
Gehenna was the matter, and what
made them stand around ike a lot OIL
pail bearers, when he found his mouth
held together by court plaster, and biz
voice sounded like a man with a hail
lip asking somebody to 20 to the
devil. AT this point Lu Drury, one
Of the jokers, was having trouble
to keep from laughing, so no put a
handkerchief to bis face, sobbed, and
said, My God, boys, this is horrible.
The victim looked at Lu, and would
have sworn his great heart Twas over.
charged with grief, and he tried tc
talk, but the court plaster would moi
permit him. AT this point the Osh.
kosh villain, who acted as army sur.
geOn, went to the bedside OF the
wounded man, relieved the othcl
watcher, felt of bis pllse and said:
Don't be discouraged my boy, VIZ
will pull you through, if you do moi
get excited. | have cured worse
cases."
Then he took a pair Of scissors and
cut the court plaster that held the
lips together, and said:
There, how do you feel now2 Dom
talk much, but don't you feel re.
lieved2"
The victim looked at the doctor and
at the boys who we're pieturesquely
standing around the bed, and said.
DOC, for Gods sake what has hap.
pened to me?"
The doctor told him to be quiet
and then whispered to him:
You have had the worst fight that
a man ever had and lived. A man
attacked you on Wells street with 4
view Of robbing you, and you defended
yourself, but il was a hard struggle.
Mr.. Drury, please hand me that hand.
glass. There, you can see for your.
self. There is a confusion of the
brain, the eyes are discolored, and
thought your jaw was broken, but az
you ear talk, | guess it is only frac.
tured. But you ought to see the man
that jumped on you. There, now
don't look at yourself too much. You
will look better to morrow"
The victim took a long look at him.
self. and the Arst thing he said was.
us the other fellow alive?"
1t was all the boys could do to keer
from bursting, but they kept sobel
faces, and the doctor said the othel
fellow was alive, but he was the worsi
used up man be ever sewed up. III
said one arm was broken and one eve
gouged out, and his face looked as II q
pile driver had struck him. The
victim smiled a satisfied smile as hC
heard how he had whipped the othel
fellow Then the boys asked him n
he had any message 10 send home
He took the mirror and looked a,
himself again, and said, TELEGRAPH
for my wife" That was tou much
and the boys roared and the doctor
tore of the court plaster from hi
nose, another fellow brought a wei
towel and the paint was washed off
and when he was clean the boys hand.
ed him the mirror, and he looked a
himself again, and then saw il was {
joke, and he wanted to kill some o
them, but just then a colored boz
brought up couple Of bottles Of wine
and the injured nan got up, and tn,
war was over. But for a couple o
days, il anybody said, rs the otheI
fellow aliye?'or Telegraph my wife,
10 his presence, his hand instantly