, 1885-05-31
UNDER FIRE.


OF MS Health lie purchased n mile farm
in . irginia. about three miles from Wash
ington. y. G.. access TO which WINS had by
The way cs Georgetown and the aqueduct
bridge. lie gradually failed in health.
however, and dicri. leaving a widow
Mis-. Cages I'M two girls and VIC boys.
81 the breaking out Of the war In leul.
Mrs cages ana her elder daughter. who
WAS about iJ years OF age. took a decided
stand in favor Of the Lnion cause. lf
required not a little moral courage 10 do
this: but there wa 10 element Of fear in
the makeup Of any member Of The family.
Al inst their home was within the Con.
fedcraie lines, and communication with
Washington was yerg difficult and haz-
ardous. Mrs. raycs Mas ridiculed, and
sometimes threatened. hit il awaited moth
ing
After the C~onfederates were driven back
a few miles. in irel. Notifications were
constructed around Washington for the
prot ctlon Of the national capital. They
col sisted OF a chain Of forts arranged in
ncnrl, II cree. The line crossed the Pc.
toma. near hahn bridge, above George
town. extending thence down 10 Airing
ton heights and some distance below. re
crossing the river about half way between
Long bridge and Alexandria, and so on
around until the circle was complete
Within this line. and about a mile and a
half from Fort Smith, situated on a little
eminen e, was Mrs. Gaycs' modest home.
pro. ccied now from the enemy. but suffer
ing more perhaps from her friends.
Many regiments were encamped near by,
and little by little her timber and fences
ard stock and crops disappeared. until
there was scarcely anything left save the
house aud the land Even the cook. stove
was missing one morning. Very frequently
at night she was aroused by the beating Of
1.-The long roll. " the shouting Of words OF
command. und the tramping of regiments
as they swiftly formed in line Of battle to
meet the expected enemy. On such oc.
casions all the members of the family
would hastily dress, secure about their
persons what yaluablcs they had. and
patiently wait. During all these trying
years she and her daughter were devoted
friends of the lnion cause. and Their will
ing hands were uniting in doing some
thing for the soldiers.
1t was a midsummer morning In 1884.
Out in the fields and over in the city ii
was searching hot But In Mrs. Cages
II, use. protected as it was from tho rays
Of the sun by the abundant foliage Of the
great oaks which surround IL, the heat
was not oppressive Mrs Cages was in
The sitting room reading a paper: The
elder daughter was in Washington.
Charley the elder son-who was then
near l. years Of age. was playing with
the dog on The porch. II was a peaceful.
quiet picture Of Nirginia country life
suddenly there came a loud. whistling.
screaming sound. followed by a terrific
explosion directly over the house.
Why CALCULATED Mrs Cages. as she
started from her seat. what a heavy cap
Of, thunder she was about 10 say. but
the unmistakable humming, twanging
sounds which followed close upon the ex-
plosion. with the falling of leaves and
broken branches from the trees. told her
1t was n shell from some heavy gun.
II II possible the rebels are making an
atlacky she said
The children low came running in from
their play. and one OF them cried out:
"th. mammal the lightning has struck
the tree. Mrs Cages went put on the
porch and looked and listened. but
nothing unusual could be seen or heard.
-" I was "A shell. " said she. Il expect a
gui at once OF the forts went off acct
deutally.
well. said Charley. when they load
their guns | wish they'd Joint them
toward Richmond They ought 10 be
ashamed of themselves. 81
Il don't think we shall be troubled
and more. y said tue mother as she
returned 10 the sitting-room. followed
BY the children She had but Just
resumed her scat. when another shell
buried itself in the earth a few yards
from The house and burst. throwing up
clonts Of dust and dirt.
what u 1t moan2r said Mrs. Gayes.
Il know what il means, mammal cried
{ liar cy. That Aow York regiment
which has beer sent over TO Fort Smith
hRs put up n target in our field. aud the
Anasu arn I - ~ 10 wt.L .
general. I'd put every n Of them in the
guard house. A."
The boy was right in his surmise. and
In a few moments another missile thrown
from u of the huge siege guns with
which the fort was armed struck "a quar-.
ter Of a mile away. and came bounding or
ricocheting toward the house, strik ing the
ground at short intervals in its maj
uurse something as a stonow when thrown
violently upon The water skips along the
surface, With a shrek like a demon it
plunged through the garden, destroying
everything in its path. filed the air with
dust. gave Two or three more skips and
screeches. and finally burst over near the
road. Mrs Cages turned pale.
m down into the cellar with me.
all Of you. " she said. and they obeyed with
alncrlty. After she had Quieted Eliza. the
negro servant, who was alternately pray
Ing to de good Lord and to @Missus
Cages" to say her. she said:
Charley. you must run up to Mr.. Pier
sons's just as fast as you can and ask him
70 go around 10 tho fort and have the
firing stopped. And you remain at Mr..
Persons until send for you Don't
come back. You are not afraid to go, are
you. r
NO. mamma, I'm not afraid. -
answered the brave little fellow. as he
clasped his mothers hand n little tighter.
Il knew you would not be; and now as
soon as the next shell comes l want you
to go. ~When II came she kissed him
and said. Now, my brave boy. rum
she wonld have gladly gone herself.
but she thought 1t better to remnin that
she might be with the other two children
In ease The house should be struck and
burned II cos. her a struggle 10 send
her son forth on such a p~erilous crrand.
and her lace was very pale as she kissed
him Away sped Charley through the
garden. CHANGING with wonder al the
great burrows The shells had plowed.
climbed the fence aud started to run with
all his might toward Mr.. Pcarsou's house
which was half q mile distant. lie had
scarcely left the garden fence, however.
when another shell came tearing through
the s%hrubbery he had just passed. and
burst close to the house. The nto her o
heart 5 God still for IN nFnn.-
and there was cause Tor IT, cne
of tho Tying fragments struck poor
Charley. aud he fell 10 tile ground
with a cry Of oh. mammal Down IN
the cellar the mother heard the cry Of
Der wounded boy. and in a moment she
was kneeling by his side. 1t ~ns It ~
sight for a mother TO Look up Ii. Tho
cruel piece Of iron with its ragged cd ICES
had stri ped a great piece Of rcsh from
the back of his ankle upward. e mr'r'eiy
Beyering the cord and laying bnSe lie
bone. He was lying upon his face. ana
A Lawyers Opinion OF Interest TO all
]. A. Tawney, Esq, a leading attorney
of Minona, Mimi. writes: "Alter using