, 1885-05-31

- " '.H
his shoe and the fra gment IL sintkf q
and hastily bound up the wound W.T.
ST.. ps torn from her clothing. IN MA 5
way she sianche / the Tow Of blood aud
quicted his fear. though she could not
alleviate his pain
Now. 4 harley, l must go up to Mr
/ iorson's NJ sef. for a shell may SIR Re
Tho h-anss.-ahi then Mary anu Robby
will be burned. III put you behind That
tree. and you will not be In much
danger.
hui you'll run. mamma. won't your"
And the tears trickled down Charley's
checks. though he tried very hard 10 keep
them back. The tree was a large chest
nut. and It's generous trunk afforded a
pre- ~ 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 feel. returned to
Charley. Becky and Berry Pierson, aged
- and 10. withstrue 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 10 follow her and assist in the re:
moval Of the wounded boy. They found
Charley behind the tree, and he
saul Ona muAnllA- ~ Aluu lOu 70
come back" He could not walk at
all. and be was weak from pain and loss
OF blood So his mother and tho 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 aud 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
proifered services were most gladl ac-
cepted. When he was ready to examine
the wound. the mother said:
~Now. Charley. it will hurt you to havo
the wound dressed; but it must be done.
and you must try and bear II. 1t will
soou be over. -
-Ill try. " said Charley, ~if you'll be
sure, mamma, and not let my leg be cut
of.
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 met
Why. Charlcy-I-I-don't believe |
can sing now, " she faltered.
You must. mamma you must Please
sing TO me just the same as you always
do, and III keep awful still. And he
reached up and put his arms p~leadingly
around her neck. There was a silence in
the room as the little sufferer nersisted in
his strange request Then the mother
closed her eyes and tried to sing. Her voice
was tremulous Ut first. but by a mighty
effort she expelled from her mind every
thought ave the remembrance Of her love
for her wounded child; and she was soon
able 10 sing to him almost rs sweetly and
softly as ii in her " 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 moth RS lap.
His eyes were closed. and his pallid face
had lost something of the ~roundnessf aud
fullness which marked 1t in the morning.
The mother was bending over him with
one Of his hands in hers. On the other
side of the bed sat Rerty Pierson/ flaming
Charley's face. At the foot stood the
surgeon and the steward. clustered
around the room were half u dozen
neighbors looking on with sympathetic,
W 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 filled with tears Even the rough old
surgeon, as he cut away the bloody band
ages. was seen to turn away his mead and
hastily draw his sleeve across his eyes a
number Of times: and the steward was
hardly able to distinguish his Instruments.
Under tho soothing effect of his mothers
voice the boy allowed the wounds 10 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 oil.
cars did everything in their power to
atone for the suffering they had so care
lessly but unintentionally 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 crutohes, 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. a lady of rare qualitiei,
fills one of the highest positions allowed
10 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
b.ood.stained Charley is a florist and
brings his flowers regularly to one of the
Washington markets He limps a little,
and will always have cause TO remember
the summe morning when the New York
regiment in Fort Smith bombarded his