The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-07-09

q great piece Of flesh from tue back OF
his ankle upward, completely severing
the cord aud laying bare the bone. He
was lying upon his face and the blood
was already staining the green grass
where he had fallen. Speaking words
of encouragement, she removed his shoe
and the fragment of stocking and hasti-
~ bound up the wound with strips torn
from her clothing. In this way she
stanched the flow of blood ana quoted
his fears, though she could not alleviate
his pain.
"Now, Charley, I must go up to Mr..
Persons myself, for 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
your"
And the tears trickled down Charley's
cheeks, though he tried very hard to
keep them back. The tree was a large
chestnut, and its generous trunk al
forded pretty ample protection against
the shells, two of which had struck
near by while Mrs. Cages was binding
up the wound. Arriving 1T Mr.. Pier
sons she dispatched him in great haste
to the fort, while she, with swift feet,
returned to Charley. Becky and Berry
Pierson, aged II and IS, with true girl
ish heroism, returned with her notwith-
standing the bursting shells. On the
way they passed several negroes shell
tered behind stumps and stones; and
Mrs. Cages vainly begged them to fol-
low her and assist in tho removal of the
wounded by. They found Charley be-
hind the trees, and he said, "Oh, man.
ma! I'm so glad you've come back. :"
He could not walk at all, and
he was weak from pain and
loss of blood. So his mother and the
two girls carried him in their arms as
best they could. Down the hill hall
blinded by the smoke and stunned 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 a
few moments the regimental surgeon
and hospital steward came galloping
down to express their sorrow at what
had happened and to render assistance.
The surgeons profered services were
most gladly accepted. 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. It
will soon be over.
':I'll 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 me.
''Why, Charley-I-I-don't believe
l can sing now" she faltered.
'You must, mamma you must
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 silence in the room as the little
sufferer persisted in his strange re-.
quest. Then the mother closed her
eyes ard tried to sing. Her voice was
tremulous at first, but by mighty ef-
fort she expelled from her mind every
thought save the remembrance for her
love for her wounded child; and she
was soon able to sing to him al
most sweetly and softly as if in
her own quiet home. The boys
arms gracefully 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 bend
ing 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 dozen neighbors looking on
with sympathetic. awe stricken faces.
When the mother began to sing the
song she knew he loved, there was q
solemn hush in the room, and every eye
was filled with tears. Even the rough,
old surgeon, as he cut away the bloody
bandages, was seen to turn away his
head and hastily draw his sleeve across
his eyes number of times; and the
steward was hardly able to distinguish
his instruments. Under the soothing
effect of his mothers voice the boy al
lowed the wound to be dressed and the
cruel stitches to be taken. Later in the
day he dropped asleep and awoke con-
siderably refreshed. He was uncom-
planning through it all; and the forti-
tude with which he bore his sufferings
excited the admiration of every one.
In the cool of the evening Charley
for that purpose from the fort. The
officers did everything in their power
to atone for the suffering they had SO
carelessly but Internationally caused.
The surgeon and his assistants attended
him tenderly and carefully until he was
we'll. The surgeon offered to procure
his mother q pension, but Mrs. Cages
declined, saying that she was too thank
full that her boy was alive to think OF
asking aid from the Government.
Charley was soon able to walk with the
aid of crutches, but could not dispense
with their use for many months.
Mrs. Cages, now an aged woman,
loves to tell of those perilous times.
One of her daughters, q lady of rare
qualities, fills one of the highest posi-
tions allowed to her sex in the Govern
ment department in Washington. She
has in her little cabinet at home the
very piece of shell which did its cruel
| uork fhot dow r. 10 r,,ofv or1 1ubo,,
} picked up was blood-stained. Charley
is florist, and brings his flowers regu-
larly to one of the Washington markets.
He llmps little, and will always have
cause to remember the summer morn
ing when the New York regiment in
Fort Smith bombarded his mothers
house.
It Cured Him.