Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-05-02

the door OF quickest of movement will
open the door and close it after them.
The after dinner wine is cIaret Of SUPPER
ior qaulity and not dinner claret. The
ladies take coffee in the drawing -roo1a,,
and the gentlemen. are served ofterward
at table.
The Touch Of Mothers Hand:
From tho Philadelphia Press. x
"A Lieutenant of Rhode Island bat
terry, mere youth, lay dying at Wash
ington.. He had his right foot shat
tered by piece of shell at an engage
ment near Mnchanicsville The foot
had been amputated, but he sank slow
ly away. All his sutferings had been
borne with a soldiers fortitude, audit
was now near midnight, he having
reached the city at noon. His mother
had been telegraphed for and was to
meethim at Washington in day or two.
He was very low, and two ladies sat by
his bedside, the one tanning him and
the other holding his feeble hands.
The lady had her finger on the pulse,
noting the huct,1ating pulsatio on.
About midnight his mother arrived at
the hospital, and begged to see
her boy. She was cautioned not
to excite him, as the least thing would
carry him off suddenly. She said she
would slip in and take the place of one
Of the ladies by his bedside. 1t was
quite dark III the room and he dozed.
Smothering her emotion, the mother
stole softly to the bedside and, sitting
down, took the 1impid hand from the
lady. Hardly had she touched his hand
when he said slowly: "Sure ly that was
my mothers hand. know her touch -
| Then, opening his eyes, he asked. Who
is this beside me? 1t must be my
mother. I feel her hand; turn up the
gas and let me see my mother. I know,
oh, thank God, know, know she is
here" The gas was turned up, and
the two dear faces met in one long low
ing embrace. After little he said:
"Oh, mother, / am SO happy now that
[ am with you. shall die content"
,"But YOU must not die, my dear boy"
said the fond parent. II could not
lose you"
"Alas," he replied, IT wish i; could
be so, but God wills it otherwise; but,
mother" he said with smile, II have
faced death too often to be afraid of him
now, and I gladly give up my life to my
| couptry."
This young man had been wounded
Oh the very last day Of his three years
service. One more day and he would
have been discharged and on his way
! home. He died when he was just twenty
years, and nine months old.
After one Of the severe battles some
officers were riding in the wood near
Stone Bridge, and as they passed the
dead they noticed the body Of a little
boy resting against tree. He seemed
to have sat down at the foot OF the tree
and fallen asleep, with a handker-
| chief covering his face. Removing
the handkerchief, countenance of rare
loneliness was disclosed. The boy was
clad in handsome, almost gay, uniform
of staff officer, and beside him lay q
fancy little sword. The officers dis
mounted and gathered about him, one
lifting him carefully up. The blue eyes
I stared in vacancy, and, although stone
dead, he was not yet cold. He had a
wound in his right breast, and his jack
ct and underclothing were soaked with
blood. His appearance indicated he was
attached to the. staff of some. regiment
| or general, but no one knew him. A
search in hi, clothing resulted in discov-
ering a small bible, and on. the fy-leaf
was written, flames Simmons, New
York. From his loving mother. My
son, remember thy Creator in the days
ofthy youth. Nothing else was found by
which to identify him. '-'s
One Of the officers wished to take him
to headquarters, but that was six miles
away, SO they left him where he fell.
His face was bright--almost radiant
and his lips parted,in smile. He was,
indeed q beautiful boy, and some
mothers darling, but there he lay, a
victim of the cruelty of war. Who he
was, other THAI, that Bible told, never
heard, but if they be living 1 hope these
lines may meet the eyes of his friends
He was not over twelve or fourteen years
of age. = =
At Nashville in one of the hospitals,
on a little cot, lay young officer.
almost boy, whose form was burning.
with fever. All day long he lay on the
bed, his bright eyes fixed upon the
miniature of beautiful woman, which
he held IN his hand He kissed it again
and again, murmuring. Mother my
mother. In the. night lie grew worse
aud delirious, talking all the time about
his mother. One Of the sisters came to