The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-05

Persons myself, for a shell may strike
the house, and then Mary and Robby
will be burned. I'll put you behind that
tree, and you will not be in much
danger.
But you'll run, mamma, won't you?
And the tears trickled down Charley s
cheeks, though he tried very hard to keep
them back. The tree was large chest
nut, and its generous trunk afforded
pretty ample protection against the
shells, two of which had struck near by
while Mrs. Cages was binding up the
wound. Arriving at Mr. Persons, she
dispatched him IN great haste to the fort,
while she, with swift feet, returned to
Charley. Becky and Berry Pierson, aged
Is and 18, with true girlish heroism, re
turned with her Notwithstanding the
bursting shells. On the way they passed
several negroes sheltered behind stumps
and stones; and Mrs Cages vainly begged
them to follow her and assist in the re,
moval of the wounded boy. They found
Charley behind the tree, and he
said: "Oh, mamma! I'm so glad you've
come back He could not walk at
all. and he was weak from pain and Joss
of blood. So his mother and the two
girls carried him in their arms as best
they could Down the hill, half blinded
by the awful explosions, slowly moved
the strange procession. They waded the
little stream in the hollow, stopping a
moment to battle Charley's face AND
hands, and carried their burden up the
hill to Mr.. Persons house.
By this time Mr.. Pierson had reached
the fort and the firing ceased. The other
children were sent for and in few mo
ments the regimental surgeon and hos
pital steward came galloping down to ex-
press their sorrow at what had happened
and to render assistance The surgeons
proffered services were most gladly ac-
cepted When he was ready to examine
the wound, the mother said:
Now, Charley, it will hurt you to have
the wound dressed; but it must be done,
and you must try and bear it 1t will
soon be over.
"I'n try, =" said Charley, eff you'll be
sure, mamma, and not let my leg be cut
off
She pressed him to her heart, and as
sured him with loving words that there
was no occasion for so serious an opera
ton
"Sing to me- mammal Sing to mel"
why, Charley-I-I-don't believe
can sing now, she faltered-
Y on must, mamma, you mustl Please
sing to me just the same as you always
do, and I'll keep awful still And he
reached up and put his arms pleadingly
around her neck There was a silence in
the room as the little sufferer persisted in
his strange request Then the mother
closed her eyes and tried to sing. Her voice
was tremulous st first, but by mighty
effort she expelled from her mind every
thought save the remem brance of her love
for her wounded child; and she was soon
able to sing to him almost as sweetly and
softly as if in her own quiet home. The
boys arms gradually relaxed and he lay
back again quietly upon the blood stained
bed, with his head resting half upon his
pillow and half upon his mothers lap.
His eyes were closed, and his pallid face
had lost something of the roundness and
fullness which marked it in the morning.
The mother was bending over him with
one of his hands in hers. On the other
side of the bed sat Berry Pierson tanning
Charley's face. AT the foot stood the
surgeon and the steward. Clustered
around the room were half a dozen
neighbors looking on with sympathetic,
awe-stricken faces.
When the mother began to softly sing
the song she knew he loved, there was a
solemn hush in the room, and every eye
was filed with tears. Even the rough old
surgeon, as he cut away the bloody band
ages, was seen to turn away his head and
hastily draw his sleeve across his eyes a
number of times; and the steward was
hardly able to distinguish his Instruments.
Under the soothing effect of his mothers
voice the boy allowed the wounds to be
dressed and the cruel stitches to be taken.
Later in the day he dropped asleep and
awoke considerably refreshed He was
accomplishing through it all; and the
fortitude with which he bore his suffer
ings excited the admiration of every one.
In the cool of the evening Charley was
taken home in an ambulance, sent for
that purpose from the fort. The Off
cars did everything in their power to
atone for the suffering they had so care
lessly but Internationally caused. The
surgeons and his assistants attended him
tenderly and carefully until he was well.
The surgeon offered to procure his mother
a pension, but Mrs. Cages declined, say
ing that she was too thankful that her
boy was alive to think of asking aid from
the government. Charley was soon able
to walk with the aid of clutches, but
could not dispense with their use for sew
eral months.
Mrs Cages, now an aged woman, loves
to tell of those perilous times. One OF
her daughters, lady of rare qualities,
fills one of the highest positions allowed
to her sex in the government depart
ments in Washington. She has in her
little cabinet at home the very piece OF
shell which did its cruel work that day.
1t is rusty, and when picked up was
blood stained. Charley is a florist and
brings his flowers regularly to one of the
Washington markets. He hmps little,
and will always have cause to remember
the summer morning when the New York
regiment in Fort Smith bombarded his
mothers house.
The Latest Cure for FreckIes.
Philadelphia CALI
"Say, Bob. you're out with Miss Par