Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-02-14
SHE SAVED sflS~L!FE. E
1 Little Girls Present Stops u Bullet and
Prevents a Soldiers Death.

4 Little Girls Present Stops Bullet and
Prevents a Soldiers Death.
Twas merely a child when the war
broke out, but being a,good operator on
the sewing machine l was able 70 do
considerable work on uniforms for the
soldiers.
l heard old Dan Poyrette, an elderly
man who had just enlisted, soy one day
that he dreaded neuralgia in the head
more than the enemy's bullets $50 Imads
him a scarlet cap out of an old night
cap that had belonged to my grand.
father.
There were some scraps left over, out
of which concluded to make HIM a pm
wheel, putting two silver dollars in the
inside that l had saved up.
He tried on the cap, declared it would
De the saving OF his life, wondered that
he or his wife had not thought to make
one, and, taking up the pin holder,
asked what it was, and cried out at its
lieft. ''What has the child got in it, he
said, balancing it on his hand.
''Oh, if you ever get hungry just take
it to a suffer tent and-eat 1t, sung
out, dancing away On hippety-hop.
Early on the following morning the
boys marched gayly away.
Again we went back to picking lint
and watching the telegraph dispatches.
Then the air seemed to fill again with
recruiting officers, more men had been
called for, and we saw brave boySmarch
ing up and enrolling eiieir names. Theirs
was news of battles. and the awful
words, KILLED" Wounded" Miss
ing" flooded the land with teas
In one Of the lists we read thenlame of
Dan Poynette among thewounded. We
thought pityingly of the wife and.chil-
dren and offered them ali the ieipv,os-
sible. There were mary calls forehelp
in those days, and every heart was isore
and bleeding.
dan has three wounds" his wifeeoid
is, mot any of them fatal. He expects
TO get entirely weli, burt he says tell the
little one he has mimic bail lod ged just
over his heart, hattened against PIN
wheel, il you know what that is, !
don't"
clasped my hands in ecstasy. Then
my silver dollars had saved hisGife. l
had builded better than knew. l think
the knowledge would send a thrill OF
pleasure through the consciousness OF
one grown staid and reserved with
years. but TO me, an i,lpslSIVe Child, Ii
was simply delightful.
Dan never grew entirely well, as he
had hoped, but was given an honorable
discharge and sent home with knee
that would never bend again.
On the evening of his first day al home
he came hobbling over TO our house,
wearing his bul!es riddled uniform, to
show us he dent in the outer silver dol
lar Of his pin holder.
81 don't know that I ever killed
man" he said, looking down TO me with
= smile; Il hope not, though / shot 1t
them. But I'd rather he in your place.
little one, and know for sure that 1 had
saved mans life than wear a generals
straps He had been promoted for
bravery and given colonel's straps, SO
l took my compliment proudly.
The nightcap saved me many n ache,
know. for l have not had an attack of
neuralgia since | began 70 wear it. III
never be without one again. bit it WIS
the.moEey tina. saved nv lie. There IS
nothing between me and trench in Viz
GINA, but that, he said, holding il ous
n us hand.
hcs- Poynette cane across TIE room
ana. -ssooping cown, kissed me- fun
bsad IN my sinzh pocket Tor , handler
ehis.~oat failing 10 iird one slipped oa:s
when 20 one noticed and i1oppzd NJ LAY
eyes oIatse corner Il rllr print apron
KS aa awiUl jolly bm- - save
man f.tte." l ,aJtteze5. -'bls crit II
tsal.E; * 1s- makes one Isei kinder lGn-
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