Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-06-05

but she thought it better to remain
that she might be with the other two
children in case the house should be
struck and burned. 1t cost her a
struggle to send her son forth on sue h
perilous errand, and her face was
very pale as she kissed him. Away
sped Charley through the garden
CHANGING with wonder at the great
burrows the shells had ploughed,
climbed the fence and started to run
with all his might toward Mr.. Pier
sons house. which was half mile
distant. He had scarcely left the gar
den fence, however, when another
she'll came tearing through the shrub
berry he had just passed and burst
close to the house. The mothers heart
stood still for an instant-and there
was cause for it. One of the flying
fragments struck poor Charley and he
fell to the ground with a cry of ''Oh,
mammal Down in the cellar the
mother heard the cry of her wounded
boy, and in moment she was kneel-
ing by his side. 1t was sad sight for
a mother to look upon. The cruel
piece Of iron with its ragged edges
had stripped a great piece of flesh
from the back Of his ankle upward,
completely seyering the cord and lay
ing bare the bone. He was lying II D.
on his face, and the blood was already
staining the green grass where he had
fallen. Speaking words of encourag-
ment, she removed his shoe and the
fragment of stocking, and hastily
bound up the wonnd with strips torn
from her clothing. In this way she
staunched the flow of blood and
Quoted his fears, through she could
not alleviate his pain.
''Now, Charley, I must 90 up to MIR.
Persons myself, for a she'll may
strike the house, and then Mary and
Robby will be burned. FL put you
behind that tree, and you will not be
in much danger.
But youth run, mamma, won't
you?'
And the tears trickled down Char
ley's cheeks, though he tried very
hard to keep them back. The tree
was large chestnut, and it's generous
trunk afforded a pretty ample protec-
ton 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 ana Berry Pierson, aged seven
teen and eighteen, with true girlish
hero;sm, returned with her notwith-
standing the bursting shells. On the
way they passed. several negroes shelf
cred behind stumps and stones, and
Mrs Cages vainly begged them to fol-
low her and assist in the removal of
the wounded boy. They found Char
ley behind the tree, and he said, ''Oh,
mamma! Pm 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, half blind
ed 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 we're sent for, and in a
few moments the regimenta! surgeon
and hospital steward came galloping
down to express their sorrow at what
had happened and to render assist
apoe. The surgeons prot1cred 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. 1t will soon be OVER
"rll try said Charley, ''if you'll
be sure, mamma, and not let nv leg
be cut Off. "
She pressed him to her heart, and
assured him with loving words that
there was no occasion for so serious
an operation.
''Slng to me, mamma! Sing to mew
"Why, Charley-I--I--don't believe
can sing now,' she faltered.
''1Ou must, mamma, you must!
Please sing to me just the same as yon
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 re-
quest. Then the mother closed her
eyes and tried to sing. Her voice was
trcmulous at first, but by mighty
effort she expelled from her mind
every thought save the remembl ance
of her love for her wounded child; and
she was soon able to sing to him al
most az sweetly and softly as if in her
own quiet home. The boys arms
gradually relaxed and he lay back
again quietly upon the bloodstained
bed with his head resting half upon
his pillow and half upon his mothers
lap. His eyes were closed, and his
pahid 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 dozen
neighbors looking on with sympathet-
ic, awe stricken faces.
When the mother began to softly
sing the song she knew he loved, there
was 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 moth
er's voice the boy allowed the wound
to be dressed and the cruel stitches to
be taken. Later IN the day he dropped