Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-07-09

Il 80 r,l
IRON with its ragged edges ba5 80 49, =,
III ks , piece Of flesh from the back ~
m nis auk,e upward, completely savsr;n -
.he cord and laying bare the bone ~
was 'ying upon his face and the b,ooS
was already staining the oraan $500
where he had fallen. Speak inc BIAS, Sass
u encouragement, she removed Fl. shaa
anu tue fragment of stocking and baat;
y bound up the wound with str;,s to..,
from her clothing. In tb;s pc, ps 'o ~,
stanched the How Of blood ami on;etaS
ms Tears, though she could not allsvis,a
u. now, Charley, must 90 up 10 Nv
rierson's myself, for she'll NAV - s,n;,' III
me house and then Mary and Rohhe
WIZ be burned. I'll put Won beh;n2
sna1 Tree, and you viii not be in much
you?" i"' wont
ana the tears trickled down Charlev,s
eheeks, though he tried very barJ -
Keep them back. The tree was a lorao
chestnut, and its generous trunk az
iorded pretty ample protection again,
ne s,ieiis, TWO OF which had struck
near by while Mrs. Cages was bindina
up the wound. Arriving ut Mr., Pier
son she dispatched him in great haste
10 the fort, while she, with swift foot
returned to Charley. Becky and Berty
iierson, aged IL and Is, with true oiri.
ISM heroism, returned with her ot@itb.
standing the bursting shells, On tho
way they passed several negroes shell
Tered Behind stumps and stones; and
Mrs, cages yainly begged them to fol (.
10" her and assist in the removal of the
wounded by. They found Charley be-
hind the trees, and he said, ''Oh, nam.
ma! I'm so glad you've come back -
lie could not walk at all. and
he was weak from pain and
loss Of blood So his mother and ihs
two girls carried him in their arms as
best they could. Down the hill hall
blinded by the smoke and stunned Inv
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
lew moments the regimental surgeon
and hospital steward came pallopipp
down to express their sorrow ut what
had happened and 10 render assistance.
The surgeons proflered services Sere
most gladly accepted. When he was
ready TO examine the wound, the mother
said
"Now, Charley, it will hurt you to
have the wound dres sed; but it must be
done; and you must try and bear it. II
will soon be over.
III try, said Charley, ''if 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.
''Iou 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
/ tPapnplCrS at frat Inf l,,. Z, ,,;,l,t,, "a
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 hls
mother'sla lap. His eyes were closed, and
his pallid face had lost something Of the
roundness and fullness which marked il
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 a
solemn hush in the room, and every eve
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 q 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 nthe
day he dropped asleep and awoke con-
siderably refreshed. He was uncom-
planning through il all; and the forti-
| tude with which he bore his sufierings
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
officers did everything in their power
to atone for the suffering they had so
carelessly but unintentionally caused:
| The surgeon and his assistants attended
him tenderly and carefully until he was
we'll. The surgeon offered TO procure
his mother pension, but Mrs, Cages
declined, saying that she was too thank,
! full that her boy was alive to think oil
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. Caves, now an aged woman,
loves TO tell of those perilous times
One of her daughters, lady oil rare
qualities, fills one Of the highest posi-
tons allowed to her sex in the Govern
ment department in Washington. sht
has in her little cabinet at home the
very piece of she'll which did its crueI
work that day. Ii is rusty, and when
picked up was blood-stained. Charley
Is a florist, and brings his flowers regn'
Iarly 10 one of the Washington markets
| He imps a little, and will always have
cause TO remember the summer morn
inc when the New York regiment II
Fort Smith bombarded his mother
house.
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