Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-05-30

~ $50 ~ w.
ZONE NIGHT WE WERE SITTING RIGHT HERE ="
help hold him up in one way, and I surely
needed him to hold me off from some of my
ways.
well. he'd been married, as you may re-
| member, on his leave of absence about a
| year before we left, so we both went to
work to fix up this place for the wife and
little one and worked square and honest,
though I still took my grog mighty regular,
and was mighty fond of it, too.
when we got all thing here ready for
inspection and review, then the Leftenant
he starts down to St. Louis to get his
back pay and final settlements and to bring
the wife and baby home. He had some
money of mine, and before he started he
gave it to me, and all that money and most
of my time spent at that tavern you see
over there.
You know what 1 am Colonel, when I'm
on the loose, and l guess I got that time
worse than ever, having no commanding
officer whatever, and kept it up, day and
night, until [ was crazy as boss in barn
fire.
Il didn't have any idea just when the
Leftenant was coming home. and so one
night as l came rolling back here full
as l could hold to my back teeth, l spied
through the window a man moving about
in the front room: 'twasnt an instant be-
fore I was in there and had him in my
grip. I raised him up and was just about
to bring him in one smash on the floor
when something-somebody all in white
kind of tioated to my side and laid hand
on my arm
"'Sam, Sam, it is your Leftenant" that is
what heard, and child could have fin
ished me then.
you've heard men say, sir, how they
sometimes wished the earth could swallow
them that's how felt So little, so brave,
SO quiet-I didn't dare to look at her. 1
just laid the Leftenant down and turned to
go away forever.
SAM come here with me -come to your
ROOM she said. obeyed better than ever
did even your orders. sir; but l didn't dare
to look at her. You she knew me from
what he had told her, and her grand heart
could forgive all that.
Il went to my bed and she brought me
my tea, and soup, made by her own hands,
and she sat by me and talked to me as no
one else ever talked nor could talk to me
neither preach nor scold it wasn't-honest,
friendly, loving falkland she told me how
1 had saved her husband for her, and how
he loved me and she loved me-and,
Colonel, it fetched me bad, fetched me ev-
cry way, and she went and brought in a
wee bit OF a babby, and she says: Sam, I
want you to look after and care for this lit
tie Sidney as you did for his father, and you
must promise me that you will, for trust
you. Sam
And, sir, did promise her then and
there, and l put myself on special duty to
4, 1J~>, Al.-4
them up and square to the front-and
that promise have kept, and will keep to
the end of my life, SO help me- God!
I'VE were very happy AND well-content
here-all but me. Isee that she was wearing
her life out for her boy and husband, but
what could do? Itwas not for me to speak.
Love her? did love her-but not in the
way that men talk of loving women What
could be to her, but Sam? Inever touched
the name for it.
'She was fading and fading away; no one
but me seemed to notice it, but could see
it every day and hour, and l did not know
if I'd feel glad or sorry. She did not be-
long here, she was kin to God and to His,
and her place was above.
Zone night we were sitting right here,
where we are now, and she heard little Sid
give a whimper from his cot.
Ppm called she said. and got up and
went in.
IAN hour after I heard the Leftenant cry,
and jumped; we found her white and love-
~ as ever, with the baby in her arms,
stretched upon her bed; but she had gone
home to the God that loved her-to the God
she loved
1T wasn't long before he went, too; he
didn't seem to care to want to live after
that and nothing could rally him. not even
the tricks of little Sid, that was the peart-
est baby you ever see, just as he's the
brightest boy in the world now.
lone night the little chap was in the cot
with me, and heard the Leftenant call in
his weak voice:
1" Sergeant, the boy, quick.'
81 had just time to raise the child 80 his
father could put his lips against the baby
cheek when l see it was all over with my
got his Discharged detail
at headquarters where he and she would
meet and know no more sorrow. or pain or
trouble.
.And since then, so far as in me lays, I've
been a father to Thirty-eight-I mean lit
tie Sid. He loves me, know he does, and
there is no use On earth for me but for him.
I'm strict as ought to be with him, orders
is orders, and see that he obeys 'em; but
he knows how old Sam loves him.
sOut where YOU were to-day, Colonel
out at that graveyard, they are both buried |
I dug his grave, and 1 dug hers. No |
hands but mine would let make ready the |
last home on earth of these two, and there |
is where found you. and there and here |
is where any one can find me. The Leften-
ant left enough for the boy, and have my
pension from Uncle Sam, and live happy, |
content and clean man."
do you go to church, sams' asked
well, no. sir don't, -" he replied. ITO tell
the truth, don't take kindly to their arti-
Giles of war; there's two of 'em here and each
talks directly opposite to the other and
each says that ii I don't go their way I'm
booked for eternal and everlasting roast
ing. 'Tain't that way she talked. there was
nothing but the lore of God in all she ever
told me, and I'm more than willing to risk
all my chances on her teaching The boy
goes to the church and Sunday school,
faint for me to keep him from them, but
rns too old dog to learn aew tricks when
they try to whip 'em into me.
II did 90 to church Once or twir. hu& the