The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-13


ments struck poor Charley, aud he fsll n tas
ground with CRY OF 'Oh. msmmsl" Dowa
Ia the cellar the mother heard the DRY OF her
wounded boy. aud In n moment she was
hnseiinE by his side. II ives n sad sight f,r
another. 20 look uprn. fhs cruel ple - ot
iron with its faHssd edges had stripped a
sf,at piece OF leah ffoin the back OF hts
ankle upward, completely covering the cDrd
aud lay Ing bare the bone. lie was lying
npon his face. and The blood was alfsaiy
staining The afeen grass where he had fallen,
rteahiLs words OF encouragement she "a
movtd his shos and The ffagmen ot stocking,
aud hastily bound up the wound with strips
iofn ffem her clothing Ia .hih way she
stanched the hew Of blood aud uaielad HE
fears though she could not alleviate hia pain.
Now, Charley, must 60 up "a Mf. PIER
pen'a myself, for sheu may atfiks the
tause, aud then Mary aud Rahhy Will bs
htIAtd, III put vou behind that tree, aai
Soa VIII not bs Ia much danger"
"llnt yen'll run, mamma, won't you"
Ala the tiara tflehied dowa uaarlay's
nhtehe, though he tried very hard % Keep
them back. The usa Was large ahsslaat
ana ,ss generous trunk afforded pretty
AN lle ptoiteton against the shells, Two az
which bad struck near by while Mrs dayas
was binding up the wound, Arriving NJ Mf,
fiefkon's che dispatched him la great haste
% the fort, while she, with swlft feet, rs
turned 10 Charley. Ilsoky and liarly Pier.
son, aged seyentsen aud eighteen, with trae
griish heroism, returned with her not WIN
stanaing the bursting shells. On the way
they passed several negroes sheltered bshtnd
stumps and stones, aud Mira, Cages gainly
beFesd them 10 follow her and assist In the
removal NJ the wounded boy, They lolnd
Charley behind the tree, and he said "oh,
he could not walk at all, and ha wal weak
fiom pain and loss of blood "a his mother
and the two girls carried him In their atm.
rs bss, they could Down the hill half
blinded by the smoke and stunned by tho
awful explosions, slowly moved the strange
procession. They wadtd the little stream
In The hollow, stoppirg n moment 10 bsthe
Charlsy's face and hAads and carried their
burden up the hill 10 Mr.. Pierson'a house
BY this time Mr.. Piafson had reached the
fort, and the firing ceased. The other chill
dIen were sent for, and In a few moments
The regimental surgeon aud hospital steward
came galloping down to express their sorrow
at what bad happened aud To reader assist
aDce. The surgeons prOilared services we're
most gladly ;cepted When he was ready
toexamine ihe wound, the m )ther said:
Nov, Charley, IL will hurt you TO have
the wound dressed; but II must oe done;
and You must try and bear 1t. Ii will soon
be over"
'Pll try" said Chsr'ey, 'it You'll bs sure
II ANNA, aud not let NV leg be out Of"
she pieHsd him To her heart, aud assured
him with loving words that there WAS no &C.
CT sion Tor go serious an operation.
'Sirg 10 me, mamma sing TO NE"
"Wby, Charey-I-I-don't baiisve | Gao
siDg new she ialtered.
You must, mamma; you must Please
sing 10 me just the same as you al ways III,
snd III ke,p awful still " Aud be reeche
up aid pat hil erms plesdinely around h.r
nscs. There was silence in ihe room as the
lt,s st terer persisted IN his strange requast.
Then The mother closed her eyes and tried to
srg. Her yoics was tremulous n. first ont
by Mighty effort shs expelled from her
mind every thought save the RENE entrance
OF her love for her wounded child and she
Was soon able TO sing to him almost as sweet
~ and softly as IL In her Own quiet home
The boys arms gradually relaxed aud he lay
back again quietly upon the bloodstainsd
bed, with his head testing half upon his pill.
low and half upon his mothers lap. His
eyes were closed, and his pallid face had lost
something OF the roundness and fuilness
which II afked it IN the morning. The mc-
tber was bending over him, with one OF his
hands In hers On the other side of the bad
EAT Berry Pierson, tanning Charley's face.
At the foot stood the surgeon and the stew.
ord Clustered around the room were halt a
dozen neighbors, looking on with sympa.
thetic, awe stricken faces.
When the mother began to softly sing the
sorg che knew he loved, there was . solemn
huh in the room, and every eye was filed
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 o number OF times; and
the steward was hardly able to distinguish
his instruments. Under the soothing effect
OF his mothers voice the boy nIlo we'd the
wound TO be dressed and the cruel stitches to
b. taken. Later in the day he dropped
asleep and woke considerably refreshed lie
was accomplishing through it all; aud the
fortiiude with which he bore his suffering
excite d the admiration of every one.
In the cool of the evening Charley was
taken home in az ambulance. sent for that
pnrpose from the fort. The officers did
everything in their power to atone for the
suffering they had so csrelessly but I'm inten-
tionaly caused. The surgeon aud his assist
ants attended him tenderly and carefully
until he was well. The surgeon offered To
procure his mother q pension, bat Mrs. Cages
declined. saying that she was too thankful
that Ter boy was alive to think of asking aid
from the Government Charley was soon
able to walk with the aid Of crutches, bat
could not dispense with their use for many
months.
Ms Cages, now an aged woman, loves TO
tell OF thcse perilous times. Ooe of her
daughters, q lady OF rare qualities, fills one
Of the highest positions allowed to her seq
In the Government departments.in Washing
ton. She has in her little cabinet at hone
the very piece OF shell which did its crael
work that day. 1t is rusty, and when picked
up wae blood stained. Charley is a II ,rist
end brings his flowers regularly to ooe of
the Washington markste. He linps little
and will always have cause to rem ember tt Q
spmmer morning when The New York real
meDt In Fort Smith bombarjed his mothers
house.-New York Tribune