The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-05-02
RI. wonrs Of ! Mother Hand.

lngton. He had his right foet gna.
tered by a piece of shell at an engage
ment near MechanicsyilIe. The foot
had been amputstedi, but ihe sink slow
~ away. All his sufferings had been
borne with q soldiers fortitude, and il
was now near midnight, he having
reached the city at noon. His mother
had been telegraphed for and was to
meet him at Washington in a 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 f~uctuating pulsation.
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. It was
quite dark in the room and he dozed.
Smothering her emotion, the mother
stole softly TO the bedside and, sitting
down, took the limpid hand from the
lady. Hardly had she touched his hand
when he said slowly: Surely that was
my mothers hand. / know her touch. "
Then, opening his eyes, he asked. Who
is this beside me2 1t must be my
mother. ] feel her hand; turn up the
gas and let me see my mother. / 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 a 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, "I wish il could
be so, but God wills it otherwise but,
mother, ? he said with a smile, II have.
faced death too often to be afraid OF him,
now, andI gladly give up my life to my
country"
This young man had been wounded
on the very last day of his three years.
service. One more day and he would
have been discharged and on his way
home. Hedied 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 q tree. He seemed
to have sat down at the foot OF the tree
and fallen asleep, with q handkerr
chief covering his face. Removing
the handkerchief, a countenance of rare
loneliness was disclosed. The boy was
clad IN q handsome, almost gay, uniform
Of a staff officer, and beside him lay a
fancy little sword. The officers dis
mounted and gathered about him, one
lifting him carefully mp. The blue eyes
stared in vacancy, and, although stone
dead, he was &ot get cold. He had a
wound IN his right breast, and his jack
ct and underclothing were soaked with
blood disappearance Indicated he was
attached to the staff of some regiment
or general, but no one knew him. A
search In his clothing resulted in discov-
ering o small bible, and on the hy-leaf
was written, HJames Simmons, New
York. From his loving mother. My
son, remember tiny Creator Iii the days
osthy youth = Nothing else wasfound by
which to identity him.
One of the officers wished to take him
to headanarters. but that was six miles
away, so they left him where he fell,
His face was bright-almost radiant
and his bps parted in a smile. He was,
indeed a beautiful boy, and some
mothers darling, bnt there be lay, d
victim of the cruelty of war. Who he
was, other than that Bible told, / never
heard, but IL they be living I hope these
lines may meet the eyes Of MS friends.
He was notsOyertwelve or fourteen years
OF age.
At Nashville In one of the hospitals,
on . little cot, lay young officer,
| almost a boy, whose form was burning
With fever. All day long he lay on the
bed, his bright eyes fixed upon the
miniature Of a beautiful woman, which
heheld in his hand. He kissedit again
and again, murmuring. Mother my
mother" I'm the night he grew worse
and delirious, talking all the time about
his mother. One Of the sisters came to
him, and, catching sight of her dress,
he smiled and said, "Ah, mother, /
knew you would come.v The nurse
smoothed his brow, and he murmured,
kiss nae, dear mother" Tenderly the
noble stopped down and kissed
him. aAh, = he said, this is the first
moment of peaceI have known for .
week, = and passed quietly away.
His mother did not come, but the
Sister CHARITY smoothed his way.
All, when these death-bed scenes are
remembered, and the gentle, patient,
gray-robed figures gliding about among
tine dead and dying, what do wenoto owe
TO those noble women who sacrificed
comfort, home, everything to minister
TO I poor boys in the war
Values in the Time Of Henry VIII